Pasayten Wilderness

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Pasayten Wilderness
Pasayten Slate Peak.JPG
View from Slate Peak
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Location Okanogan / Whatcom counties, Washington, USA
Nearest city Mazama, WA, Princeton, BC
Coordinates 48°50′N120°40′W / 48.833°N 120.667°W / 48.833; -120.667
Area531,539 acres (2,151.06 km2) [1]
EstablishedOctober 2, 1968 [2]
Governing body U.S. Forest Service
Pasayten Wilderness

The Pasayten Wilderness is a 531,539 acres (215,106 ha) protected area located within Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and Mount Baker National Forest in Washington state, centered on the Three Forks ( 48°54′02″N120°38′01″W / 48.900584°N 120.6336808°W / 48.900584; -120.6336808 ) of the Pasayten River, a tributary of the Similkameen River. Although part of the wilderness lies in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the largest section falls within the boundaries of Okanogan National Forest, which has responsibility for the wilderness's management. [1] The wilderness is bordered by the Stephen Mather Wilderness to the west. [1] The northern boundary of the wilderness is the Canada–US border. Across the border are Manning Provincial Park and Cathedral Provincial Park. The wilderness area is adjacent to the Ross Lake National Recreation Area to the west, and North Cascades National Park beyond that. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail has its northernmost section in this wilderness. The western part of the wilderness features dramatic views and peaks of the northern Washington Cascade Mountains while the eastern section is known for its grasslands and Alpine tundra. The tallest point in the Pasayten is Jack Mountain.

Contents

The Pasayten is traditional hunting territory of the Nlaka'pamux peoples of the Fraser Canyon and Nicola Country along with adjoining parts of the Cascade Range, although there are no Nlaka'pamux populations on the Washington side of the border.[ citation needed ]

Habitat

Rugged ridges in the west flatten into more open plateaus toward the east, with deep drainages on both sides. Its diverse forest changes from fir, cedar, western hemlock in the west to fir, pine, and larch in the east. This region provides habitat for deer, moose, mountain goats, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, the gray wolf, and is home to the largest population of lynx in the Lower 48. Snow falls between October and May, and the hard packed snow may block the high western-side trails sometimes until early August. Eastern-side trails are usually free of snow by early July. [3]

Trails

More than 600 miles of trails provide access to the wilderness, many of them deceptively gentle at the start and become progressively difficult as they climb up multiple switchbacks into the higher elevations. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses the area north-south for about 32 miles. The Boundary Trail begins in the southeast corner of the wilderness and meanders north and west for over 73 miles near the Canada–US border to eventually join the Pacific Crest Trail. [3]

Some trails are regularly used by horsemen who frequent the wilderness. Stock animals are used to supply camping gear, provide transportation, and carry tools and equipment for trail repair and improvement as the wilderness does not allow motorized or even wheeled equipment.

Although popular trails are cleared and maintained every year, it is important to note that a large amount of trails are abandoned, closed, or otherwise not maintained. Some of these trails are still listed in the United States Forest Service maps of the area, while other simply appear as unmarked trail junctions. Because of the lack of maintenance of certain trails and size of the wilderness, some areas are very seldom visited except by the most intrepid of individuals. For the general public, it is recommended that one possess a strong knowledge of map use and other navigational tools to explore the wilderness in depth.

See also

Sunrise at Ramon Lakes with Sheep Mountain in background Sunrise at Ramon Lakes with Sheep Mountain in background.jpg
Sunrise at Ramon Lakes with Sheep Mountain in background
Horseshoe Basin HORSESHOE BASIN.jpg
Horseshoe Basin

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Alaska Mountain is a 5,745-foot (1,751-metre) mountain summit located in the Cascade Range, in Kittitas County of Washington state. It is situated within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on land managed by Wenatchee National Forest. Alaska Mountain is set between Alaska Lake and Joe Lake, 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Snoqualmie Pass, and 0.81 miles (1.30 km) southeast of Mount Thomson, which is also its nearest higher peak. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses around the south, east and north slopes of Alaska Mountain, and an off-trail hike leads to the summit. Precipitation runoff on the east side of the mountain drains into tributaries of the Yakima River, whereas the west side of the peak drains into tributaries of the Snoqualmie River.

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

Granite Mountain is a 7,144-foot (2,177-metre) double summit mountain located 11.5 mi (18.5 km) south of Stevens Pass on the common border of Kittitas County and Chelan County in Washington state. It's part of the Wenatchee Mountains, which are a subset of the Cascade Range, and is situated 19 mi (31 km) west of Leavenworth in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, on land managed by the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. Granite Mountain is the highest point on the Hyas Lake-French Creek divide with precipitation runoff from the mountain draining west into Cle Elum River, or east into French Creek, a tributary of Icicle Creek. Its subsidiary 7,080-ft South Peak is positioned half a mile to the south-southeast, the nearest higher neighbor is The Cradle, 3 mi (4.8 km) to the southeast, and Mac Peak is set 3.6 mi (5.8 km) to the north-northwest. The Pacific Crest Trail skirts below the western base this peak.

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

Skykomish Peak is a 6,368-foot (1,941-metre) mountain summit located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the North Cascades of Washington state. The mountain is situated on the crest of the Cascade Range, on the shared border of Snohomish County with Chelan County, and also straddling the boundary between Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Skykomish Peak is located 15 mi (24 km) to the north of Stevens Pass, and the Pacific Crest Trail traverses the east slope of this peak. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains west into the Skykomish River, or east into Cady Creek which is a tributary of Little Wenatchee River. This mountain's name derives from its position at the head of the North Fork Skykomish River, and "Skykomish" comes from the Northern Lushootseed word /sq'íxʷəbš/, meaning "upriver people".

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

Mount Winthrop is a prominent 7,850-foot (2,393-metre) mountain summit located in Okanogan County of Washington state. The mountain is part of the Hozameen Range of the North Cascades and is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the Canada–United States border within the Pasayten Wilderness, on land managed by the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. The nearest higher peak is Frosty Mountain, 4.6 miles (7.4 km) to the northwest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Similkameen River. Like many North Cascades peaks, Mount Winthrop is more notable for its steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,850 feet (870 m) above Route Creek in 1.0 mile (1.6 km). The Pacific Northwest Trail traverses the southeast slope of the mountain and the Pacific Crest Trail traverses the western base of the mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamarack Peak (Washington)</span> Mountain summit located on the borders of Okanogan County and Whatcom County

Tamarack Peak is a 7,290-foot (2,222-metre) mountain summit located on the border shared by Okanogan County and Whatcom County in Washington state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Bigelow (Washington)</span>

Mount Bigelow is an 8,449-foot-elevation (2,575-meter) mountain summit located on the border shared by Okanogan and Chelan counties in Washington state.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the U.S. Forest Service .

  1. 1 2 3 "Pasayten Wilderness". Wilderness.net. University of Montana. Retrieved April 9, 2007.
  2. "History". Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. Archived from the original on February 24, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2005.
  3. 1 2 "Pasayten Wilderness". Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  4. "Pasayten Wilderness : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". Summitpost.org. Retrieved 23 June 2019.