Esmeralda Peaks

Esmeralda Peaks
Esmeralda Peaks, east aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,765 ft (2,062 m)^[1]^[2]
Prominence	765 ft (233 m)^[1]
Parent peak	Ingalls Peak (7,662 ft)^[3]
Isolation	1.67 mi (2.69 km)^[3]
Coordinates	47°26′26″N 120°58′05″W / 47.440662°N 120.968166°W / 47.440662; -120.968166^[1]
Geography
Esmeralda Peaks Location of Esmeralda Peaks in Washington Show map of Washington (state) Esmeralda Peaks Esmeralda Peaks (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Kittitas
Parent range	Wenatchee Mountains Cascade Range
Topo map	USGS Mount Stuart
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2 scrambling

Esmeralda Peaks is a 6,765 ft (2,060 m) multi-summit mountain located in Kittitas County of Washington state.^[4] Esmeralda Peaks are in the Teanaway area of the Wenatchee Mountains.^[1] Esmeralda Peaks is situated 2.4 mi (3.9 km) south of Ingalls Peak, and 1.7 mi (2.7 km) southeast of Hawkins Mountain, on land managed by Wenatchee National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the peaks drains into tributaries of the Teanaway River. This mountain's name has also been spelled Esmerelda Peaks, however Esmeralda was officially adopted in 1966 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.^[2]^[4]

Climate

Lying east of the Cascade crest, the area around Hawkins Mountain is a bit drier than areas to the west. Summers can bring warm temperatures and occasional thunderstorms. Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel east toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow onto the Cascades (Orographic lift). As a result, the eastern slopes of the Cascades experience lower precipitation than the western slopes. 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.^[2]