McMillan Spire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| McMillan Spire | |
|---|---|
 McMillan Spires in the Picket Range | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,004 ft (2,440 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 600 ft (180 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 48°46′26″N 121°16′42″W / 48.77389°N 121.27833°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  McMillan Spire Location in Washington  McMillan Spire Location in the United States | |
| Location | Whatcom County, Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Challenger |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1940 Fred Beckey |
McMillan Spire (8,004 feet (2,440 m)) is a mountain peak in the Picket Range in the U.S. state of Washington and within North Cascades National Park.[3] The peak lies .75 mi (1.21 km) east of Mount Degenhardt, and 0.47 mi (0.76 km) east of Inspiration Peak. The subpeak known as East McMillan Spire (7,992 ft (2,436 m)) is .14 mi (0.23 km) east of McMillan Spire and they are collectively referred to as the McMillan Spires. The Terror Glacier lies to the west of the peak.
McMillan Spire is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[4] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades (Orographic lift). As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. 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.[5] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.[5]
