The Needles (Olympic Mountains)

The Needles is a mountain ridge located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state.[2]

The Needles
The Needles seen from Mt. Deception
Highest point
PeakMount Johnson
Elevation7,680 ft (2,340 m)[1]
Coordinates47°49′57″N 123°14′14″W[2]
Dimensions
Length2 mi (3.2 km) North-South
Width1 mi (1.6 km) East-West
Geography
The Needles (Olympic Mountains) is located in Washington (state)
The Needles (Olympic Mountains)
Location in Washington
The Needles (Olympic Mountains) is located in the United States
The Needles (Olympic Mountains)
The Needles (Olympic Mountains) (the United States)
LocationOlympic National Park
Jefferson County, Washington
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
Range coordinates47°53′21″N 123°38′43″W
Parent rangeOlympic Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Mount Deception
Geology
Age of rockEocene

Description

The peaks and pinnacles of The Needles are part of the Olympic Mountains and are situated within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. They are bounded by Mount Deception to the south and Gray Wolf Ridge to the north. Precipitation runoff from the ridge drains east into Royal Creek, and west into Gray Wolf River, which are both within the Dungeness River drainage basin. Old-growth forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar grow on the lower slopes surrounding the peaks.

History

This geographical feature's descriptive name has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[2] The 1889–90 Seattle Press Expedition originally named it the "Holmes Range".[3] The expedition, led by James Halbold Christie and Charles Adams Barnes, had also christened Mount Deception as "Mount Holmes", in honor of John H. Holmes of the Boston Herald.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, the Needles range is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[4] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Olympic Peninsula. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks, causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snowfall (Orographic lift). As a result, the range experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for visiting The Needles.

Summits

Principal summits of The Needles:[5]

Name Elevation Prominence First ascent Reference
Mount Johnson 7,680 ft 480 ft 1940 [1]
Martin Peak 7,638 ft 238 ft 1940 [6]
Devil's Fang 7,600 ft unknown 1972 [7]
Sweat Spire 7,560 ft unknown 1962 [8]
Mount Clark 7,528 ft 608 ft 1940 [9]
Gasp Pinnacle 7,520 ft 40 ft 1958 [10]
The Incisor 7,440 ft 40 ft 1958 [11]
Mount Walkinshaw 7,378 ft 378 ft 1961 [12]
Adelaide Peak 7,300 ft 120 ft 1944 [13]
Sundial 7,200 ft 80 ft 1944 [14]
The Arrowhead 7,160 ft unknown 1962 [15]
  • The Needles seen from Obstruction Peak
    The Needles seen from Obstruction Peak
  • Johnson, Sweat Spire, Gasp Pinnacle to left. Clark and Sundial to right.
    Johnson, Sweat Spire, Gasp Pinnacle to left. Clark and Sundial to right.
  • Martin, Incisor, Johnson, Clark, and Sundial seen from Marmot Pass
    Martin, Incisor, Johnson, Clark, and Sundial seen from Marmot Pass
  • Mt. Deception (left), The Needles centered, Tyler Peak along right edge,as seen from near Port Townsend
    Mt. Deception (left), The Needles centered, Tyler Peak along right edge,
    as seen from near Port Townsend

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[16] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.

See also

References
  1. "Mount Johnson, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  2. "The Needles". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  3. Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).
  4. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
  5. "The Needles Area – Climbers Guide to the Olympic Mountains". climbersguideolympics.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-21. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  6. "Martin Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  7. "Devil's Fang – Climbers Guide to the Olympic Mountains". climbersguideolympics.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  8. "Sweat Spire, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  9. "Mount Clark, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  10. "Gasp Pinnacle, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  11. "The Incisor, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  12. "Mount Walkinshaw, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  13. "Adelaide Peak, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  14. "Sundial, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  15. "The Arrowhead, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  16. Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.

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