Picket Range

— On our first day in the North Cascades National Park, we experienced majestic mountain ranges and roaring rivers. After an easy hike in the River Loop trail, we proceeded to the Rock Shelter trail and Trail of the Cedars Nature Walk. We passed a variety of forest growth and moss-covered trees while hiking along the Skagit River. At one point we stopped to marvel at the view on the photo above. The scene was impressive. Clouds were moving in and out of the frame as the sunlight illuminated some areas in the Picket Range. This range lies entirely inside the North Cascades NP and is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) long. There are some 20 peaks over 7,500 ft (2,300 m) in height. Three particular peaks appear on this photo. From right to left, we see Inspiration Peak (7,840 ft / 2,389 m), the Pyramid (7,920 ft / 2,414 m) and Mt. Degenhardt (8,004 ft / 2,439 m) shrouded in clouds. The hikes we did in this park were serene and breathtaking. There were seldom other people on the trails. North Cascades NP is one of three national parks in the state of Washington. The other two are Mt. Rainier NP and Olympic NP.