Mount Rose (Washington)

Mount Rose
Southeast aspect of Mt. Rose, centered (Copper Mountain behind, to right)
Highest point
Elevation	4,301 ft (1,311 m)[1]
Prominence	381 ft (116 m)[1]
Parent peak	Copper Mountain (5,425 ft)[2]
Isolation	1.22 mi (1.96 km)[2]
Coordinates	47°30′21″N 123°17′21″W / 47.5057396°N 123.2891215°W / 47.5057396; -123.2891215[3]
Naming
Etymology	Alfred A. Rose
Geography
Mount Rose Location of Mt. Rose in Washington Show map of Washington (state) Mount Rose Mount Rose (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Mason
Protected area	Mount Skokomish Wilderness
Parent range	Olympic Mountains
Topo map	USGS Mount Skokomish
Geology
Rock age	Eocene
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2 trail[1]

Mount Rose is a 4,301-foot-elevation (1,311 meter) mountain summit located in the southeast portion of the Olympic Mountains, in Mason County of Washington state.^[3] It is situated in the Mount Skokomish Wilderness, on land managed by Olympic National Forest. The nearest higher neighbor is line parent Copper Mountain, 1.2 mi (1.9 km) to the north, and Mount Ellinor is 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the northeast.^[4] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Lake Cushman, and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises approximately 3,600 feet (1,100 m) above the lake in less than one mile. Old-growth forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar grow on the slopes surrounding the peak. In 2006, the Bear Gulch Fire scorched 750 acres of forest on the slopes of Mount Rose from lake level to the summit.^[5] Access to the summit is via the 3.2-mile-long Mt. Rose Trail which gains 3,500 feet of elevation.

Mount Rose iis located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[7] The months April through October offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing the peak.^[1]

The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names to commemorate Alfred A. Rose, who was the first settler to the Lake Cushman area in 1885, where he farmed on 150 acres with his wife and three children.^[8] He died of smallpox in 1889.^[9]

• Geology of the Pacific Northwest
• Olympic Mountains

• Mt. Rose photo: Flickr
• Mount Skokomish Wilderness U.S. Forest Service
• Mount Rose: Washington Trails Association