Yamsay Mountain
Encyclopedia
Yamsay Mountain is a large shield volcano
in the Cascade Range
of south-central Oregon
, located about 35 miles (56 km) east of Crater Lake
on the border between Klamath County
and Lake County
. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc
, but is located in a mountain range 30 mile behind the main Cascade volcanic front. The best known members of this enigmatic arc are the massive shields of Newberry Volcano
, about 55 miles (89 km) farther north in Oregon, and Medicine Lake Volcano
, about 80 mile south in northern California
. Yamsay is the highest volcano in the eastern arc, almost 300 foot higher than Newberry and Medicine Lake.
A central part of Klamath mythology, the mountain offers activities such as hiking and horseback riding. Historically the area around it has been inhabited by Native American tribes and settlers. Until the 1970s a fire lookout tower sat on the summit of the mountain, and its foundation remains to this day.
Life in the Cascades is quite diverse. The western half of the range features lush vegetation, but the eastern portion is more dry. The range supports many animal species, including both endemic and endangered
.
Like other volcanoes in the Cascades Range, Yamsay was produced by subduction
of the oceanic Juan de Fuca Plate
under the North American Plate
. Annual convergence between the two continues at a rate of 4 centimetres (1.6 in) per year. The Cascades make up the majority of the North American West Coast volcanoes; they have been volcanically active for about 36 million years. The rock making up the Cascades is slightly older, dated between 55 and 42 million years old. In an attempt to organize the volcanoes by age, scientists typically divide them into two provinces: the High Cascades the younger volcanoes and the Western Cascades, comprising the older volcanoes.
Yamsay, along with the Simcoe volcanic complex, Medicine Lake Highlands, and Newberry Volcano, make up a wayward range of shield volcanoes between 50 kilometres (31 mi) and 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of the main Cascades Range. Volcanism at these centers is unlike other eruptions in the Cascades, and does not stem from fissures as would Basin and Range volcanism. The volcanoes appear to be isolated from the major volcanic ranges in the Northwestern United States, although scientists group them as part of the Cascades.
Recent volcanism in the Cascades, lasting from 7 to 2 mya, produced largely basalt
ic and basaltic andesite
-based material (up to 50 percent). On the eastern side of the High Cascades, however, volcanoes erupted dacite
, andesite
, and rhyolite
. These materials made up several types of eruptions: lava flows, domes
, and pyroclastic flows.In the most recent volcanic activity, andesite, basalt, and rhyolite have been erupted from High Cascades volcanoes, particularly Three Sisters
-Broken Top
, Mount Hood
, Mount Jefferson
, and Crater Lake.
) name Yamsi, a form of Yamash, meaning "north wind." This mountain was supposed to be the home of Kmukamtch, the supreme being of Klamath mythology.
Historically, the area by the mountain was inhabited by Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Bands, all of the Snake Paiute People. The Yahooskins lived east of Yamsay Mountain, near modern-day Lakeview
. Their group inhabited 22 million acres (8.9 ha) of land in Oregon and California. Traders entered the area at some point between 1825 and 1827, where they worked as trappers for the Hudson's Bay Company
. After routes opened up in 1846, Fort Klamath was built (in 1863).
The city of Klamath Falls (southeast of Yamsay) sprang up in the 1920s, and featured the fastest-growing population in Oregon. Contributors to this new growth and development included the creation of the Southern Pacific Railroad
, completed in 1909. This opened the area for logging and timber business, which became the focus of the profit of the area.
The mountain features a United States Forest Service
fire lookout tower
with an 80 feet (24 m) steel tower, built on the summit of Yamsay in 1929. It was removed after the 1970s, and only remnants of the foundation remain today. A dirt road
was built to the summit to service the lookout, but this was abandoned after the tower was removed. The upper 3.5 miles (5.6 km) now form a hiking
trail to the summit.
, Pacific silver fir
s, and Alaska yellow cedars, the eastern half is only forested at low elevations. East of the Cascades, where Yamsay lies, the climate becomes much drier, even arid
. Precipitation levels significantly decline and vegetation becomes less, instead lodgepole pine
, white fir
, ponderosa pine
, and juniper
. To the south, chaparral
vegetation such as beargrass and bitterbush prevails.
Diverse life exists within the range, including endangered species
like Larch Mountain salamander
s and spotted owl
. Amphibians like salamanders and frogs as well as birds are common. Mammals in the area consist of elk
, mountain lions, deer
, and black bear
s. Eastern Cascades fish include Lost River sucker
s and short sucker, which are both endemic species.
, Mount Shasta
, Three Sisters
, and Mount Thielsen
. Other activities along the trail include hiking and horseback riding up the mountain from the recreation area located at an elevation between 6500 feet (1,981 m) and 8196 feet (2,498 m).
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
in the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
of south-central Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, located about 35 miles (56 km) east of Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years agoby the...
on the border between Klamath County
Klamath County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...
and Lake County
Lake County, Oregon
Lake County is a county in the high desert south central region of the U.S. state of Oregon, so named for the many lakes found within its boundaries, including Lake Abert, Hart Lake Reservoir, and Goose Lake. While Lake is among Oregon's largest counties, it is sparsely populated with 7,895...
. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc
Cascade Volcanoes
The Cascade Volcanoes are a number of volcanoes in a volcanic arc in western North America, extending from southwestern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California, a distance of well over 700 mi ...
, but is located in a mountain range 30 mile behind the main Cascade volcanic front. The best known members of this enigmatic arc are the massive shields of Newberry Volcano
Newberry Volcano
Newberry Volcano is a large potentially active shield volcano located east of the Cascade Range and about southeast of Bend, Oregon. It is not a typical shield volcano. In addition to erupting basaltic lavas, it also has erupted andesitic and even rhyolitic lava.The volcano is in diameter and...
, about 55 miles (89 km) farther north in Oregon, and Medicine Lake Volcano
Medicine Lake Volcano
Medicine Lake Volcano is a large shield volcano in northeastern California about northeast of Mount Shasta. The volcano is located in a zone of east-west crustal extension east of the main axis of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range. The thick shield is from east to west and from...
, about 80 mile south in northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. Yamsay is the highest volcano in the eastern arc, almost 300 foot higher than Newberry and Medicine Lake.
A central part of Klamath mythology, the mountain offers activities such as hiking and horseback riding. Historically the area around it has been inhabited by Native American tribes and settlers. Until the 1970s a fire lookout tower sat on the summit of the mountain, and its foundation remains to this day.
Life in the Cascades is quite diverse. The western half of the range features lush vegetation, but the eastern portion is more dry. The range supports many animal species, including both endemic and endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Geography and geology
Subduction
In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones"...
of the oceanic Juan de Fuca Plate
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...
under the North American Plate
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...
. Annual convergence between the two continues at a rate of 4 centimetres (1.6 in) per year. The Cascades make up the majority of the North American West Coast volcanoes; they have been volcanically active for about 36 million years. The rock making up the Cascades is slightly older, dated between 55 and 42 million years old. In an attempt to organize the volcanoes by age, scientists typically divide them into two provinces: the High Cascades the younger volcanoes and the Western Cascades, comprising the older volcanoes.
Yamsay, along with the Simcoe volcanic complex, Medicine Lake Highlands, and Newberry Volcano, make up a wayward range of shield volcanoes between 50 kilometres (31 mi) and 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of the main Cascades Range. Volcanism at these centers is unlike other eruptions in the Cascades, and does not stem from fissures as would Basin and Range volcanism. The volcanoes appear to be isolated from the major volcanic ranges in the Northwestern United States, although scientists group them as part of the Cascades.
Recent volcanism in the Cascades, lasting from 7 to 2 mya, produced largely basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic and basaltic andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
-based material (up to 50 percent). On the eastern side of the High Cascades, however, volcanoes erupted dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
, andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
, and rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
. These materials made up several types of eruptions: lava flows, domes
Lava dome
|250px|thumb|right|Image of the [[rhyolitic]] lava dome of [[Chaitén Volcano]] during its 2008–2009 eruption.In volcanology, a lava dome is a roughly circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano...
, and pyroclastic flows.In the most recent volcanic activity, andesite, basalt, and rhyolite have been erupted from High Cascades volcanoes, particularly Three Sisters
Three Sisters (Oregon)
The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range in Oregon, each of which exceeds in elevation. They are the third, fourth, and fifth highest peaks in the state of Oregon and are located in the Three Sisters Wilderness, about southwest from the nearest...
-Broken Top
Broken Top
Broken Top is an extinct, glacially eroded stratovolcano in Oregon, part of the extensive Cascade Range. Located south of the Three Sisters peaks, the volcano, residing within the Three Sisters Wilderness, is 20 miles west of Bend, Oregon in Deschutes County...
, Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson is a common name for mountains in the United States, usually referring to Thomas Jefferson, the country's third president. The mountains include:...
, and Crater Lake.
History
The name Yamsay is a corruption of the Klamath (a Native American tribe of Southern OregonSouthern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
) name Yamsi, a form of Yamash, meaning "north wind." This mountain was supposed to be the home of Kmukamtch, the supreme being of Klamath mythology.
Historically, the area by the mountain was inhabited by Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Bands, all of the Snake Paiute People. The Yahooskins lived east of Yamsay Mountain, near modern-day Lakeview
Lakeview, Oregon
Lakeview is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,294 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. Although it is an incorporated city, the municipal government refers to the community as "The Town of Lakeview", and bills itself as "Tallest Town in Oregon"...
. Their group inhabited 22 million acres (8.9 ha) of land in Oregon and California. Traders entered the area at some point between 1825 and 1827, where they worked as trappers for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. After routes opened up in 1846, Fort Klamath was built (in 1863).
The city of Klamath Falls (southeast of Yamsay) sprang up in the 1920s, and featured the fastest-growing population in Oregon. Contributors to this new growth and development included the creation of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
, completed in 1909. This opened the area for logging and timber business, which became the focus of the profit of the area.
The mountain features a United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
fire lookout tower
Fire lookout tower
A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness...
with an 80 feet (24 m) steel tower, built on the summit of Yamsay in 1929. It was removed after the 1970s, and only remnants of the foundation remain today. A dirt road
Dirt road
Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...
was built to the summit to service the lookout, but this was abandoned after the tower was removed. The upper 3.5 miles (5.6 km) now form a hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trail to the summit.
Climate and ecology
The Cascades Range is dramatically different in climate from west to east. While the west side is heavily forested and features species such as Douglas firs, western hemlockWestern Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
, Pacific silver fir
Pacific Silver Fir
Abies amabilis, commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range from the extreme southeast of Alaska, through western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, to the extreme northwest of...
s, and Alaska yellow cedars, the eastern half is only forested at low elevations. East of the Cascades, where Yamsay lies, the climate becomes much drier, even arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
. Precipitation levels significantly decline and vegetation becomes less, instead lodgepole pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
, white fir
White Fir
White Fir is a fir native to the mountains of western North America, occurring at altitudes of 900-3,400 m. It is a medium to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25–60 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m . It is popular as an ornamental landscaping tree and as a Christmas Tree...
, ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
. To the south, chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
vegetation such as beargrass and bitterbush prevails.
Diverse life exists within the range, including endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
like Larch Mountain salamander
Larch Mountain Salamander
The Larch Mountain Salamander is a species of salamander in the Plethodontidae family.It is endemic to the United States. The Larch Mountain salamander occurs in the Cascade Mountains of southern Washington and northern Oregon. In Washington, it occurs from the Columbia River Gorge to just north...
s and spotted owl
Spotted Owl
The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards high and usually contain two eggs...
. Amphibians like salamanders and frogs as well as birds are common. Mammals in the area consist of elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, mountain lions, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, and black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s. Eastern Cascades fish include Lost River sucker
Lost River Sucker
The Lost River Sucker is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae. It is the only living member of the genus Deltistes. It is found only in California and Oregon in the United States. Its population is much reduced from historical numbers for a number of reasons...
s and short sucker, which are both endemic species.
Recreation
The Fremont National Recreation Trail passes through the area. It offers tourists excellent views of other Oregon Cascades landmarks, such as Mount BachelorMount Bachelor
Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon.The Mount Bachelor ski area has operated on the mountain since 1958....
, Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
, Three Sisters
Three Sisters (Oregon)
The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range in Oregon, each of which exceeds in elevation. They are the third, fourth, and fifth highest peaks in the state of Oregon and are located in the Three Sisters Wilderness, about southwest from the nearest...
, and Mount Thielsen
Mount Thielsen
Mount Thielsen, or Big Cowhorn, is an extinct shield volcano in the Oregon High Cascades, near Mount Bailey. Because Mount Thielsen stopped erupting 250,000 years ago, glaciers have heavily eroded the volcano's structure, creating precipitous slopes and its horn-like peak...
. Other activities along the trail include hiking and horseback riding up the mountain from the recreation area located at an elevation between 6500 feet (1,981 m) and 8196 feet (2,498 m).