This geological history sign is located on U.S. Hwy. 20 at the Mt. Washington Viewpoint.
Marker Name: Can You Trust Your Eyes?
Marker Text: In front of you stands sharp-peaked Mt. Washington. To your far left sits dark, cone-shaped Black Butte. Why do they look so different and which one is older?
To answer why, we must go back 25,000 years. A massive blanket of ice smothers Mt. Washington. Rivers of ice cascade down its flanks. It is these glaciers that grind down mountains and carve out valleys. To the east, out of reach of glaciers, Black Butte remains a dark sentinel.
Your eyes may tell you that Black Butte is younger, but it is 1.4 million years old, nearly five times the age of Mt. Washington.
Why Black Butte Has No Glaciers
Black Butte rises up, to your left, east of the Cascade Range. After storms cover Mt. Washington with snow and travel east, little snow is left to fall on Black Butte. No snow means no glaciers. No glaciers means smooth, symmetrical mountain sides.
Visit Instructions:
Include your thoughts and observations pertaining to this location and your visit. Provide any additional history that you are aware of that pertains to this location. If the marker commemorates a historic building tell us what it is used for now or share with us the circumstances of an earlier visit to bring this locations history to life.
Please upload a favorite photograph you took of the waymark. Although visiting this waymark in person is the only thing required of you to receive credit for your visit, taking the time to add this information is greatly appreciated.
Be creative.