Olympic Mountains, NW USA an outlying buckle in the subduction zone

Pacific Nortwest from space
Olympic Mountains & Pacific Nortwest

Olympic Mountains is a small (50-75 mi), cleanly-defined, roughly circular and radial, even slightly spiraled local range (barely) on the far northwest coast of the USA.   It dominates the interior of Olympic Peninsula.  The Olympics are noted for their high degree of ruggedness, and for their high visibility from nearby urban and conurbated populations.  Many Seattlites take the Olympics as their private yard-art, and as provocation & personal challenge to get off the sidewalk and engage with Nature.

But arguably Victoria, the (small) capital city of Canada’s British Columbia province, has perhaps the best view.  The Olympics present a fairly strong ‘frontrange’ effect along both the eastern aspect (facing the Seattle core), and along the north side, facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca (and across it, Victoria).  Even Vancouver, the main urban center of BC (and northern terminus of the Greater Puget Sound Metropolis) has an unimpaired if more-distant line across the Inland Waters.  From these cities, the outer ridges & peaks of the Olympics jut or leap up abruptly like a wall.

The frontrange effect is not so well-developed or defined, on the western and southern sides.  However, Mount Olympus, the chief & dominating central peak of the range, looms up & stands out from its surroundings especially well, from the west & south.  Clean & surprising glimpses of Olympus are noted from the gravel bars of the lower  Quillayute River, near the Native town of La Push (recently of Twilight fame), and even from select spots on the adjoining ocean beaches.  These views are from about 45 miles, bearing East-SE.

Mt. Olympus is particularly conspicuous from just off-shore on eg a fishing or charter boat, along the west and southwest side of the Peninsula.  It may be that the cruise ship industry plots a near-shore (but not too near)  line in clear weather to show it off.  Certainly, it caught the attention of early European maritime explorers, from the water, entering 18th C. maps before the surrounding region was known.

The Olympic Mountains were & are the consolation prize for the movement to form (and expand) the Olympic National Park, which very understandably wanted the entirety of the Peninsula.  Normally, we chalk up the failure to protect the lowland forests that surround the interior mountains, to their huge commercial value: these are the fastest-growing, most-productive and best-paying timberlands in the conterminous USA.  Only those tropical & subtropical forests that are relatively highly-favored, can out-perform Olympic Peninsula plantations.  Commonly overlooked, though, may be that even today, there are 9 (nine) Federally recognized Native American Tribes based on the Peninsula.  Olympic is the only unit of the National Park system, with its own staff anthropologist.

Last but not least, the Olympic Peninsula and the inland waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Puget Sound are a primary military invasion-point for the Pacific Ocean coastline of North American.  Being able to secure & defend this landfall was recognized as a priority, from before the time it became part of the young USA.  Major cutting-edge defense-works and multiple military bases were established, during the 19th century … and remain.  These provisions require a certain degree of infrastructure, access, supporting populations, so it couldn’t have been left really wild.

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