The Name

Whaleback is a descriptive name based on the shape of the mountain. More specifically, it is a metaphorical name; just as there have been several "Camel's Humps" there are probably also many Whale Backs in this world. One of the more interesting things about the name is how locals call it. When I lived in Bishop, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, we did not say "the Sierras," we said "the Sierra." A similar situation holds true with the Whaleback. We do not typically say "Whaleback Mountain," as you can find it on many maps, unless we're being formal. It is more often called the Whaleback or just Whaleback.

Geology

The Whaleback is a 8,528 foot tall shield volcano with a shallow slope and plateau-like peak. It is considered part of the High Cascades. Like Deer Mountain to the north and Mount Shasta to the south, it is mainly composed of andesite from the Quaternary with pyroclastic materials at the peaks. Below 7,000 feet on the east side of the mountain is a cirque basin at the headwaters of Pomeroy Creek. If you look close at the satellite image, you can see Pomeroy Creek flowing north then veering to the northeast corner of the image.

Satellite Image

The Whaleback is in the center of the image to the right, between Mount Shasta and Deer Mountain. It is not readily distinguishable in the many composite satellite images I chose to create. Logging appears to have been intensive and repetitive on the Whaleback. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) shows that the forest cover is healthier around the base of the mountain.

Resources

Stewart, George R. Names on the Globe. New York: Oxford University Press, 1975.

Topeka, Lynn. Mount Shasta Volcano, California -- Geographic Setting, and Geologic and Eruptive History at http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Shasta/description_shasta.html

York, Kathy. Whaleback Mountain in Siskiyou County Landforms at http://cosweb.siskiyous.edu/class/geog1a/fall1996/whale.htm