| Mount Houghton | |
|---|---|
 Northeast aspect, from Mt. Rose | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 10,490 ft (3,200 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 759 ft (231 m)[3] |
| Parent peak | Mount Rose (10,776 ft)[4] |
| Isolation | 1.34 mi (2.16 km)[4] |
| Coordinates | 39°20′03″N119°56′22″W / 39.3340688°N 119.9393656°W /39.3340688; -119.9393656[5] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | John G. Houghton |
| Geography | |
  Mount Houghton Location in Nevada Show map of Nevada Mount Houghton Mount Houghton (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Mount Rose Wilderness |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Washoe |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada Carson Range |
| Topo map | USGSMount Rose |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 1hiking[4] |
Mount Houghton is a 10,490-foot-elevation mountainsummit located inWashoe County,Nevada, United States.
Mount Houghton is set seven miles north ofLake Tahoe in theMount Rose Wilderness, on land managed by theHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It is the highest point of Relay Ridge, second-highest peak within the wilderness, and ranks as the seventh-highest peak of theCarson Range,[3] which is a subset of theSierra Nevada. It is situated 1.4 miles (2.3 km) north ofRelay Peak, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) southwest ofline parentMount Rose and six miles (9.7 km) north ofIncline Village.Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) above Gray Creek in one mile. TheTahoe Rim Trail traverses the southern base of the peak, providing an approach option.
This landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1988 by theU.S. Board on Geographic Names to remember Dr. John Greenleaf Houghton (1940–1979), professor of geography at the University of Nevada, Reno.[5] He was one of 257 people who perished November 29, 1979, whenAir New Zealand Flight 901flew intoMount Erebus onRoss Island,Antarctica, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board.[6]
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Mount Houghton is located in analpine climate zone.[7] Mostweather fronts originate in thePacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada 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 snowfall onto the range. Most of the snow in Nevada falls from December through March.[8]
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