Boston Peak is a tall peak in the
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Washington and within
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in Washington (state), Washington. At more than , it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the No ...
. At in elevation it is the 26th highest peak in Washington. Its nearest higher neighbor is
Buckner Mountain
Buckner Mountain (sometimes called Mount Buckner) is a tall peak in the North Cascades of Washington (U.S. state), Washington state and in the Stephen Mather Wilderness of North Cascades National Park. At in elevation it is the highest in Skag ...
, to the east.
Description
Boston Peak is located just north of the border between
Chelan and
Skagit counties. It is connected to
Buckner Mountain
Buckner Mountain (sometimes called Mount Buckner) is a tall peak in the North Cascades of Washington (U.S. state), Washington state and in the Stephen Mather Wilderness of North Cascades National Park. At in elevation it is the highest in Skag ...
, to the east by the sharp
arête
An arête ( ; ) is a narrow ridge of rock that separates two valleys. It is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode headwards towards one another, although frequ ...
of Ripsaw Ridge, which follows the county line.
Sahale Peak is located directly south of Boston Peak, connected by a short ridge. A longer ridge to the northwest connects Boston Peak with
Forbidden Peak and
Sharkfin Tower. The north slopes of Boston Peak and Ripsaw Ridge are covered by
Boston Glacier, the largest glacier of the North Cascades.
The west side of Boston Peak is covered by
Quien Sabe Glacier
Quien Sabe Glacier is a glacier located on the west slopes of Boston Peak, North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Quien Sabe Glacier retreated 1200 meters from its Little Ice Age maximum in approximately ...
.
Davenport Glacier
Davenport Glacier is located in a cirque to the southeast of Boston Peak, North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington. The glacier is approximately in length resting at between . The glacier is also northeast of Sahale Mountain ...
occupies the southeast side of Boston Peak. To the east of the high summits of Forbidden Peak, Boston Peak, and Sahale Mountain the land slopes down into the vast
cirque
A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...
of Boston Basin. Numerous headwater tributaries of the
Cascade River flow down the slopes of Boston Basin.
Cascade Pass, an important mountain pass of the North Cascades, is located about south of Boston Peak.
To the south of the high peaks and ridges between Sahale Mountain, Boston Peak, Ripsaw Ridge, and Buckner Mountain is another vast cirque called Horseshoe Basin, from which some the headwater tributaries of the
Stehekin River flow.
Boston Peak sits on the boundary between the
watersheds of the
Skagit River
The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington (state), Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7&nbs ...
to the west, via the Cascade River and other tributaries, and the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
to the east, via the
Stehekin River and other tributaries.
History
Boston Peak is named for Boston Mine, which operated on the southeast side of the peak in the late 19th century.
The first mining claims of what would become the Cascade Mining District were made in 1889 by George Rowse and John Rouse, who named their claims "Boston" and "Chicago", respectively.
Boston Peak was first summited in 1938 by Calder Bressler, Ray Clough, Bill Cox, and Tom Myers. It is a difficult climb as the slope is steep and the rock very loose and friable.
Gallery
File:Boston Peak North Cascades 1991.jpg, Boston Peak seen from Sahale Peak
See also
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List of mountains of the United States
This list includes significant summit (topography), mountain peaks located in the United States arranged alphabetically by U.S. state, state, District of Columbia, district, or Territories of the United States, territory. The highest peak in each ...
*
List of mountains by elevation
References
External links
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{{Authority control
North Cascades of Washington (state)
Mountains of Skagit County, Washington
North Cascades National Park