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Peak Facts
HIGHEST OFFICIALLY-NAMED SUMMIT: Gunn Peak (6240’ elevation)LOWEST OFFICIALLY-NAMED SUMMIT: Excelsior Mountain (4832’ elevation)
NUMBER OF PEAKS WITH AT LEAST 2000’ OF PROMINENCE: Two (Gunn Peak, Mount Baring)
MOST PROMINENT POINT: Gunn Peak (3640’ of prominence)
LOWEST ELEVATION: ~600' elevation (near the town of Index)
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY LEVELS FOR SUMMIT ASCENTS: Range from YDS Class I-V
NO PEAKS IN AREA HAVE GLACIERS, BUT SOME HAVE PERMANENT ICE PATCHES: Gunn Peak, Merchant Peak, Spire Mountain
EARLIEST DOCUMENTED SUCCESSFUL SUMMIT ASCENT: Mount Baring, which until 1917 was originally known as Index Mountain. Mount Baring was summited by John Charlton and Albert H. Sylvester on July 28, 1897, during a U.S. Geological Survey.
Flora & Fauna Facts
TOTAL AREA PROTECTED: 106,577 acresOLD-GROWTH AREA PROTECTED: 80,000 acres of Wild Sky Wilderness has old-growth and mature second-growth forest. This includes 14,000 acres of rare lowland old-growth forests (below 3000’ elevation).
LARGEST OLD-GROWTH TREES: 6’-8’ diameter, 200’-250’ tall, over 300 years old
COMMON LOWLAND FORESTS (BELOW 3000’ ELEVATION): Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar
COMMON SUB-ALPINE FORESTS (ABOVE 3000’ ELEVATION): Silver Fir, Mountain Hemlock, Alaska Cedar
SALMON AND STEELHEAD PROTECTION: Over 25 miles of spawning rivers, creeks, and streams are protected by Wild Sky Wilderness designation.
ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES: Bald eagle, northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, pileated woodpecker, wolverine, lynx, mountain goat, grizzly bear
Miscellaneous Facts
AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION: 150”-200”AVERAGE TIMBERLINE ELEVATION: 4500’-5000’
NUMBER OF EXISTING FIRE LOOKOUTS: One (Evergreen Mountain)
LARGEST LAKE: Lake Isabel (~1.5 miles long, ~200’ deep)
HIGHEST LAKE: Jakes Lake (5069' elevation)
ALPHABET LETTER BEGINNING THE MOST OFFICIAL NAMES OF PEAKS:
S (eight peaks):
San Juan Hill, Scorpion Mountain, Scott Peak, Silica Mountain, Spire Mountain, Spire Point, Mount Stickney, Sunrise Mountain
NUMBER OF RIVERS FLOWING THROUGH WILDERNESS AREA: Six (Beckler River, Middle Fork Sultan River, North Fork Skykomish River, North Fork Sultan River, Rapid River, Wallace River)
NUMBER OF CURRENT OFFICIAL U.S. FOREST SERVICE TRAILS: Five (Blanca Lake Trail #1052, Evergreen Mountain Trail #1056, Johnson Ridge Trail #1067, North Fork Skykomish Trail #1051, West Cady Ridge Trail #1054)