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Northern Washington State

Monday, July 19, 2004

Park: #2

Established: 1968

Acres: 684,302

Annual Budget: $5,911,000 (FY 2004)

Visitors: 347,907 (FY 2004)

Highlights: Deep valleys, jagged peaks, cascading waterfalls, over 700 glaciers.

Location: North Cascades National Park, Washington

Hours: Open all year but access is limited during the winter season.

Phone: 360-856-5700

Fees: NW Forest Pass - $5 daily, $30 annual

Link: Official Website

Top Pics: 10 Images

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While passing through North Cascades National Park I find myself driving up a twisting section of SR-20 that traces alongside the Skagit River. This river is part of a dam and reservoir complex that supplies water to places like Seattle. The water is a pretty green. Why green? It's caused by silt (rock flour) reacting to light as it hangs in suspension in the water. The silt originates from glaciers in the surrounding high country that slowly wear down the mountain. This wearing or grinding of rock creates the silt.

As I drive up the gorge I encounter a rockslide that closes one lane of the highway. From my vantage it doesn't look like a lot of rocks but it certainly requires big equipment to deal with it.