Mt Adams really isn't that far east
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
I think another factor is that there is almost no access to the east side of Adams and no Cascades hiking east of it. It is the eastern edge for hikers. All the other peaks have hikes on their east side. So whatever the meaningless trend lines show, it is the farthest east in relation to it's position in the Cascade Range.
- adamschneider
- Posts: 3716
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
- Location: SE Portland
- Contact:
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
You can't measure the Cascades in relation to a perfectly straight north-south line anyway. What really matters is their distance from the plate boundary. And that's kind of interesting because the boundary gets further offshore as it goes north, so the Washington volcanoes are further away from it than the ones further south.
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
Well, you can. But I think you have a good point. "North-south" is, relative to the earth's topography and its tectonic origins, pretty artificial, isn't it?adamschneider wrote: ↑June 19th, 2021, 8:58 amYou can't measure the Cascades in relation to a perfectly straight north-south line anyway.
adamschneider wrote: ↑June 19th, 2021, 8:58 amWhat really matters is their distance from the plate boundary. And that's kind of interesting because the boundary gets further offshore as it goes north, so the Washington volcanoes are further away from it than the ones further south.
2-Cascadia_tectonic_setting-713x1024.jpg
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
I never thought of Mt. Adams as being east of the crest line. St. Helens is the one that is in line with the original Cascades These are the ones where the volcanoes of long ago were destroyed by the glaciation from the volcanos of today like Indian Heaven and Rock Lake (Serene Lake area).
I've always thought of Mt. Adams as being "that far north" more than "that far east." It just takes an extra hour to get there and you better be talking tent and not day hike to get my interest. I've done a trio of backpacks to the Killian Creek area and loved it.
I've always thought of Mt. Adams as being "that far north" more than "that far east." It just takes an extra hour to get there and you better be talking tent and not day hike to get my interest. I've done a trio of backpacks to the Killian Creek area and loved it.
- Waffle Stomper
- Posts: 3707
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
Hmmm, it does seem if your line is a trend line Adams along with Glacier and Newberry is a bit of an outlier.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
BigBear:
The impediment to Killen Creek isn't distance, it's that horrible road!
The impediment to Killen Creek isn't distance, it's that horrible road!
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
In every way that counts, Adams is by far the most easterly of Washington's big volcanoes. Its east side drains east (to the Klickitat). Every other Washington volcano drains exclusively west. And biogeographically, the tree line is just super-dry. There's very little silver fir even on the west side. The east side is exclusive whitebark pine territory. That is one of the things that makes Adams interesting, for sure. It's different.
So enough of the casual line-drawing.
So enough of the casual line-drawing.
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
The Cascades are not a plate boundary uplift range like the Sierra Nevada, they have their own hotspots, so I don't think the offshore plate boundary is really relevant. My attitude follows from quereuous' comments. Mt Adams is by far the driest of the major volcanoes, and dry usually means east. But it's not really east of Hood and only slightly east of Rainier, so I think the MSH rain shadow is what creates the impression that it is east.
- adamschneider
- Posts: 3716
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
- Location: SE Portland
- Contact:
Re: Mt Adams really isn't that far east
The Cascades are a volcanic arc associated with a subduction zone, so the offshore plate boundary is EXTREMELY relevant!