Mount Olympus (Washington)

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Mount Olympus

Elevation 2,427 m (7,962 ft)
Location Washington State, USA
Range Olympic Mountains
Coordinates 47°48′04.7″N, 123°42′39.0″W
Topo map USGS Mount Olympus
Type Shale and sandstone
Age of rock Eocene
First ascent 1907 by L.A. Nelson and party
Easiest route ice climb

Mount Olympus is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains range of Western Washington. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is the central feature of Olympic National Park. Mount Olympus is the highest summit of the Olympic Mountains, however, peaks such as Mount Constance, on the eastern margin of the range, are more visible from the Seattle metropolitan area. With notable local relief, it ascends over 2,100 m (6,900 ft) from the 293 m (961 ft) elevation confluence of the Hoh River with Hoh Creek in only 8.8 km (5.5 mi).

Due to large winter snowfalls, Mount Olympus supports large glaciers, despite its modest elevation, 2,427 m (7,963 ft), and relatively low latitude (48°). These glaciers include Blue, Hoh, Humes, Jeffers, Hubert, and White, the longest of which is Hoh at 4.93 km (3.06 mi). The largest is Blue with a volume of 0.57 km³ and area of 5.31 km².[1]

Mount Olympus was sighted in 1774 by the Spanish explorer Juan Perez, who named it "El Cerro de la Santa Rosalia". This is said to be the first European to name a geographic feature in present-day Washington state. In 1778, on July 4, the British explorer John Meares gave the mountain its present name, Olympus.[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Spicer, Richard C. (1986). Glaciers in the Olympic Mountains, Washington: Present Distribution and Recent Variations. Thesis, University of Washington. 
  2. ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3. 

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