Description
Book SynopsisHelps travelers and readers to appreciate the deeper beauty behind the landscape. Organized as a series of stops at eye-catching sites along eighty miles of the highway, this book reveals the geological story of each location.
Trade Review"A book described by the author as ‘ideal for someone with ADD,’ the North Cascades Highway offers information on a new subject on every page, making it the perfect introduction to the area for amateur geologists, historians, and naturalists."
-- Anna Roth * Washington Trails Association *
"His ruminations are brief but wide-ranging enough to spur curiosity and tempt the reader to do more exploration, whether in books or on foot. The North Cascades Highway should awaken a new perspective and remind us…what a privilege it is to have such ready access to such rugged mountain."
-- Marcy Stamper * Methow Valley News *
"A beautifully photographed guide to the history, geology and notable spots along the spectacular highway through the North Cascades."
* Seattle Times *
"There is so much to see and learn along the North Cascades Highway. But as you drive along at 60 mpg, just what do you look for and where do you look for it? Author Jack McLeod can tell you . . . For McLeod, the guidebook is a compilation of his passions. Passions he hopes to stir in others."
-- Vince Richardson * Skagit Valley Herald *
"If there’s any truth to the idea that ownership in fact derives from knowledge and appreciation of a place…then Jack McLeod’s eloquent and stunning guide, The North Cascades Highway gives him ownership."
-- Phillip Fenner * The Wild Cascades *
"The answer for anyone who has driven through a spectacular mountain range and wondered, ‘Which one is this?’ More than just a thoroughly detailed tour with breathtaking photography, this work is essential geohistorical study for this range and is recommended for Washingtonians, Cascade hikers and enthusiasts, and academics."
* Library Journal *
Table of ContentsMap of the North Cascades Highway
Invitation
Acknowledgments
Introduction
From Miners to Poets
A Shuffled Deck of Rocks
A Hidden Realm
Driving and Viewing Tips
Road Guide
100.0 Eldorado Peak
The Skagit: Lifeblood of Salmon and Eagle
102.9 Skagit Valley: Tales Below
Side Trip: Cascade River Road and Cascade Pass
120.8 Skagit Gorge
123–134 Three Dams: Gorge, Diablo, Ross
131.7 Diablo Lake
131.7 Colonial Peak and Pyramid Peak
133.5 John Pierce Falls
135.1 Ross Lake
139–147 Granite Creek Canyon
147.7 Crater Mountain
147–157 Upper Granite Creek
Forest and Meadow Treasure
157.7 Rainy Pass
Side Trip: Rainy Pass Area Trails
159–160 Stiletto Peak and McGregor Mountain
160.5 Cutthroat Peak
162.2 Washington Pass
169.0 The Eastern Approach
172.0 The Needles
179.6 Mazama Junction
Appendices
A. Glaciers: Mountain Architects
B. Geologic Maps
C. Geologic Time
D. Geologic Timetable
E. Plate Tectonics
F. Erosion
G. Rocks
H. Geologic Detectives
Epilogue
Conservation Organizations with Ties to the North Cascades
Bibliography
Photography Notes
Credits
Index
