Mother Lode (Methow Mountains)

Mother Lode
North aspect, from Wallaby Peak
Highest point
Elevation7,905 ft (2,409 m)
Prominence1,585 ft (483 m)
Parent peakGilbert Mountain (8,023 ft)
Isolation3.03 mi (4.88 km)
Coordinates48°26′37″N 120°36′54″W / 48.443559°N 120.615132°W / 48.443559; -120.615132
Naming
EtymologyMother lode
Geography
Mother Lode
Location in Washington
Mother Lode
Mother Lode (the United States)
Interactive map of Mother Lode
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyOkanogan
Protected areaLake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness
Parent rangeCascade Range
North Cascades
Methow Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Gilbert
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 4 scrambling North Ridge

Mother Lode is a 7,905-foot-elevation (2,409-meter) mountain summit located in the North Cascades, in Okanogan County, Washington. It is situated in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, on land managed by Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. The mountain is part of the Methow Mountains, which are a subset of the Cascade Range, and the peak is approximately two miles east of the crest of the range. Mother Lode is set approximately six miles south of Washington Pass, and the nearest higher neighbor is Gilbert Mountain, three miles to the northeast. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises 3,500 feet (1,100 meters) above the South Fork Twisp River in one mile. The peak was climbed in 1983 by Rick La Belle and Glen Sterr via the north ridge, and the northeast ridge was climbed in 1985 by Carl and Gordon Skoog. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains into tributaries of Twisp River, which in turn is a tributary of the Methow River.