Mount McLoughlin, Steep stratovolcano in southern Oregon, United States.
Mount McLoughlin is a steep-sided stratovolcano of basaltic andesite in the Cascade Range, reaching 9,493 feet (2,893 m) in Jackson County, Oregon. Its northeastern flank has been eroded into a hollow amphitheater, while from the southwest and southeast it appears symmetrical. Snow on the upper slopes forms branching white patterns against dark rock, and the lower slopes fade to blue-grey.
The volcano was first called Mount Pitt; around 1838 it was renamed after John McLoughlin, a Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Other recorded names include Big Butte, Snowy Butte and M'laiksini Yaina. The first known ascent was made in 1858 from the northeast by six men from Jacksonville, among them Joseph Burpee and Henry Klippel.
The mountain's Native American name M'laiksini Yaina appears among its alternate names, alongside Big Butte, Mount Pitt and Snowy Butte. Its prominence made it a landmark for Native Americans and others for thousands of years, and the name John McLoughlin replaced an earlier designation, Mount Pitt.
The only summit route is the 6-mile (9.7 km) McLoughlin Trail 3716, reached via the Pacific Crest Trail, which skirts the mountain's eastern and northern sides. Snowy winters block access to the Sky Lakes Wilderness through July, and moisture is limited from June to October apart from occasional thunderstorms. The mountain can also be skied.
The western slopes supply drinking water to Medford as snowmelt feeds into Big Butte Springs. This process provides clean water for the city and makes this peak a working part of municipal infrastructure.
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