Athena (Olympic Mountains)
Athena is a 7,365-foot-elevation (2,245 meter) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Athena is situated at the head of the Hoh Glacier, and the Hubert Glacier lies below the west aspect. Its neighbors include Mount Olympus, 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the northwest, and Aries 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the northeast.[1] Athena has subpeaks "Athena II" (7,259 ft), and "Athena's Owl" (7,000 ft).[3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into the Queets and Hoh Rivers, with Athena being the highest point within the Queets drainage basin.[1]
| Athena | |
|---|---|
West aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,365 ft (2,245 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 525 ft (160 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Mount Olympus[1] |
| Isolation | 1.08 mi (1.74 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 47°46′53″N 123°41′23″W / 47.781469°N 123.689627°W[1] |
| Geography | |
Athena Location of Athena in Washington Athena Athena (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Protected area | Olympic National Park |
| Parent range | Olympic Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Olympus |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Eocene |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1938 |
| Easiest route | class 3 via Hoh Glacier[3] |
History edit
This peak was originally called Mount Reid by the 1889-90 Seattle Press Expedition, in honor of Whitelaw Reid of the New-York Tribune.[4] Reid was one of the expedition's sponsors. It is named for the goddess Athena, in keeping with the Greek mythology naming theme of features surrounding Mount Olympus. The peak is also known as the South Peak of Mount Olympus.[1] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1938 by Don Dooley, George Martin, Bob Peterson, and Bob Scott.[3]
Climate edit
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Athena is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[5] 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.[6] 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.[6] The months of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.
Geology edit
The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[7] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.
Gallery edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g "Athena". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ ""Athena" - 7,365' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ a b c Athena climbersguideolympics.com
- ^ Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
- ^ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
External links edit
- "Olympic National Park". National Park Service.
- Weather forecast: National Weather Service