Lemah Mountain
Encyclopedia
Lemah Mountain is a mountain peak in the Snoqualmie Crest, a part of the North Cascades
Mountains, of the Washington state
. It is located approximately 7.7 miles (12.4 km) from the city of Snoqualmie Pass. Most noted for its five distinct summits, its name, Lemah, comes from the Chinook Jargon
word Lemah, in turn derived from a French word, le main, meaning "hand". Lemah Mountain, like all of the Cascade Range, is approximately 15,000 years old, formed by rocks crumpled into mountains by the Cascadia subduction zone
where the Juan de Fuca
and North American
plates meet.
The mountain has five separate summits, the highest of which is more than 7480 feet (2,279.9 m) above sea level. Lemah One (6,960'), Lemah Two (7,280'), Main Peak (7,512', also called Lemah Three), Lemah Four (7,200') and Lemah Five (7,040') make up these peaks. Each summit has an individual ascent path. Main Peak, the highest of the five towers, was first ascended in 1923.
The Lemah Glacier rests on the east slope of the mountain, and is mostly divided into three remaining sections. Lemah Creek, a stream named after the mountain, drains this glacier and eventually meets the Cooper River. Burnt Boot Creek drains another flank of Lemah Mountain, and it is a tributary of the Cooper River as well. On the western flank of Lemah is a small lake called Avalanche Lake.
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in Canada as the Cascade Mountains...
Mountains, of the Washington state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. It is located approximately 7.7 miles (12.4 km) from the city of Snoqualmie Pass. Most noted for its five distinct summits, its name, Lemah, comes from the Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
word Lemah, in turn derived from a French word, le main, meaning "hand". Lemah Mountain, like all of the Cascade Range, is approximately 15,000 years old, formed by rocks crumpled into mountains by the Cascadia subduction zone
Cascadia subduction zone
The Cascadia subduction zone is a subduction zone, a type of convergent plate boundary that stretches from northern Vancouver Island to northern California. It is a very long sloping fault that separates the Juan de Fuca and North America plates.New ocean floor is being created offshore of...
where the Juan de Fuca
Juan de Fuca Plate
The Juan de Fuca Plate, named after the explorer of the same name, is a tectonic plate, generated from the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and subducting under the northerly portion of the western side of the North American Plate at the Cascadia subduction zone...
and North American
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
plates meet.
The mountain has five separate summits, the highest of which is more than 7480 feet (2,279.9 m) above sea level. Lemah One (6,960'), Lemah Two (7,280'), Main Peak (7,512', also called Lemah Three), Lemah Four (7,200') and Lemah Five (7,040') make up these peaks. Each summit has an individual ascent path. Main Peak, the highest of the five towers, was first ascended in 1923.
The Lemah Glacier rests on the east slope of the mountain, and is mostly divided into three remaining sections. Lemah Creek, a stream named after the mountain, drains this glacier and eventually meets the Cooper River. Burnt Boot Creek drains another flank of Lemah Mountain, and it is a tributary of the Cooper River as well. On the western flank of Lemah is a small lake called Avalanche Lake.
Ascents
- Lemah Mountain's main summit was first climbed by Wallace Burr and party on July 7, 1923.
- Lemah One (6960'), also called Lemah Thumb and Iapia Peak, was first climbed on the 1925 Mountaineer outing.
- On the eastern spur of Lemah Two, there stands two rock towers, the lower of which is the more massive. The upper tower (7000'), also known as Goatshead Spire, was first climbed on August 8, 1982 by Donald Goodman and John Mason.