Mount Stuart is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

in the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

, 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. It is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, after Bonanza Peak and seventh-highest overall. Mount Stuart is the highest peak in the

Stuart Range The Stuart Range is a mountain range in central Washington (state), Washington, United States. The range lies within the eastern extent of the Cascade Range immediately southwest of Leavenworth, Washington, Leavenworth and runs east–west. ...

, and it is located in the central part of the Washington Cascades, south of Stevens Pass and east of Snoqualmie Pass in the

Alpine Lakes Wilderness The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large National Wilderness Preservation System, wilderness area spanning the Central Cascades of Washington (state), Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National ...

Name

Mount Stuart was given its name by

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

in September 1853 in honor of his oldest and best friend, "the late Capt. Jas. immieStuart of the Rifles—a gallant soldier & accomplished gentleman." Stuart had died of an arrow wound on June 18, 1851, following a skirmish with Native Americans at the base of the

Siskiyou Mountains The Siskiyou Mountains are a Coast Ranges, coastal subrange of the Klamath Mountains, and located in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, Calif ...

in southwest Oregon.

Topography

Mount Stuart is more notable for its local relief than for its absolute elevation. For example, the south face rises in just . The northeast and northwest sides of the mountain exhibit similar steep relief. Due to its location away from higher peaks, Mount Stuart has a

topographic prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...

of , making it the sixth most prominent in the state. The rock of Mount Stuart is rugged due to the extensive jointing of the granite. The north slopes of the mountain shelter three glaciers - Stuart, Ice Cliff and

Sherpa Glacier Sherpa Glacier is east of Mount Stuart and north of Sherpa Peak, in the U.S. state of Washington. According to the USGS, this glacier is "named for a mountaineering club active in the area since the 1950s." Sherpa Glacier is within the Alpine ...

s from west to east.

Climate

Climbing history

It is not known for sure who made the first ascent of Mount Stuart. According to Fred Beckey: "Claude Rusk... was told by Frank Bryant of Yakima about finding a stick at the summit bearing the name `Angus McPherson—1873.' A. H. Sylvester, who climbed to the summit in 1897 and 1899 for triangulation, believed the first ascent was made by Frank Tweedy and Richard Goode during the Northern Pacific land survey." Tweedy (after whom Tweedy's pussypaws is named) climbed Mount Stuart on August 5, 1883, and two days later again with Goode (after whom

Goode Mountain Goode Mountain is one of the major peaks of the North Cascades in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Named for topographer Richard Urquhart Goode of the United States Geological Survey, it is the highest peak located in North Casca ...

is named). They did not report finding evidence of an earlier ascent.John Roper
Washington's highest mountains first ascent chronology
2004 Sinc
the easiest route
is not too technical, an earlier Native American ascent is also a possibility. The standard route is the Cascadian Couloir up the southeast flank of the mountain, which ascends to a false summit just southeast of the main summit, and finishes along a short ridge. The route involves

scrambling Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. It can be described as being between hiking and climbing, rock climbing. "A scramble" is a relat ...

and often steep snow. Far more technical climbs are available on the complex north face and other aspects of the mountain.

References

External links