North Cascades

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North Cascades
Canadian Cascades
Mount Shuksan tarn.jpg
Mount Shuksan, one of the most picturesque peaks of the North Cascades
Highest point
Peak Mount Baker
Elevation 3,286 m (10,781 ft)
Dimensions
Length434.5 km (270.0 mi)North-South
Width241 km (150 mi)East-West
Geography
South BC-NW USA-reliefNorthCdnCascades.png
Location map of the North Cascades and the Canadian Cascades
Countries Canada and United States
Province/State British Columbia and Washington
Parent range Cascade Range
Borders on Lillooet Ranges, Skagit Range

The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in the U.S. and Canada [1] as the Cascade Mountains. [2] The portion in Canada is known to Americans as the Canadian Cascades, a designation that also includes the mountains above the east bank of the Fraser Canyon as far north as the town of Lytton, at the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers.

Contents

They are predominantly non-volcanic, but include the stratovolcanoes Mount Baker, Glacier Peak and Coquihalla Mountain, which are part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc.

Geography

The U.S. section of the North Cascades and the adjoining Skagit Range in British Columbia are most notable for their dramatic scenery and challenging mountaineering, both resulting from their steep, rugged topography. While most of the peaks are under 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation, the low valleys provide great local relief, often over 6,000 feet (1,800 m). The summits of the rest of the Canadian Cascades are not glaciated in the same way and feature rock "horns" rising from plateau-like uplands, with the Manning Park and Cathedral Park areas known for their extensive alpine meadows, as is also the case with the eastern flank of the US portion of the range. Portions of the US side of the range are protected as part of North Cascades National Park.

Typical landscape in the western part of the North Cascades Thornton Lakes 25932.JPG
Typical landscape in the western part of the North Cascades

The large amount of precipitation, much of it in the form of snow, and the resulting glaciation, combine with the regional uplift to create a dramatic landscape in the western part of the range. Deep, U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers in Pleistocene time separate sharp ridges and peaks carved into steep shapes by more recent snow and ice.

The eastern and northernmost parts of the range are much more plateau-like in character, though in the case of the northernmost areas graven by deep valleys along the flank of the Fraser Canyon, notably that of the Anderson River.

Extent

The North Cascades are considered the most rugged mountain range in the contiguous United States. Lousy Lake (Tarn) in base of Luna Cirque North Cascades Nat. Park Picket Range North Cascades, WA.jpg
The North Cascades are considered the most rugged mountain range in the contiguous United States.

The Fraser River and the adjoining lowland on its south bank form the northern and northwestern boundary of the range. On the east, the Okanogan River and the Columbia River bound the range in the United States, while the northeastern boundary of the range departs the Thompson via the Nicoamen River and runs via Lawless Creek, the Tulameen River and Copper Creek to the Similkameen River. On the west, the foothills of the range are separated by a narrow coastal plain from Puget Sound except along Chuckanut Drive between Bellingham and Mount Vernon, where they abut the Sound directly.

Glacier Peak is the dominant feature in the southern portion of the North Cascades. Glacier Peak 7137b.jpg
Glacier Peak is the dominant feature in the southern portion of the North Cascades.

The southern boundary of the North Cascades is less definite. For the purposes of this article, it will be taken as U.S. Highway 2, running over Stevens Pass, or equivalently, the Skykomish River, Nason Creek, and the lower Wenatchee River. This roughly follows Beckey's geologic division in Cascade Alpine Guide [3] and the definition used by Peakbagger.com. [4] Sometimes the southern boundary is defined by Snoqualmie Pass and the approximate route of Interstate 90. [5] Sometimes the term "North Cascades" or "northern Cascades" is used for the entire range north of the Columbia River. [6]

Geologically, the rocks of the North Cascades extend south beyond Stevens Pass and west into the San Juan Islands. The significance of the geologic transitions to the Okanagan Highland to the east and the Interior Plateau and Coast Mountains to the north are less agreed upon. [7]

Climate

The climate in the North Cascades varies considerably by location and elevation. The western slope of the range is wet and cool, with 60 to 250 inches (1.5 to 6.4 m) of precipitation per year. This produces a temperate rain forest climate in the low valleys, which then grades into montane and alpine climates on mountain slopes and peaks. Summers are comparatively dry, with far less precipitation than in winter; sometimes the warmer eastern air and cooler western air meet at the Cascades during the summer months, and form thunderstorms. Sometimes, the storms move downwind into lowland cities. [8] The eastern slope lies in the rain shadow of the range, since prevailing winds and most moisture come from the west, and hence is significantly drier than the western side of the main divide, becoming semi-arid in the eastern lowlands. [9] [10] As with most mountainous areas, precipitation increases dramatically with increasing elevation. As a result, there is a great deal of winter snow and glaciation in the high North Cascades.

The eastern slopes and mountain passes can receive significant snowfall. Cold Arctic air can flow south from British Columbia through the Okanogan River valley into the bowl-like basin east of the Cascades. Cold air damming causes this Arctic air to bank up along the eastern Cascade slopes, especially into the lower passes, such as Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass. The milder, Pacific-influenced air moving east over the Cascades is often forced aloft by the cold air held in place in the passes due to cold air damming. As a result, the passes often receive more snow than higher areas in the Cascades. This effect makes the relatively low elevation ski resorts at Snoqualmie Pass (about 3,000 feet (910 m)) and Stevens Pass (about 4,000 feet (1,200 m)) possible. [11]

Subranges

The Picket Range, located north of Hwy 20, is the most rugged subrange of the North Cascades. Mount Degenhardt 26001.JPG
The Picket Range, located north of Hwy 20, is the most rugged subrange of the North Cascades.
Entiat Mountains Fernow from Wallaby.jpg
Entiat Mountains

Notable peaks

The following North Cascades peaks are notable for their height (absolute elevation):

MountainHeightCoordinates Prominence Parent mountainFirst ascent
(ft)(m)(ft)(m)
Mount Baker 10,7783,285 48°46′N121°48′W / 48.767°N 121.800°W / 48.767; -121.800 8,8812,707 Mount Rainier 1868 by Edmund T. Coleman and party
Glacier Peak 10,5413,213 48°6′45.05″N121°6′49.70″W / 48.1125139°N 121.1138056°W / 48.1125139; -121.1138056 7,5012,286 Mount Rainier 1898 by Thomas Gerdine
Bonanza Peak 9,5112,899 48°14′16″N120°51′58″W / 48.23778°N 120.86611°W / 48.23778; -120.86611 3,7111,131 Glacier Peak 1937 by Curtis James, Barrie James, Joe Leuthold
Mount Fernow 9,2492,819 48°09′44″N120°48′30″W / 48.16222°N 120.80833°W / 48.16222; -120.80833 2,809856 Bonanza Peak 1932 by Oscar Pennington, Hermann Ulrichs
Goode Mountain 9,2202,810 48°28′58″N120°54′39″W / 48.48278°N 120.91083°W / 48.48278; -120.91083 3,8001,200 Bonanza Peak 1936 by Wolf Bauer, Philip Dickett, Joe Halwax, Jack Hossack, George MacGowan

(The above table uses a topographic prominence cutoff of 1,000 feet (300 m), in order to list only highly independent peaks.)

Mount Baker with Boulder Glacier in foreground. Boulder Glacier 3737.JPG
Mount Baker with Boulder Glacier in foreground.

The following peaks are notable for their topographic prominence:

MountainHeight Prominence Parent mountain
(ft)(m)(ft)(m)
Mount Baker 10,7783,2858,8812,707 Mount Rainier
Glacier Peak 10,5413,2137,5012,286 Mount Rainier
Round Mountain 5,3201,6204,7801,460 Three Fingers
Mount Spickard 8,9792,7374,7791,457 Mount Baker
Welch Peak 7,9762,4314,7281,441 Robinson Mountain
Three Fingers 6,8502,0904,4901,370 Glacier Peak
Mount Shuksan [12] 9,1312,7834,4111,344 Mount Baker
Remmel Mountain 8,6842,6474,3701,330 Mount Lago
Mount Prophet 7,6502,3304,0801,240 Luna Peak
Mount Outram8,0742,4613,6781,121 Hozomeen Mountain
Mount Lago 8,7432,6653,3001,000 Silver Star Mountain

The following peaks are notable for their large, steep rise above local terrain. Peaks are listed in descending order by elevation.

Jack Mountain Jack Mountain North Cascades.jpg
Jack Mountain
Hozomeen Mountain from Hozomeen Lake HozomeenLake.jpg
Hozomeen Mountain from Hozomeen Lake
MountainHeight
(ft)(m)
Mount Baker 10,7783,285
Glacier Peak 10,5413,213
Goode Mountain 9,2202,810
Mount Shuksan 9,1272,782
Jack Mountain 9,0662,763
North Gardner Mountain 8,9562,730
Mount Redoubt 8,9562,730
Eldorado Peak 8,8762,705
Luna Peak 8,3112,533
Johannesburg Mountain 8,2202,510
Agnes Mountain 8,1152,473
Hozomeen Mountain 8,0662,459
Slesse Mountain 8,0022,439
American Border Peak 7,9942,437
Mount Blum 7,6802,340
Sloan Peak 7,8352,388
Colonial Peak 7,7712,369
Mount Triumph 7,2702,220
Pugh Mountain 7,2012,195
Davis Peak 7,0512,149
Whitehorse Mountain 6,8502,090
Baring Mountain 6,1251,867

Highest waterfalls

The North Cascades are known for having many extremely tall glacial-fed waterfalls; the ten highest measured waterfalls are listed. [13]

WaterfallHeightStreamLocationCoordinates
(ft)(m)
Colonial Creek Falls 2,584788 Colonial Creek Diablo Lake 48°40′13″N121°08′26″W / 48.67023°N 121.14044°W / 48.67023; -121.14044
Johannesburg Falls 2,465751UnnamedBelow Johannesburg Peak, near Mount Torment 48°28′36″N121°05′29″W / 48.47655°N 121.09132°W / 48.47655; -121.09132
Sulphide Creek Falls 2,182665 Sulphide Creek Eastern boundary of North Cascades National Park 48°47′47″N121°34′32″W / 48.79647°N 121.57563°W / 48.79647; -121.57563
Silver Lake Falls 2,128649Silver CreekNear Mount Spickard in North Cascades National Park 48°59′21″N121°13′22″W / 48.98917°N 121.22278°W / 48.98917; -121.22278
Blum Basin Falls 1,680510 Blum Creek Below Mount Blum 48°44′01″N121°30′09″W / 48.73368°N 121.50263°W / 48.73368; -121.50263
Boston Creek Falls 1,627496Boston CreekNear North Fork Cascade River 48°29′35″N121°04′32″W / 48.49298°N 121.07549°W / 48.49298; -121.07549
Torment Falls 1,583482Torment CreekNear North Fork Cascade River 48°29′50″N121°06′22″W / 48.49719°N 121.10602°W / 48.49719; -121.10602
Green Lake Falls 979298Unnamed fork of Bacon Creek Near Green Lake in North Cascades National Park 48°41′34″N121°29′34″W / 48.69271°N 121.49285°W / 48.69271; -121.49285
Depot Creek Falls 967295Depot CreekNear Mount Redoubt, North Cascades National Park 48°58′38″N121°17′05″W / 48.97732°N 121.28477°W / 48.97732; -121.28477
Rainy Lake Falls 800240UnnamedRainy Lake, Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest 48°29′49″N120°44′45″W / 48.49694°N 120.74583°W / 48.49694; -120.74583

Many tall waterfalls occur where meltwater from mountain glaciers drop down a headwall, which are common occurrences in the North Cascades. Many waterfalls, despite their great height, are non-notable as they are not clearly visible and often have low volume. Seahpo Peak Falls, despite its great height at nearly 2,200 feet (670 m), is an example of one of these waterfalls. A few notable exceptions do occur; Sulphide Creek Falls occurs where meltwaters from two of the largest Mount Shuksan glaciers are forced through a narrow chute over a 2,183-foot (665 m) headwall at the head of Sulphide Valley.

Geology

The bulk of the North Cascades consists of "deformed and metamorphosed, structurally complex pre-Tertiary rocks". [14] These originated in diverse locations around the globe: the area is built of several ("perhaps ten or more") different terranes of different ages and origins. [15] These terranes are separated by a series of ancient faults, the most significant being the Straight Creek Fault, which runs north–south from north of Yale, British Columbia, through Hope, Marblemount, Washington, and down to Kachess Lake near Snoqualmie Pass. There is evidence of significant strike-slip movement on this fault in the past, with similar rocks on either side of the fault separated by dozens of miles. This is thought to be related to northward tectonic movement of the West Coast relative to the rest of North America. [16]

Since about 35 million years ago, oceanic crust from the Pacific Ocean has been subducting under the continental margin, which has formed the current volcanoes as well as a number of igneous intrusions composed of diorite and gabbro. [16] [17] The current uplift of the Cascade Range began around 8 million years ago. [18]

Northern flank of Coquihalla Mountain Coquihalla Mountain.jpg
Northern flank of Coquihalla Mountain

Rocks similar to those in the North Cascades continue north to the vicinity of Mount Meager massif in the Coast Mountains, where they abut the Stikinia Terrane of the Omineca-Intermontane Province that dominates the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. This geologic similarity between the North Cascades and Coast Mountains results in a fairly arbitrary boundary between the two.

In British Columbia, the western geologic boundary of the North Cascades is defined as the Fraser River as it follows the Straight Creek Fault, while in the United States the western boundary is defined by the Puget Lowlands in the west, although there are significant westward extensions of rocks similar in origin to those in the North Cascades found in the San Juan Islands. [7]

The eastern geologic boundary of the North Cascades may be marked by the Chewack-Pasayten Fault. This fault separates the easternmost portion of the North Cascades, the Methow Terrane, from the Quesnellia Terrane, one of the Omineca and Intermontane Belts. The fault also separates the Methow River valley, part of the Methow Terrane, from the Okanagan Range, part of the Quesnellia Terrane. The Columbia River Basalt Group bounds the North Cascades to the southeast.

The southern limit of what is geologically considered the "North Cascades" may variously be defined as being the southern limit of exposure of igneous and metamorphic terranes which is generally north of Snoqualmie Pass, Snoqualmie Pass itself, or Naches Pass at the White River Fault Zone. [7] [19]

Glaciers

Mount Baker and the upper Coleman Glacier Mount Baker 21700.JPG
Mount Baker and the upper Coleman Glacier

While alpine glaciers are a defining feature of the Cascade Range as a whole, this is especially true of the North Cascades. The stratovolcanoes (Mount Baker and Glacier Peak) are the most obviously glaciated peaks and have the largest glaciers, but many of the smaller, nonvolcanic peaks are glaciated as well. For example, the portion of the Cascades north of Snoqualmie Pass (roughly the North Cascades as defined in this article) These glaciers all retreated from 1900 to 1950. From 1950 to 1975 many but not all North Cascades glaciers advanced. Since 1975 retreat has become more rapid with all 107 glaciers monitored retreating by 1992. 2015 was an especially damaging year for Cascadian Glaciers, an estimated mass loss of five to ten percent, the single greatest loss in over 50 years. [20] There are approximately 700 glaciers in the range, though some have already disappeared. [21] Since a brief advancing period in the 1950s, most of these glaciers have been retreating. This is a serious concern to water managers in the region, as the glaciers (and the winter snowpack) form a large reservoir of water. As snow and ice melts in the summer, the resulting meltwater compensates for the seasonal decrease in precipitation. As glaciers retreat they will provide less summer runoff.

The Cascades north of Snoqualmie Pass have 756 glaciers covering 103 square miles (270 km2) of terrain. For comparison, the entire contiguous United States has about 1,100 glaciers in total, covering 205 square miles (530 km2). [22]

Ecology

Subalpine Fir and Mountain Hemlock above Lower Thornton Lake Abies lasiocarpa 26011.JPG
Subalpine Fir and Mountain Hemlock above Lower Thornton Lake

The North Cascades has a diversity of plant species. [23] It contains more than 1630 vascular plant species [24] There are eight distinct life zones that support thousands of plants separately and in their own way. [24] Traveling west to east through the range, one would intersect a number of distinct ecoregions, first getting higher and colder, then getting warmer, yet drier. Each of these component ecoregions can be described by either a tree indicator species, or by a lack of trees: Western hemlock, silver fir, subalpine mountain hemlock, Alpine tundra, subalpine fir, and grand fir/Douglas-fir. [25]

The range also has a rich diversity of animals, including bald eagles, wolves, grizzly bears, mountain lions and black bears. [23] The range is home to at least 75 species of mammals and 200 species of birds that either pass through or use the North Cascades for a breeding area. There are also 11 species of fish on the west side of the Cascades. [23] Examples of amphibian species occurring in the North Cascades include the western toad (Bufo boreas) and the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa). [26]

The biodiversity of the area is threatened by global climate change and invasive exotic plant species. [24] These exotic plants thrive by utilizing manmade structures such as roads and trails. [24] These invasive plants include the diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). [27]

History

Big log in the North Cascades, 1937 Big Log!.jpg
Big log in the North Cascades, 1937

On the United States side of the border, early inhabitants of the North Cascades included the Nooksack, Skagit, and Sauk-Suiattle tribes on the west, and the Okanagan people on the eastern side, with the Nlaka'pamux people of what is now Canada claiming hunting territory in the heart of the range, south across the border into Washington. The tribes living and using the range on the Canadian side of the border are the Nlaka'pamux, Sto:lo and the Upper and Lower Similkameen subgroups of the Okanagan. A now-extinct group known as the Nicola Athapaskans also inhabited and hunted in the area now occupied by the Similkameen. Many current geographic names in the region are derived from native terms, either by transliteration or translation. Beckey notes that "Many names were derived from Chinook Jargon, mostly applied by the United States Forest Service from 1910 to 1940...." [28]

Fur traders entered the area in the first half of the 19th century, coming from Canada and from Astoria on the Columbia River. One of the earliest was Alexander Ross of the North West Company, who crossed the range in the summer of 1814, probably via Cascade Pass. [29] The period of uncertainty surrounding the disputed Oregon Country gave way following partition along the 49th Parallel to a period of tentative U.S. Army exploration in tandem with violent subjugation of Indian tribes on the American side of the frontier in the second half of the century. With the partition, the Hudson's Bay Company was forced to seek an alternative to its older Brigade Trail via the Okanogan River and the construction of a new route over the northern spine of the Canadian Cascades from the area of Spuzzum into the valley of the Coldwater River to connect fort Langley on the lower Fraser with its northern posts in New Caledonia. The route was impracticable and was soon abandoned, though more southerly routes through what is now Manning Park laid the foundations for later routes such as the Dewdney Trail and the modern Crowsnest Highway via Allison Pass, and was later similar to a route via the Coquihalla Pass for its southern mainline. South of the boundary, reconnaissance for possible railroad routes (none of which were viable north of the one eventually put in over Stevens Pass, at the southern edge of the North Cascades) and various mining rushes.

Klawatti Glacier, North Cascades National Park (1969) Klawatti Glacier USGS.jpg
Klawatti Glacier, North Cascades National Park (1969)

Miners dominated the exploration and development of the range from the 1880s through the early 20th century. For example, mines around the boomtown of Monte Cristo, in the southwest portion of the North Cascades, produced "between $1 and $2.7 million in silver and gold". [30] The Holden Mine, on the east side of the main divide, produced 106,000 tons of copper and 600,000 ounces of gold. [31] Discovery of gold by American prospectors on the banks of the Thompson River at its confluence with the Nicoamen River, at the northern tip of the range, helped trigger the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858-1860 which in turn prompted the declaration of the Colony of British Columbia to affirm British possession of territories north of the 49th Parallel. The Fraser rush led to exploration of the Cascades to the east of the canyon and in the valley of the Similkameen River, with minor rushes in the area of Princeton, British Columbia in 1859 through the early 1860s and the creation of non-native towns (on top of much older native ones) at Boston Bar, Lytton and Hope, as well as Princeton.

Early settlers also arrived in the foothills of the North Cascades in the latter half of the 19th century, and utilized the range in a limited way as a source of timber and grazing land. However, the range is so rugged that this exploitation was less dramatic than in other more gentle landscapes.

Early recreational use of the range included expeditions by the local climbing clubs, The Mountaineers and The Mazamas. These groups did not fully explore the inner reaches of the range and ascend the most difficult peaks until the 1930s and 1940s. It was not until the 1970s, that most peaks were climbed in the most isolated areas, making it one of the last explored ranges in the contiguous United States.[ citation needed ]

Climbing

The North Cascades are often referred as the "American Alps" by hikers, climbers and mountaineers because of the sea of steep, jagged peaks that span across the range. This range's rugged approaches and exceptional alpine terrain make it a premiere training ground for mountain climbers. [32]

Protected areas

Chief among the protected areas in Washington is North Cascades National Park, occupying much of the area between Mount Baker and the Cascade divide. Contiguous with the Park are Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Designated wilderness areas in the range include:

In British Columbia, protected areas include

See also

Notes

  1. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Search Results". rncan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  2. "Cascade Mountains". BC Geographical Names .
  3. Beckey 2000 , p. 18
  4. "North Cascades". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  5. Level III and Level IV Ecoregions of the Northwestern United States Archived 2019-04-12 at Archive-It , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Division
  6. Beckey 2003b , pp. 7–8
  7. 1 2 3 Orr, Elizabeth L.; William N. Orr (1996). Geology of the Pacific Northwest. McGraw-Hill. pp. 25, 33, 65, 89–95, 101. ISBN   0-07-048018-4.
  8. "Thunderstorms light up the skies over Puget Sound". KOMO News, Fisher Communications. 2012.
  9. Mathews 1988 , pp. 557–562
  10. Beckey 1996 , p. 12
  11. Mass, Cliff (2008). The Weather of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. pp. 66–70. ISBN   978-0-295-98847-4.
  12. "Mount Shuksan, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  13. "Showing All Waterfalls In Washington". Bryan Swan and Dean Goss. World Waterfall Database. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  14. Beckey 1987 , p. 17
  15. Beckey 1996 , p. 10
  16. 1 2 "North Cascades National Park Geology: A Mountain Mosaic". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  17. Mathews 1988 , pp. 519–520
  18. Mathews 1988 , p. 522
  19. "Geologic maps and databases of the North Cascades 30' x 60' (1:100,000 scale) quadrangles". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  20. Doughton, Sandi. "'Disastrous': Low Snow, Heat Eat Away at Northwest Glaciers." The Seattle Times. Seattle Times, 08 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. <http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/disastrous-low-snow-heat-eat-away-at-northwest-glaciers/>.
  21. Mauri, Pelto. "Death of a Glacier". North Cascade Glacier Climate Project. Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  22. Beckey 2003a , p. 13
  23. 1 2 3 Kefauver, Karen (September 15, 2010). "North Cascades National Park: Wildlife". GORP. Orbitz. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Plants". North Cascades National Park. National Park Service. May 16, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  25. Kruckeberg, Arthur (1991). The Natural History of Puget Sound Country. University of Washington Press. ISBN   0-295-97477-X.
  26. Rawhouser, Ashley K.; Holmes, Ronald E.; Glesne, Reed S. (2009). "A Survey of Stream Amphibian Species Composition and Distribution in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Washington State" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2011.
  27. "Non-native plants". North Cascades National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  28. Beckey 1996 , p. 141
  29. Beckey 1996 , p. 203
  30. Beckey 1996 , p. 27
  31. Beckey 1996 , p. 140
  32. "Mountain Climbing". Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved February 15, 2014.

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The geography of the North Cascades describes a range of rugged mountains in British Columbia, Canada and Washington, United States. In Canada, the range is officially named the Cascade Mountains but is commonly referred to as the Canadian Cascades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckner Mountain</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Buckner Mountain is a tall peak in the North Cascades of Washington state and in the Stephen Mather Wilderness of North Cascades National Park. At 9,114 feet (2,778 m) in elevation it is the highest in Skagit County and one of about ten of Washington's non-volcanic peaks above 9,000 feet high. It is ranked as the 14th highest peak in the state, and the third highest peak in North Cascades National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Redoubt (Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Mount Redoubt is a mountain in the North Cascades range in Whatcom County, Washington state. The peak is located 3.0 miles (5 km) from the Canada–US border, 16.3 miles (26 km) east-northeast of Mount Shuksan. It is the 21st highest peak in the state, with a height of 8,956 feet (2,730 m) and a prominence of 1,649 feet (503 m). Redoubt is in the Skagit Range, a sub-range of the North Cascades, in the Custer-Chilliwack Group which includes Mount Spickard, Mount Redoubt, Mount Custer and Mox Peaks, among others. Redoubt, Bear, and Depot creeks drain off the mountain, which is composed of Skagit gneiss. Mount Redoubt is listed as one of the "Classic Eight Peaks" in the North Cascades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chimney Rock (Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Chimney Rock is a mountain located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Central Cascade Range in western Washington, United States. The mountain has two main summits, a northeast spire and a central spire, as well as a minor south peak. Situated 10 miles NNE of Snoqualmie Pass, with its craggy appearance Chimney Rock is the most distinctive peak on the crest dividing the Snoqualmie River and Yakima River drainage areas. Lemah Mountain is to the south on the crest, and Summit Chief Mountain to the northeast. Overcoat Peak is off the main ridge just to the north of Chimney Rock. The mountain has three glaciers: the Overcoat Glacier on the north, the Chimney Glacier on the south and east, and an unnamed glacier on the east side of the North Peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinister Peak</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Sinister Peak is in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests in the U.S. state of Washington. It is situated in Glacier Peak Wilderness and the North Cascades. Not quite 1 mi (1.6 km) east of Dome Peak, Sinister Peak is along a high ridge connecting the two peaks. The Chickamin Glacier is on the north slopes of Sinister Peak while the Garden Glacier is just southeast. Though some of the routes to the summit are technical, it can be reached by a moderate scramble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Larrabee</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Mount Larrabee is a 7,865-foot (2,397-metre) Skagit Range mountain summit situated 1.4 mile south of the Canada–United States border, in the North Cascades of Washington state. It is located immediately southeast of American Border Peak within the Mount Baker Wilderness, which is part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and near North Cascades National Park. It is notable for its reddish coloring caused by oxidation of Iron in the rock. The rock consists of reddish interbedded and interfolded phyllites and greenstone. Originally known as Red Mountain, the name was changed in 1951 to honor Charles F. Larrabee (1895–1950), of the prominent Larrabee family of Bellingham, Washington. The name was officially adopted in 1951 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Mountain</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Ruth Mountain is a 7,115 ft (2,170 m) Skagit Range summit located two miles south of Hannegan Pass in the North Cascades of Washington state. The name honors Ruth Cleveland, daughter of President Grover Cleveland. This mountain's name was officially adopted in 1952 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. Ruth Mountain is situated on the shared border of North Cascades National Park and the Mount Baker Wilderness, which is part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The summit offers views of Mount Shuksan, East Nooksack Glacier, Seahpo Peak, Nooksack Tower, Icy Peak, Mount Sefrit, Mineral Mountain, and the Picket Range. The melting and receding Ruth Glacier on the north slope of Ruth creates the headwaters for the Chilliwack River. Precipitation runoff also finds its way into the Nooksack and Baker Rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Table Mountain (Whatcom County, Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Table Mountain is a Skagit Range summit located west of Mount Shuksan and northeast of Mount Baker in the North Cascades of Washington state. It is situated in the Mount Baker Wilderness, which is managed by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Table Mountain is located west of Artist Point, at the end of the Mount Baker Highway. From the Artist Point parking lot, a short 1.4 mile trail leads to the summit at the west end of the mountain. The summit offers views of Mount Shuksan, Mount Baker, Mount Hermann, and Mount Larrabee. Remnants of the Table Mountain Glacier are on the northeast slope. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Skagit and Nooksack Rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Misch</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Mount Misch is a remote 7,435 ft mountain summit in the North Cascades, in Skagit County of Washington state. It is the highest point of the Buckindy Range, or Buckindy Ridge. It is located 19 miles east-northeast of Darrington, Washington, and 15 miles north-northwest of Glacier Peak which is one of the Cascade stratovolcanoes. It is situated in the Glacier Peak Wilderness on land administered by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Mount Misch was named by mountaineer and author Fred Beckey for his friend Peter Misch (1909-1987), University of Washington geology professor and mountaineer, who was renowned for his study of the North Cascades. Precipitation runoff from Mount Misch and the unnamed Goat Creek glacier on its east slope drains into tributaries of the Suiattle River and ultimately the Skagit River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goat Mountain (Whatcom County)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Goat Mountain is a 6,844 ft summit in the Skagit Range which is a subset of the North Cascades of Washington state. It is located south of Mount Larrabee and north of Mount Shuksan in the Mount Baker Wilderness, which is managed by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Goat Mountain has a subsidiary 6,725 ft summit known as the west peak, and remnants of what was colloquially known as the Swamp Creek Glacier rest on the northern slope between the two summits. Its nearest higher neighbor is Mount Chardonnay, 2.75 mi (4.43 km) to the east. The Silver Tip Mine was located on the south slope of the mountain near the 3,000 ft level. The mine produced silver and gold in the 1940s. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Fraser River and the Nooksack River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Chaval</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Mount Chaval is a craggy 7,127-foot (2,172-metre) mountain summit located in Skagit County of Washington state. Situated within the Glacier Peak Wilderness, Mount Chaval is positioned west of the crest of the North Cascades Range, approximately 15 miles northeast of the town of Darrington. It has two subsidiary peaks, East Peak and Middle Peak, each 7040 ft. Its nearest higher neighbor is Snowking Mountain, 2.51 miles (4.04 km) to the northeast. Precipitation runoff from Mount Chaval drains into tributaries of the Skagit River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowking Mountain</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Snowking Mountain is a 7,433-foot (2,266-metre) summit located in Skagit County of Washington state. Situated within the Glacier Peak Wilderness, Snowking Mountain is positioned west of the crest of the North Cascades Range, approximately 18 miles northeast of the town of Darrington. It is set within the Glacier Peak Wilderness, on land managed by Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. Snowking has two subsidiary peaks, West Peak (7425 ft), and Middle Peak (7400 ft). A broad unnamed glacier known colloquially as Snowking Glacier rests on the north face. Downslope of that glacier are Snowking Lake, Found Lake, and Cyclone Lake. Mount Tommy Thompson is three miles to the northwest, and the nearest higher neighbor is Mount Misch, 5.75 miles (9.25 km) to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from Snowking Mountain drains into tributaries of the Skagit River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summit Chief Mountain</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Summit Chief Mountain is a 7,464-foot (2,275-meter) mountain summit located on the county line separating King County and Kittitas County in Washington state. It is entirely within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Summit Chief Mountain is situated on the crest of the Cascade Range, nine miles northeast of Snoqualmie Pass. Precipitation runoff from the west side of the mountain drains into tributaries of the Snoqualmie River, whereas the east side drains into tributaries of the Yakima River. The nearest higher peak is Chimney Rock, 1.29 miles (2.08 km) to the southwest.

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