Cascade Pass (formerly also known as Skagit Pass''North Cascades Highway'' Dedication Issue
, ''Washington Highways'' (Washington State Department of Transportation), September 1972, p. 4. Accessed online 12 September 2008.) is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

over the northern

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

, east of Marblemount, Washington, U.S. Although an important pass, providing the easiest connection from the Cascade River to the head of Lake Chelan, it is now inside

North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than , it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Par ...

, and crossed by only a hiking trail. From the west, one reaches it by hiking an easy 3.5 mile trail from the end of the Cascade River Road (elev. ). From the east, it is accessible via a trail from Stehekin up the

Stehekin River The Stehekin River is a river located in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It is the main river flowing into Lake Chelan. Miners arrived in Stehekin River Valley in the late 19th century. They were followed by homes ...

valley. The summit of the pass, being at the tree line, is known for its views in all directions. It is also a key departure point for

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...

; to the north, the gentle ridge of the

Sahale arm Sahale Mountain is a jagged, Glacier, glaciated mountain, in North Cascades National Park, in northern Washington (U.S. state), Washington state. The summit of Sahale Mountain is referred to as Sahale Peak. It is south of its higher neighbor, B ...

leads up Sahale Mountain to the summit, as well as to the meadows of Boston Basin and the summits above. To the south, Mixup Arm leads to Mixup Peak and Magic Mountain, as well as to

Cache Col Cache Col is a gap in a high ridge between Magic Mountain and Mix-up Peak. It's located at the highest part of Cache Glacier, on the shared boundary of Skagit County and Chelan County in Washington state. Cache Col is situated south of Cascad ...

, making Cascade Pass the start of the high-level

Ptarmigan Traverse Ptarmigan Traverse is an alpine climbing route in the North Cascades of Washington state. The route, from Cascade Pass to Dome Peak, is generally remote, unmarked, and challenging, traversing rugged terrain and several glaciers. History The ...

. The pass was originally a major route for Native Americans trading between the coast and the interior. Among the first white men to explore and map the Skagit Pass was New York newspaperman

Frank Wilkeson Frank Wilkeson (March 8, 1848 – April 22, 1913) was an American journalist, soldier, farmer and explorer. He wrote several books, including an autobiography of his service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was among the ...

. Alexander Ross probably crossed the Cascades via Cascade Pass in 1814. His writings are too vague to be certain about his precise route.

Notes

References

* Fred Beckey, '' Cascade Alpine Guide: Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass'', pp. 332–333 * Harvey Manning and Ira Spring, ''101 Hikes in the North Cascades'' (The Mountaineers, 1979), pp 80–81 {{Authority control Mountain passes of Chelan County, Washington Mountain passes of Washington (state) Mountain passes of the North Cascades North Cascades of Washington (state) Landforms of Skagit County, Washington North Cascades National Park Transportation in Chelan County, Washington Transportation in Skagit County, Washington