Foss Peak

Foss Peak
Foss Peak from northeast
Highest point
Elevation	6,524 ft (1,989 m)
Prominence	404 ft (123 m)
Parent peak	Unicorn Peak (6,971 ft)
Isolation	0.85 mi (1.37 km)
Coordinates	46°45′19″N 121°42′46″W
Geography
Foss Peak Location in Washington Foss Peak Foss Peak (the United States)
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Lewis
Protected area	Mount Rainier National Park
Parent range	Cascades
Topo map	USGS Mount Rainier East
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2 scrambling

Foss Peak is a 6,524-foot (1,989-metre) summit in the Tatoosh Range which is a sub-range of the Cascade Range. It is located south of Mount Rainier within Mount Rainier National Park, in Lewis County of Washington state. The peak is named for Thea Foss (1857–1927), who founded the Foss Maritime Company with her husband in 1889. The peak also has an alternate name, Manatee Mountain. The nearest higher neighbor is West Unicorn Peak, 0.79 miles (1.27 km) to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Cowlitz River.

Climate

Foss Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. 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.

Gallery

• 
  Unicorn Peak (left) and Foss Peak (right) in winter
• 
  Foss Peak (aka Manatee Mountain)
• 
  Unicorn Peak (left), West Unicorn Peak, and Foss Peak (right)
• 
  Louise Lake, Foss Peak, and Unicorn Peak.
• 
  North-northeast aspect of Foss Peak

External links

• National Park Service web site: Mount Rainier National Park