Three Fingers (Washington)

Three Fingers

Three Fingers, viewed from Smokey Point in wintertime
Highest point
Elevation 6,858 ft (2,090 m) [1]
Prominence 4,490 ft (1,369 m) [2]
Isolation 12.8 mi (20.6 km) [2]
Coordinates 48°10′12″N 121°41′16″W / 48.169917°N 121.687806°W / 48.169917; -121.687806Coordinates: 48°10′12″N 121°41′16″W / 48.169917°N 121.687806°W / 48.169917; -121.687806 [1]
Geography
Parent range Cascade Range
Topo map Whitehorse Mountain[1]
Climbing
First ascent 1929

Three Fingers is a mountain located in Snohomish County, Washington. At a height of 6,859 feet (2,091 m), it is the 43rd-tallest mountain in the state, and is also part of the Cascade Range. The name "Three Fingers" refers to the mountain's three summits. It is a prominent and recognizable landmark in northern Snohomish County.[3]

The first ascent of the mountain came in 1929, by Darrington-based mountaineers Harry Bedal and Harold Engles.[4] A fire lookout, consisting of a 14-by-14-foot (4.3 m × 4.3 m) wood cabin, was built on the southernmost peak by Bedal, Engels, and Frank Benesh, and was seasonally staffed from 1933 until 1942. Supposedly, the top 15 feet (4.6 m) of the southern peak was blasted for the cabin, lowering the mountain's height in the process.[3] It was abandoned and later rebuilt by local mountaineering groups in the 1960s and 1980s. The lookout was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, alongside other structures in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.[5][6] The roof was replaced in 2015 using materials delivered via helicopter by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.[7]

The mountain is used for recreational climbing, with a 15-mile-long (24 km) round-trip trail originating on the east side at a trailhead on the Mountain Loop Highway.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Three Fingers". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Three Fingers". Peakbagger.com.
  3. 1 2 Winters, Chris. "A view of the Cascades". The Everett Herald. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  4. ↑ Judd, Ron (August 30, 1992). "9 Years Young: Engles Just Keeps On Climbing". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  5. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form: Three Fingers Lookout" (PDF). National Park Service. 1987. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Three Fingers Lookout" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 1987. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  7. ↑ Loerch, Jessi (October 11, 2015). "Three Fingers fire lookout has a new roof, thanks to brave volunteers". The Everett Herald. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Three Fingers". Washington Trails Association. Retrieved June 15, 2016.

Further reading


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