Brown Mountain (Klamath County, Oregon)

Brown Mountain

Brown Mountain from across Lake of the Woods
Elevation 7340+ ft (2237+ m)  NGVD 29[1]
Prominence 2,058 ft (627 m)[1]
Location
Brown Mountain

Location in Oregon

Location Klamath / Jackson counties, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates 42°21′48″N 122°16′17″W / 42.36333°N 122.27139°WCoordinates: 42°21′48″N 122°16′17″W / 42.36333°N 122.27139°W[2]
Topo map USGS Brown Mountain
Geology
Type Shield volcano[3]
Volcanic arc Cascade Volcanic Arc[3]
Last eruption Over 12,000 years ago[3]
Climbing
Easiest route Scramble[4]

Brown Mountain is a small cinder cone on top of a shield volcano located in Cascade Volcanic Arc in Klamath and Jackson counties, Oregon.[3] Most of the mountain, including its peak, is in western Klamath County, but its western flanks trail off into eastern Jackson County. It is 7,311 feet (2,228 m) above sea level, but is overshadowed by nearby 9,495-foot (2,894 m) Mount McLoughlin.[5]

Geology

Brown Mountain appears to be relatively young at first as its summit is unweathered and devoid of trees, however glacial valleys and a cirque near the summit prove that the mountain is actually twelve thousand to sixty thousand years old.[5] Around two thousand years ago,[6] a large lava flow consisting primarily of basaltic andesite covered 13 square miles (34 km2) of the north and western slopes with Aa-type lava over 250 feet (76 m) thick.[5][7][8] Over its lifetime, the mountain has erupted over 1.2 cubic miles (5.0 km3) of lava.[3]

Access and trails

Brown Mountain can be accessed via Oregon Route 140, which passes just north of the peak. It can also be accessed through the Pacific Crest Trail, and the 6.8-mile (10.9 km) Brown Mountain Trail.[6][9][10]

Flora and fauna

The area at the base of the mountain is covered with old growth forests.[10] The mountain is also home to animals such as Douglas squirrels and pikas. Toward the summit, the land is nearly devoid of vegetation.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Brown Mountain, Oregon". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  2. ↑ "Brown Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Oregon Volcanoes - Brown Mountain Volcano". Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests - Crooked River National Grassland. United States Forest Service. 2006-11-23. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
  4. ↑ Wood, Charles A.; Jűrgen Kienle (1993). Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge University Press. p. 199. ISBN 0-521-43811-X.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "DESCRIPTION: Brown Mountain, Oregon". United States Geological Survey. 2000-08-21. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lee, Mary (2008-08-21). "Day-hiking the PCT". Mail Tribune. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  7. ↑ Tittler, Andrew (1992). "A Geological History of Brown Mountain, Oregon". Keck Symposium 5 (5th Keck Symposiom Volume): 161–164. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  8. ↑ Ostertag, George (2005). Camping Oregon (2nd ed.). Globe Pequot. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-7627-3643-0.
  9. ↑ Kettler, Bill (2007-07-08). "Brown Mountain Trail features lava flow". Mail Tribune. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Brown Mountain Trail". Travel Oregon. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-03-18.