Inner Constance

{{short description|Mountain in Washington (state), United States}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Inner Constance

| photo = Inner Constance May 1998.jpg

| photo_caption = Inner Constance seen from Mount Constance

| elevation_ft = 7670.

| elevation_ref = {{cite peakbagger|1023|Inner Constance }}

| prominence_ft = 1150.

| prominence_ref =

| map = Washington#USA

| map_caption = Location of Inner Constance in Washington

| label_position = bottom

| part_type = Protected area | part = Olympic National Park

| country = United States

| state = Washington

| region = Jefferson

| region_type = County

| coordinates = {{coord|47.769948|N|123.146495|W|type:mountain_region:US-WA_scale:100000_source:gnis|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| range_coordinates =

| coordinates_ref = {{cite peakbagger|1023|Inner Constance }}

| topo = USGS Mount Deception

| range = Olympic Mountains

| rock = Tilted pillow Basalt

| age = Eocene

| first_ascent =1939, David Harrah and party{{cite web|url=http://www.climbersguideolympics.com/peaks/firstascents|title=First Ascents - Climbers Guide to the Olympic Mountains|website=climbersguideolympics.com|accessdate=2018-07-31}}

| easiest_route = Climbing

}}

Inner Constance is a summit of the Olympic Mountains and is located in Jefferson County of Washington state. It is located near the eastern edge of Olympic National Park on the Olympic Peninsula. At {{convert|7670.|ft|m}}, Inner Constance is the fifth-highest peak of the Olympic Mountains, after Mount Olympus, Mount Deception, Mount Constance, and Mount Johnson.{{cite peakbagger|1023|Inner Constance }} Its nearest higher neighbor is Mount Constance, {{convert|0.9|mi|km|abbr=on}} to the east.{{cite peakbagger|1023|Inner Constance }} Within this nearly mile-wide separation resides a deep glacially carved canyon called "Avalanche Canyon". Precipitation runoff on the north side of the peak drains into tributaries of the Dungeness River, whereas the south side drains into tributaries of the Dosewallips River.

Climate

Inner Constance is located in the eastern portion of the Olympic Mountains. This location results in less precipitation than Mount Olympus and the western Olympics receive. Inner Constance is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.{{cite book|last=McNulty|first=Tim|title=Olympic National Park: A Natural History|year=2009|publisher=University of Washington Press|location=Seattle, Washington}} Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. 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.

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.{{cite book|last=Alt|first=D.D.|author2=Hyndman, D.W.|year=1984|title=Roadside Geology of Washington|pages=249–259|isbn=0-87842-160-2}} The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.