Mount Pershing

Mount Pershing is a 6,154-foot-elevation (1,876-meter) massif in Mason County of Washington state, United States.^[4] Part of the Olympic Mountains, it is situated in the Mount Skokomish Wilderness on land managed by Olympic National Forest. The mountain's toponym honors General of the Armies John J. Pershing (1860–1948).^[5] The nearest higher neighbor is Mount Washington, 1.45 mi (2.33 km) to the south-southeast.^[1] Precipitation runoff from its slopes drains into the Hamma Hamma River.

Mount Pershing
Mount Pershing (left) seen from West Seattle (Jefferson Peak to the right)
Highest point
Elevation	6,154 ft (1,876 m)[1]
Prominence	1,114 ft (340 m)[1]
Parent peak	Mount Washington (6,260 ft)[2]
Isolation	1.53 mi (2.46 km)[2]
Coordinates	47°33′08″N 123°15′22″W[1]
Naming
Etymology	John J. Pershing
Geography
Mount Pershing Location of Mount Pershing in Washington Show map of Washington (state) Mount Pershing Mount Pershing (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Mason
Protected area	Mount Skokomish Wilderness
Parent range	Olympic Mountains
Topo map	USGS Mount Skokomish
Geology
Rock age	Eocene
Rock type	pillow basalt
Climbing
First ascent	1939 by Don Dooley, Robert Henderson, Walt Ingalls, and Bob Mandelhorn[3]
Easiest route	class 3 scrambling via South Ridge[3]

Climate

Mount Pershing is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.^[6] Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.^[7] 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.^[7] The months May through August offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this mountain.^[3]

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.^[8] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.

Gallery

• 
  South aspect, from Mt. Ellinor
• 
  Mount Pershing seen from the north
• 
  South aspect
• 
  Left to rightː Mt. Ellinor, Mt. Washington, Mt. Pershing, Jefferson Peak. View from Seattle.

See also

• Mountains portal

• Olympic Mountains
• Geology of the Pacific Northwest