Nine miles from Highway 6 is a gate, the summit is then 0.5 miles from that point. It is the eighth-highest peak of the Oregon Coast Range. 2002: Quaternary geology of the Albion Range, south-central Idaho Cirque containing Independence Lakes Bob and snowfield, with Mount Independence in background This 6"x9" paperback has 386 pages that are packed with detailed information about Oregon Geology. [3], South Saddle Mountain is one of 17 peaks in Oregon with the name Saddle. Some of these sections were acquired in the 1990s and the mineral rights were not transferred to the BLM for T15N, R23E, Sections 11 and 13 and T15N, R24E, Section 7. Plate VII- Geology of the northeast part of the Saddle Mountain 7.5 minute quadrangle, Pinal County, Arizona Available Files: Plate VIII - Geologic Map north of Saddle Mountain east of Dripping Spring Mountain Beginning in 1788, these explorers included British captain John Meares, Lewis and Clark in 1805, and the Wilkes Expedition in 1841. Igneous rocks and basalt flows combined with basaltic sandstone to create much of the formations. [4], Saddle Mountain was created around 15 million years ago in the Miocene epoch when lava flows poured down the old Columbia River valley. (General reference which details the concepts and includes several of the photos used here). The Saddle Mountain East fault was the first known active fault in Washington, discovered in the 1970s. Bold, bald rock faces made us feel the need to lean towards the mountainside for lack of trail width. South Saddle Mountain is approximately 7 miles (11 km) due northwest of Henry Hagg Lake and due west of Forest Grove. I would 100% recommend heading to Saddle Mountain when the weather is nice and cool. [5], In modern time, the mountain has been viewed and described by a variety of European and American explorers. [5] Meares named the peak Mont de la Selle in 1788. Peaks on his list have at least 500 feet of "clean" prominence (rising at least 500 feet above any saddle connecting it to anything higher). When the lava encountered the water at the Astoria Sea, great steam explosions and thermal shocks occurred to create a large pile of basalt rocks. The basalt flowed down the ancient Columbia River to the sea and we see this basalt at several prominent areas on the Oregon coast, including Cape Lookout, Neakanie Mountain, Saddle Mountain and Hug Point. [4], Origins of the mountain begin in around 40 million years ago during the Eocene age when sandstone and siltstone formed in the region consisting of parts of the Northern Oregon Coast Range. The mountain consists of this volcanic breccia, which is a rock made up of broken basalt fragments that are fused together in a fine-grained matrix. Tuffaceous sedimentary rocks and tuff (Miocene to Pliocene) at surface, covers 11 % of this area. This image shows the east wall of Sentinel Gap. [6] Geologists would say that the beds dip toward the south. The area contains dense forests of spruce and hemlock, and some ancient lava flows. Most of this huge body of lava (originally covering half of the state) was erupted between 17 million and 15 million years ago, a very brief period in geologic history. The Northern Oregon Coast Range is the northern section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, located in the northwest portion of the state of Oregon, United States.This section of the mountain range, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, contains peaks as high as 3,710 feet (1,131 m) for Rogers Peak. Surrounding the mountain are forests of western hemlock and Douglas fir trees. Sample from Saddle Mountain diorite, collected 1.5 mi west-northwest of Saddle Mountain (T37S R12N), gave apparent isotopic age on hornblende of 285 +/-25 Ma. Little seeps are home to two endemic species, the Saddle Mountain bittercress and Saddle Mountain saxifrage. Daily Statistics (inches) Min: Median: Average: Max: 5.90 (1977) 13.00: 13.00: 24.70 (1997) 30 Year Average: 13.00 inches Latest Observation is 12.00 inches which is 0 % of average: Note: The Median/Average is based upon the 30 year period 1981 to 2010. Stephen, who gets down from his perch only about once every two weeks, can hardly wait for college to open again. The geology of Saddle Mountain tells a violent story of Earth’s formation. The access road to the mountain and state park is paved. The petrified wood found in this area is what is known as "bog" wood. Igneous rocks and basalt flows combined with basaltic sandstone to create much of the formations. Semiconsolidated to well-consolidated mostly lacustrine tuffaceous sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, concretionary claystone, conglomerate, pumicite, diatomite, air-fall and water-deposited vitric ash, palagonitic tuff and tuff breccia, and fluvial sandstone and conglomerate. Elevation gain is 1,603 feet (489 m) and leads to a 360-degree view to the Pacific Ocean, Cascade Mountain peaks such as Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and other peaks in the Coast Range. Look closely to see the basalt beds sloping down to … Other sedimentary rock in the area formed more recently, around 20 million years ago. The eastern … The tops of the two peaks of the mountain. If these pandemic group-riding restrictions ever ease, Guerrero wants to offer guided road, gravel, and trail rides. "Site Guide: Saddle Mountain, Washington County, Oregon", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Saddle_Mountain&oldid=786749979, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 21 June 2017, at 11:35. [5], The lower peak houses a microwave transmission tower, while the lower parts of the mountain are popular for bird watchers and off-road motorcycle enthusiasts. 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