| Golden Horn | |
|---|---|
 Golden Horn summit | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,366 ft (2,550 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,126 ft (343 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Tower Mountain (8,366 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 1.66 mi (2.67 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 48°36′13″N120°43′58″W / 48.6034769°N 120.7327018°W /48.6034769; -120.7327018[3] |
| Geography | |
  Golden Horn Location in Washington Show map of Washington (state) Golden Horn Golden Horn (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
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| Interactive map of Golden Horn | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Okanogan |
| Protected area | Okanogan National Forest[2] |
| Parent range | Okanogan Range North Cascades |
| Topo map | USGSWashington Pass |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | 45 million years old |
| Rock type | (Rapakivi texture)granite |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Fred Beckey in 1946[4] |
| Easiest route | Southwest route,class 3[4] |
Golden Horn is an 8,366-foot (2,550-metre) mountain summit located inOkanogan County inWashington, United States. It is part of theOkanogan Range which is a sub-range of theNorth Cascades Range.[1] Golden Horn is situated north of Methow Pass at headwaters of theMethow River, on land administered by theOkanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. It ranks as the 101st-highest summit in Washington.[2] The nearest higher neighbor isTower Mountain, 1.67 miles (2.69 km) to the southeast.[1]Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises approximately 3,366 feet (1,026 meters) above the West Fork Methow River in one mile (1.6 km). Thefirst ascent of Golden Horn was made byFred Beckey, Keith Rankin, and Charles Welsh on September 18, 1946.[4]
Golden Horn is located in themarine west coast climate zone of western North America.[4] Mostweather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward theCascade Mountains. As fronts approach theNorth Cascades, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain orsnowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Due tomaritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in highavalanche danger.[4] 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.[4]
The North Cascades features some of the most rugged topography in theCascade Range with craggy peaks, ridges, and deepglacial valleys. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to various climate differences.
The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the lateEocene Epoch.[5] With theNorth American Plate overriding thePacific Plate, episodes ofvolcanic igneous activity persisted.[5] In addition, small fragments of theoceanic andcontinental lithosphere calledterranes created theNorth Cascades about 50 million years ago.[5] Like many of the peaks of theWashington Pass area, Golden Horn is carved fromRapakivi texturegranite of the Golden Hornbatholith.
During thePleistocene period dating back over two million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris.[5] The U-shaped cross section of the river valleys is a result of recent glaciation.Uplift andfaulting in combination with glaciation have been the dominant processes which have created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades area.
