Exploring
the habitats of the
North Cascades

The story of the North Cascades life zones begins high in the mountains where winter snows accumulate to feed a high concentration of glaciers. These sheets of ice continually carve the mountains into characteristic knife edge ridges called arêtes, solitary peaks called horns and deep depressions known as cirques. In summer, streams of cascading water flow from the glaciers into creeks and rivers, carrying mineral-rich "glacial flour" ground by the glaciers' weight on underlying rock.

Below this region of perpetual snow and ice, clumps of stunted trees grow on rocky outcrops, while sub-alpine meadows fill with a riot of colorful mountain flowers during the brief summer. Wildlife such as mountain goats, black bears, hoary marmots and pikas make their homes here adapting to seasonal change and harsh conditions.

Want to see the magnificent North Cascades glaciers?

Drive to the end of the Cascade River Road in North Cascades National Park to see the hanging glaciers on Johannesburg Peak or to the Heather Meadows area at the end of State Route 542 to see glacier-clad Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan.

Want to scale the upper reaches of the North Cascades mountain range?

A multitude of peaks offer equipped and experienced climbers alpine challenges from scrambles to multi-day climbs. Check the forest and park websites for updates on access and climbing conditions and ask at the ranger stations for a listing of outfitter guides offering instruction and mountaineering expeditions.

Want to experience a mountain meadow in the summer time?

Hike to Cascade Pass or Sourdough Mountain in North Cascades National Park, to Heather and Maple Passes in the Wenatchee- Okanogan National Forest, or on trails in the National Forest's Mt. Baker National Recreation Area. Drive to Heather Meadows at the end of the Mt. Baker Scenic Byway, State Route 542.

Want to take a stroll among tall ancient trees?

Try Happy Creek Forest Walk or the Thunder Creek Trail along State Route 20 or Shadow of the Sentinels Trail near Baker Lake, or Horseshoe Bend Trail along State Route 542.

Want to see the splash of a salmon's tail as it swims upstream?

Visit the Skagit, Cascade and North Fork Nooksack Rivers and their tributaries at various times of the year when different species of salmon come to spawn. Stop at visitor centers for information specific to your time of visit.

Please help the salmon survive by viewing them from a distance and not entering the streams where they are spawning.

Want to know more about local birding opportunities?

The Cascade Loop section of the Great Washington Birding Trail features 225 of Washington State's 365 bird species. For more information contact Audubon Washington at 1-866-WA-BIRDS, or visit www.wa. audubon.org with links to North Cascades and Skagit Audubon Societies.

Want to learn more about the area's natural and cultural histories?

Ranger led programs as well as featured guest speakers are offered year round at various locations throughout North Cascades National Park and the Mt. Baker Ranger District. Check with visitor centers or on the websites for updated schedules.

Forested slopes support an abundance of life. Black tailed deer, elk and small mammals make their way through the trees to open fields and riparian areas along the banks of rivers and streams, while a variety of birds nest from ground level to the highest branches.

Twice each year three-quarters of North America's bird species undertake incredible long-distance journeys between feeding and breeding grounds. Here in the North Cascades bald eagles come from as far away as Alaska to feed during the chum salmon run up the Skagit between November and February. In April, neotropical birds return from south of the United States. The rufus hummingbird, a common summer sight here, spends its winters in Mexico. Swainson's thrush, a forest bird easier heard than seen, journeys to the mountains from as far south as northern Argentina and Paraguay.

Birds Link the Americas. As the migrating neotropical birds return to the area, exhibits about them are displayed at the North Cascades Visitor Center in Newhalem. Wilson's warbler, western tanager and rufous hummingbird are among the featured colorful beauties. We share these citizens of Latin American nations, some of the birds which most characterize summer in the Northwest.

In addition to providing critical habitat for migratory birds, park and forest lands provide natural laboratories for research. Park research in cooperation with the Institute for Bird Populations shows that knowing the relationships between birds and their habitat helps indicate ecosystem health and problems for other species. Research also helps predict the consequences of land management, such as fires, visitor use, snag removal and forest harvest on non-park service lands. Survival of this important aspect of the North Cascades ecosystem depends on caring people protecting the habitat birds need in each season.

Waterways are constantly on the move connecting the glaciers to Puget Sound.

Streams join rivers, depositing minerals and nutrients from the mountains to form rich wetlands teeming with fish and other aquatic life before flowing out to the sea.

Salmon are an icon of the Pacific Northwest. The North Cascades supports populations of 7 anadromous salmonoid species: Chinook (king), coho, chum, pink, sockeye, steelhead and cutthroat trout. Anadromous fish, ones that breed in freshwater streams or lakes and spend their adult lives in the ocean, are important both economically and environmentally. Salmon are rich in the nutrients that flow through the mountain systems to the sea. When they return to spawn, they die and return nutrients to the streams and, by predation, to the surrounding land. Salmon need cool, clear streams with pools, riffles and clean gravel to succeed in their life journey.