Rock Mountain (Washington)
Rock Mountain is a mountain summit located northeast of Stevens Pass in Chelan County of Washington state. This peak is situated north of U.S. Highway 2, approximately midway between Stevens Pass and Lake Wenatchee, on land managed by the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. Rock Mountain is the second-highest point on Nason Ridge, following Mount Howard, to the northeast. Rock Mountain was named by Albert Hale Sylvester. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains into tributaries of the Wenatchee River. Geology The North Cascades features some of the most rugged topography in the Cascade Range with craggy peaks, ridges, and deep glacial valleys. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to various climate differences. The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the late Eocene Epoch. With the North American Plate overriding the Pacific Plate, episodes of volcanic igneous activity persisted. Glacier Peak, a stratovolcano that is north of Rock Mountain, began forming in the mid-Pleistocene. In addition, small fragments of the oceanic and continental lithosphere called terranes created the North Cascades about 50 million years ago. During the Pleistocene period dating back