Vesper Peak, in Washington’s North Cascades, is a rugged mountain known for its uneven shape, technical north face, and close ties between geology, mining, and recreation. Its slopes expose a boundary between chert and diorite that helped create small mineral deposits, including the now-depleted Vesper Peak Garnet Deposit near the summit and the Sunrise Copper Prospect near the base. Historic exploration left pits, shafts, and adits in the surrounding area, and a proposed molybdenum mine there failed in 1976. Climbers and surveyors reached the mountain by the early twentieth century, and today it is especially valued for hiking, climbing, and sweeping summit views.