Mount McLoughlin is a dormant steep-sided stratovolcano, or composite volcano, in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon, United States. Located in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, it is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, within the High Cascades sector. A prominent landmark for the Rogue River Valley, the mountain is north of Mount Shasta, and south-southwest of Crater Lake. It was named around 1838 after John McLoughlin, a Chief Factor for the Hudson's Bay Company. Mount McLouglin's prominence has made it a landmark to Native Americans and others for thousands of years. McLoughlin consists largely of basaltic andesite. It underwent three major eruptive periods before its last activity took place between 30,000 and 20,000 years ago. It is not currently monitored for activity or deformation. Diverse species of flora and fauna inhabit the area, which is subject to frequent snowfall and temperature variation between seasons. The Pacific Crest Trail skirts the eastern and northern sides and also accesses the only trail to the summit, the 6-mile (9.7 km) McLoughlin Trail 3716. The mountain can also be skied.
Geography
The major landmark for the Rogue River Valley, Mount McLoughlin reaches an elevation of 9,493 ft (2,893 m).[a] The tallest volcano in between Mount Shasta — located 70 mi (110 km) to the south — and South Sister 120 miles (190 km) to the north, it lies in the Cascade Range, in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Oregon. Most of the volcano lies in Jackson County, though the eastern side of its base lies in Klamath County. It is the sixth tallest peak in Oregon, but despite its height, Mount McLoughlin only has a volume of 3 cu mi (13 km3). The volcano includes the Wilámxa Tip and Máalsi Tip peaks, which occur on its flanks at elevations of 7,179 ft (2,188 m) and 7,638 feet (2,328 m), respectively. It can be seen from the Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 97 highways. From the southwest and southeast, it has a symmetrical appearance, but the northeastern flank of the volcano has been eroded and transformed into a hollow amphitheater.
Wilderness
McLoughlin lies within the Sky Lakes Wilderness area, part of the Rogue River–Siskiyou and the Fremont–Winema National Forests. The Sky Lakes Wilderness covers an area of 113,590 acres (459.7 km2), with a width of 6 mi (9.7 km) and a length of 27 mi (43 km). Designated by the U.S. Congress in 1984, it stretches from Crater Lake National Park to Oregon Route 140 at the south and ranges in elevation from 3,800 ft (1,200 m) in the Middle Fork canyon of the Rogue River to the peak of McLoughlin. The wilderness area encompasses more than 200 bodies of water including ponds and lakes, in addition to forests and mountain ridges.
Physical geography The local area has warm, dry summers during the daytime with cool nights, and snowy winters that impede access to the Sky Lakes Wilderness through July. Moisture is limited between June and October barring occasional thunderstorms, which accounts for a very short growing season between ice thawing and drought. On average, precipitation does not exceed 40 in (100 cm) at medium elevations, reaching 80 to 90 in (200 to 230 cm) at greater heights, most of which consists of snowfall. Around the base of the mountain, there are a number of lakes, including the Lake of the Woods and Fourmile Lake. The Upper Klamath Lake, the largest body of freshwater in the state, sits to the east of Mount McLoughlin. The Summit Lake is a small lake on the northern slope of the volcano between the Rogue River and the Klamath Basin. The Big Butte Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River, drains the northwestern part of McLoughlin, while the Little Butte Creek is fed by the southern flanks.
Climate
Ecology About 20 tree species can be found throughout Mount McLoughlin's surroundings, including Pacific yew at low elevations, mountain hemlock, whitebark pine, and subalpine fir at higher elevations, and lodgepole pine and red fir throughout. Other plant species include shrubs, wildflowers, junipers, heather, columbine, kinnikinnick, huckleberry, chinquapins, grouse huckleberry, and bearberry. Common fauna in the area include chipmunks, deer, elk, American black bears, coyotes, while yellow-bellied marmots, fishers, pikas, and American martens are less common. More than 150 bird species live in the Big Butte Creek watershed near McLoughlin. Eagles and hawks can be sighted in the vicinity, as can spotted owls. goshawks like to live beneath the tree canopy in the region. Amphibian species like Oregon spotted frogs and Cascades frogs live in certain parts of the watershed. Fish species include Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, Coho salmon, Pacific lamprey, and coastal cutthroat trout.
Geology
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
