Styloid Peak
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| Styloid Peak | |
|---|---|
 Styloid Peak seen from Ruby Mountain | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,972 ft (2,125 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 412 ft (126 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Distal Phalanx 7620 ft [2] |
| Coordinates | 48°38′13″N 121°06′06″W / 48.63694°N 121.10167°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Styloid Peak Location in Washington  Styloid Peak Location in the United States | |
| Location | North Cascades National Park, Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | North Cascades Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Ross Dam |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1981 John Roper and party[3] |
Styloid Peak is the unofficial name of a 6,972-foot (2,125-metre) mountain summit located in North Cascades National Park in Skagit County of Washington state. Its nearest higher peak is Mantis Peak, 0.33 mi (0.53 km) to the west, and Snowfield Peak rises 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the west.[1] Precipitation runoff from Styloid Peak drains into Neve Creek and McAllister Creek, both tributaries of Thunder Creek. The first ascent of Styloid Peak was made on May 31, 1981, by John Roper and party, on the same day that they climbed Distal Phalanx.[3] Roper, being a doctor, named some of his many first ascents for anatomical parts of the body.
Styloid Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[3] 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.[4] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.[4]
