Mineral Mountain is a mountain in Mount Rainier National Park, in Pierce County of Washington state. It is part of the Cascade Range, and lies due north of the summit of Mount Rainier. The Wonderland Trail provides an approach to this mountain, and the summit offers views of Old Desolate and the Winthrop and Carbon glaciers on Mount Rainier. Old Desolate is its nearest higher neighbor, to the southeast.
History The descriptive name Mineral Mountain derives from the hope to find minerals there.Mount Rainier National Park Place Names. Gary Fuller Reese (author), 2009. The name was officially adopted in 1932 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Climate
Mineral Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. 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 viewing or climbing this peak.
See also
Geology of the Pacific Northwest
References
External links National Park Service web site: Mount Rainier National Park