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64-604: Crater Mountain is an 8,132-foot (2,479-metre) mountain summit located in the North Cascades of Washington state. It is the 29th-highest mountain in the Pasayten Wilderness . The Jerry Glacier resides in the cirque on the upper north slopes of the mountain. The crater-like summit of the mountain is not of volcanic origin. Crater Mountain is grouped in the sub-range Hozameen Range , which also includes Hozomeen Mountain and Jack Mountain . The mountain

128-400: A topographic prominence cutoff of 1,000 feet (300 m), in order to list only highly independent peaks.) The following peaks are notable for their topographic prominence : The following peaks are notable for their large, steep rise above local terrain. Peaks are listed in descending order by elevation. The North Cascades are known for having many extremely tall glacial-fed waterfalls;

192-417: A chain of small lakes, and broad river beds along the valley floors. A network of trails crosses the park, some of them following routes used by the fur trade and native hunters and traders. The park is best known for its midsummer displays of subalpine flowers, but there are other flora such as at Rhododendron Flats, near the park's western entrance, which has a substantial colony of pinkish-red rhododendrons,

256-410: A diversity of plant species. It contains more than 1630 vascular plant species There are eight distinct life zones that support thousands of plants separately and in their own way. 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

320-576: A protected indigenous species that blooms in early- to mid-June. The park contains a resort with a capacity just below one thousand. The resort operator maintains the hotel buildings, restaurants, cabins, chalets, as well as the campgrounds, on contract from the British Columbia Government. The Resort first opened in the late 1950s with the construction of the Hope-Princeton Highway . The original hotel building

384-528: 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

448-548: 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. Miners dominated the exploration and development of the range from the 1880s through the early 20th century. For example, mines around

512-795: 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 as the Cascade Mountains . 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

576-474: 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

640-427: 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 . The range also has a rich diversity of animals, including bald eagles , wolves , grizzly bears , mountain lions and black bears . The range is home to at least 75 species of mammals and 200 species of birds that either pass through or use

704-660: Is composed mostly of metavolcanic rock and metasedimentary rock from the Hozameen Group. Most predominate is greenstone from the Jurassic to Permian periods. Crater Mountain is carved from greenstone of the Hozomeen Terrane, once the basaltic floor of the ancient Methow Ocean. The mountain's name probably derives from the craterlike shape of its summit, which was carved from the ancient metamorphosed basalt by modern cirque glaciers. The rugged battlements of

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768-653: 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. 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

832-569: Is less than 5 km (3 mi) from the US border. Manning Park is home to a vast diversity of wildlife species, with over 200 bird species recorded during the Manning Park Bird Blitzes that have taken place since 1983, and a large variety of mammals, including black bears , Mule Deer , Hoary Marmot , Yellow-bellied Marmot , and Columbian ground squirrels. There is also a large diversity of amphibians and reptiles, including

896-595: Is thought to be related to northward tectonic movement of the West Coast relative to the rest of North America. 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 . The current uplift of the Cascade Range began around 8 million years ago. Rocks similar to those in

960-567: The Coastal Tailed Frog , Columbia Spotted Frog , Western Toad , Pacific Treefrog , Long-toed Salamander , all three species of Gartersnake , and Alligator Lizard . Although undocumented, the Rubber Boa , Red-legged Frog , and Cascades Frog may also occur here. Some of the less common species the park aims to protect are the mountain beaver and the wolverine . Several major rivers originate in passes and meadows within

1024-656: The United States Forest Service from 1910 to 1940...." 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 . The period of uncertainty surrounding the disputed Oregon Country gave way following partition along

1088-643: The diffuse knapweed ( Centaurea diffusa ) and reed canary grass ( Phalaris arundinacea ). 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

1152-533: 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. 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

1216-591: 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

1280-535: The Bear Chair, and new guest services building. In the Spring of 2016, the resort began construction on its first expansion in a decade (the last being Loon Lagoon, the resort's indoor pool), with an addition being constructed on the restaurant to cater to the expanding popularity of Manning Park Resort as a wedding venue. As of December 2017, five new large rental cabins were completed to the immediate northwest of

1344-822: 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

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1408-698: 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

1472-492: The North Cascades for a breeding area. There are also 11 species of fish on the west side of the Cascades. Examples of amphibian species occurring in the North Cascades include the western toad ( Bufo boreas ) and the rough-skinned newt ( Taricha granulosa ). The biodiversity of the area is threatened by global climate change and invasive exotic plant species. These exotic plants thrive by utilizing manmade structures such as roads and trails. These invasive plants include

1536-590: 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 . The eastern geologic boundary of the North Cascades may be marked by

1600-548: 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 and the definition used by Peakbagger.com. Sometimes the southern boundary is defined by Snoqualmie Pass and

1664-635: The Pacific Ocean, areas west of the Cascade Crest very rarely experience temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) or above 80 °F (27 °C). During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but, due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. The months of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak. North Cascades The North Cascades are

1728-623: 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: Manning Park The earliest human use of the land was by the Coastal Native peoples of British Columbia, who, by travelling the route of the present-day Skyline Trail, accessed the Upper Similkameen Valley. The first European in

1792-616: The Three Brothers Game Reserve in 1936. In 1941, the park was formed as Three Brothers Mountain Park, a Class A Provincial Park. In 1929, the construction of a road through the area was begun as a work project for the unemployed, but it did not get completed. When the Canadian government began to intern Japanese Canadians after the Attack on Pearl Harbor , one camp was formed in the present-day Sunshine Valley , and

1856-484: The approximate route of Interstate 90 . Sometimes the term "North Cascades" or "northern Cascades" is used for the entire range north of the Columbia River . 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

1920-602: 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

1984-645: The area was 1813 and was explored and mapped in 1827 by Archibald McDonald. Access to the area prior to the Great Depression was extremely limited for the lack of any kind of developed roads or trails over the Cascade Mountains other than the Dewdney Trail , far to the north. The earliest form of the park was established in 1931 as the Three Brothers Mountain Reserve to prevent overgrazing , and it eventually became

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2048-529: The boomtown of Monte Cristo , in the southwest portion of the North Cascades, produced "between $ 1 and $ 2.7 million in silver and gold". The Holden Mine , on the east side of the main divide, produced 106,000 tons of copper and 600,000 ounces of gold. 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

2112-760: 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

2176-592: The boundaries to move more than 4 km (2.5 mi) west. While the park's ecology and ecosystems remain relatively intact, logging has occurred numerous times throughout the park's history, as parks historically focused more on the visual qualities for the public rather than ecological conservation. The terrain in the park, which includes most of the Hozameen Range sub-range of the Canadian Cascades , varies from wet coastal rain forests, to jagged snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows filled with wildflowers, to

2240-406: The centennial anniversary of Canada's confederation . The park stretches for 58 km (36 mi) from portal to portal. The western portal is 26 km (16 mi) east of Hope, British Columbia and the eastern portal is 52 km (32 mi) west of Princeton, British Columbia . The core area of the park is located 68 km (42 mi) east of Hope and 68 km west of Princeton and

2304-466: 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. The range is so rugged that this exploitation was less dramatic than in other more gentle landscapes. Early recreational use of

2368-665: The early 1960s. Today the resort manages Gibson Pass Ski Area . The resort was operated by the Provincial Government (along with other Ski Resorts in the Province) until 1986, when it and other then-provincially operated hills including Cypress Bowl and Mount Seymour transferred to private operation. A fifty year land use permit was granted for private operations. In 2009, the resort and ski hill entered receivership and, after $ 4.2 million of debt, announced indefinite closure on April 1, 2013. However, on April 18,

2432-601: 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 . 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

2496-461: The greenstone viewed from the highway rest above phyllite of the Little Jack terrane, which is exposed in the lower slopes of the mountain. Crater Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades , they are forced upward by

2560-461: 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 . The bulk of the North Cascades consists of "deformed and metamorphosed , structurally complex pre- Tertiary rocks ". 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. These terranes are separated by

2624-586: 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. The following North Cascades peaks are notable for their height (absolute elevation): (The above table uses

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2688-422: The main lodge, and another eight were completed in 2019. The park has a wide range of walking and hiking trails which range anywhere from a 15-minute walk to a 5 or 6 day hike. Lightning Lake is often used for non-motorized watersports, such as canoeing , kayaking , and fishing . Rentals are available at the lake for canoes, rowboats, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards. The best time of the day to go boating in

2752-470: 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

2816-472: The north are less agreed upon. 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

2880-650: 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. The southern boundary of

2944-480: The operator of Sunshine Valley RV Resort purchased the hill and resort for an undisclosed amount. The resort operations have now been fully restored. By the summer of 2013, the resort facilities were again fully operational, and the ski hill was fully opened for the 2015–2016 season. In April 2019, Manning Park Resort retired the Orange Chair, and completed construction of a new Doppelmayr quad chairlift named

3008-554: The park lead to a focus on the former. In the 1960s, the province began ski operations in Manning Park, attempting multiple rope-tow setups. The first was located directly across the highway from the restaurant and accessed from Blackwall Road, and the second near the location of the present-day Blue Chairlift. In 1967 and 1970, the Blue and Orange chairlifts opened, respectively. The hill has operated December–March yearly since

3072-530: The park. The Skagit River , a major stream that runs into Puget Sound in the state of Washington , originates at the west side of Allison Pass and flows northwest alongside Highway 3 until it reaches its confluence with the Sumallo River at Sumallo Grove, where it turns southwest and exits the park into Skagit Valley Provincial Park . Just under half of the Sumallo River's course is within

3136-470: The park; it enters the park at West Gate, which is near the small town of Sunshine Valley . It too follows Highway 3 within the park, following it southeast to its confluence with the Skagit. The lower reaches of the small Skaist River , often mistakenly called Skaist Creek , are within the park. The Skaist flows into the Skagit directly across the valley from Silverdaisy Mountain . The Similkameen River ,

3200-468: 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

3264-409: The peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Because of maritime influence , snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger. Due to its temperate climate and proximity to

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3328-546: 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 . 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

3392-432: 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. The North Cascades are often referred as

3456-544: 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

3520-607: The summer is in the morning before the afternoon winds. The park is home to many campgrounds, including one of the first campgrounds in the provincial system to be both open year-round as well as offer full RV hookup. The park is the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail and is crossed by the Hope Pass and Dewdney Trail. It is also crossed by the Centennial Trail, a route constructed in 1966 for

3584-529: The ten highest measured waterfalls are listed. 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

3648-494: The town of Lytton , at the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers . They are predominantly non-volcanic, but include the stratovolcanoes Mount Baker , Glacier Peak and Coquihalla Mountain , which are part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc . 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

3712-440: The vistas along the highway were maintained. The park was named in memory of Ernest Callaway Manning, Chief Forester of British Columbia from 1936 to 1941 (not to be confused with Ernest Charles Manning , Premier of Alberta from 1943 to 1968). Manning was killed in an airplane accident in 1941. During his time as Chief Forester, he was instrumental in developing the idea of setting land aside for future generations to enjoy. It

3776-515: 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. 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. As with most mountainous areas, precipitation increases dramatically with increasing elevation. As

3840-500: 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 km ) of terrain. For comparison, the entire contiguous United States has about 1,100 glaciers in total, covering 205 square miles (530 km ). The North Cascades has

3904-404: The workers built the current Hope-Princeton highway, which was completed in 1949. The current route of the Hope-Princeton highway follows the route of the Allison Pass Trail, which was constructed in 1859–1860. During the completion of the highway, great emphasis was put on the relatively new concept of the motoring family. The Parks Branch worked to great lengths to ensure the aesthetic quality of

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3968-432: Was a small motel near the current location of the Pinewoods Restaurant. Initially, the motorist's area was intended only for day use, including a restaurant and gas station, but quickly expanded. In its early years, there was internal debate about whether the core of the park should be more accessible to the general public, or more exclusive to limit access to only the well-educated and wealthy. The quickly rising popularity of

4032-411: 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. There are approximately 700 glaciers in the range, though some have already disappeared. 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

4096-457: Was the teamwork of Manning and Arthur Wellesley Gray , Minister of Lands from 1933 to 1944, that established Tweedsmuir Provincial Park , Hamber Provincial Park , Wells Gray Provincial Park , and E.C. Manning Provincial Park. Over the years, Manning Park has decreased in size, the most noticeable change being the park boundary in the east. Originally, the park included Similkameen Falls, but mine claims and private land ownership have since caused

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