Old Desolate

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

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Old Desolate

| photo = Old Desolate MRNP.jpg

| photo_caption = Old Desolate's south peak

| elevation_ft = 7137

| elevation_ref = {{cite peakbagger|2261|Old Desolate, Washington}}

| prominence_ft = 1017

| prominence_ref =

| isolation_mi = 2.38

| isolation_ref = {{cite web|url=https://listsofjohn.com/peak/49454|title=Old Desolate - 7,137' WA|website=listsofjohn.com|accessdate=2020-07-13}}

| parent_peak = Burroughs Mountain (7,828 ft)

| country = United States

| state = Washington

| region = Pierce

| region_type = County

| part_type = Protected area | part = Mount Rainier National Park

| range = Cascades

| map = Washington#USA

| map_size = 260

| map_caption = Location of Old Desolate in Washington

| label_position = right

| coordinates = {{coord|46.925114|N|121.750188|W|type:mountain_region:US-WA_scale:100000_source:ngs|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| topo = USGS Sunrise

| age =

| easiest_route = scrambling from Moraine Park{{cite bivouac|id=11933|name=Old Desolate Mountain|accessdate=2020-07-13}}

}}

Old Desolate is a {{convert|7137|ft|adj=on}} multi-summit, ridge-like mountain located in Mount Rainier National Park, in Pierce County of Washington state.

{{cite gnis

| id = 1523997

| name = Old Desolate

| accessdate = 2020-07-13}} It is part of the Cascade Range, and lies {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} due north of the summit of Mount Rainier. The Wonderland Trail provides an approach to this mountain, and the summit offers views of Sluiskin Mountain and Mount Rainier. Burroughs Mountain is the nearest higher neighbor, {{convert|2.37|mi|km|abbr=on}} to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from Old Desolate drains east into the West Fork White River, or west into the Carbon River.

History

The descriptive name Old Desolate derives from its position standing desolate and alone at the western edge of Vernal Park.Mount Rainier National Park Place Names. Gary Fuller Reese (author), 2009. The toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the United States Board on Geographic Names, which noted that there were three peaks on the mountain, with elevations of 7,130-feet for the central peak, 7,003-ft for the south peak, and 7,004-ft for the north one, and the north and south peaks being a mile apart.

Climate

Old Desolate 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 originating in the Pacific Ocean 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 snow 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. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high 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. The months of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

Gallery

File:Old Desolate, Washington.jpg|Old Desolate from the northeast. True summit (left), north peak (right).

File:Old Desolate and Rainier.jpg|Old Desolate and Mt. Rainier behind

File:Massive Winthrop Glacier terminus.jpg|Winthrop Glacier terminus and Old Desolate seen from Burroughs Mountain

Looking to Sluiskin Mountain.jpg|Old Desolate, Sluiskin Mountain, and Skyscraper Mountain from the southeast

References

External links

National Park Service web site: [http://www.nps.gov/mora/ Mount Rainier National Park]
Old Desolate: [https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-5805595/United%20States/Washington/Pierce/Old%20Desolate weather forecast]

{{Geographic Location 2

| Center = Old Desolate

| North = Sluiskin Mountain

| Northeast = Vernal Park

| East = Skyscraper Mountain

| ESE = Burroughs Mountain

| Southeast = Winthrop Glacier

| South = Mystic Lake

| Southwest = Wonderland Trail

| West = Carbon Glacier

| Northwest = Crescent Mountain

}}