Wenatchee Mountains

The Wenatchee Mountains are a range of mountains in central Washington State, United States of America. A major subrange of the Cascade Range, extending east 50 mi from the Cascade crest, the Wenatchee Mountains separate the drainage basins of the Yakima River from the Wenatchee River. The crest of the range forms part of the boundary between Chelan and Kittitas Counties.

Extent
Fred Beckey describes the Wenatchee Mountains as the area between the Wenatchee and Yakima rivers and Stevens Pass. Among the range's significant features he describes are Mount Stuart, the second highest non-volcanic peak in Washington and one of the largest single granitic mountains in the United States, the Cashmere Crags, the Lost World Plateau, Edward Plateau, and Dragontail Plateau, the Enchantment Lakes Basin ("one of the most marvelous examples of an ice-sculpted wilderness in the Cascade Range″), Icicle Creek and its narrow, U-shaped valley over 6000 ft deep, one of the deepest in the Cascades, and the Wenatchee River's unusual winding Tumwater Canyon gorge.

According to Peakbagger.com the Wenatchee Mountains are defined as bounded by U.S. Route 2 from Stevens Pass to Wenatchee on the Columbia River, then down the Columbia River to Interstate 90, then west along the highway to the vicinity of Cle Elum and Roslyn, then north along Cle Elum Lake and the Cle Elum River and north to Stevens Pass. Subranges of the Wenatchee Mountains and their highest peaks as defined by Peakbagger.com are the Chiwaukum Mountains (Big Chiwaukum Mountain, 8501 ft), North Wenatchee Mountains (Cashmere Mountain, 8501 ft), Stuart Range (Mount Stuart, 9415 ft), the Teanaway Area (Ingalls Peak, 7662 ft), and the Mission-Naneum Ridges (Mission Peak, 6876 ft). Peakbagger.com also defines and names the mountain regions bordering the Wenatchee Mountains. These are the Alpine Lakes Area to the west, South Cascade Crest to the south, Glacier Peak-North Stevens Pass area to the northwest, and the Entiat Mountains to the northeast.

The USGS GNIS defines the range with a simple list seven points in a line, running from approximately Paddy-Go-Easy Pass and Granite Mountain to approximately Blewett Pass and Naneum Creek.

Major Peaks
Partial list of peaks:


 * Mount Stuart - 9415 ft - 47.47512°N, -120.90314°W
 * Dragontail Peak - 8809 ft - 47.47873°N, -120.83342°W
 * Colchuck Peak - 8507 ft - 47.47706°N, -120.84509°W
 * Cannon Mountain - 8579 ft - 47.50262°N, -120.80203°W
 * Sherpa Peak - 8478 ft - 47.47206°N, -120.8887°W
 * Enchantment Peak - 8520 ft - 47.48761°N, -120.80638°W
 * Witches Tower - 8520 ft - 47.47659°N, -120.82555°W
 * Cashmere Mountain	- 8448 ft - 47.55873°N, -120.84703°W
 * Argonaut Peak - 8369 ft - 47.47012°N, -120.86148°W
 * Little Annapurna - 8458 ft - 47.46817°N, -120.81453°W
 * McClellan Peak - 8225 ft - 47.46984°N, -120.7862°W
 * Eightmile Mountain - 7864 ft - 47.53206°N, -120.89648°W
 * The Cradle - 7231 ft - 47.56095°N, -121.03232°W
 * Hawkins Mountain - 7160 ft - 47.45024°N, -121.00128°W
 * Granite Mountain - 7064 ft - 47.58095°N, -121.09009°W
 * Earl Peak - 7018 ft - 47.40994°N, -120.84285°W
 * Mac Peak - 6837 ft - 47.62761°N, -121.12482°W
 * Three Brothers - 7303 ft - 47.42327°N, -120.77567°W
 * Thunder Mountain Lakes Peak - 6711 ft
 * Trico Mountain - 6604 ft - 47.59706°N, -121.11315°W
 * Thunder Mountain - 6407 ft - 47.65789°N, -121.11982°W
 * Slippery Slab Tower - 6356 ft - 47.66865°N, -121.12612°W

Natural history
The Wenatchee Mountains are in the rain shadow of the main Cascade Range and hence are drier and have fewer trees. This comparative lack of trees offers good wildflower displays and wide views. Serpentine soils are found within the Wenatchee Mountains, modifying the plant communities in those areas.

The Wenatchee Mountains are home to a number of rare, endemic, or disjunct plant species, including Androsace nivalis var. dentata, Claytonia megarhiza var. nivalis, Delphinium viridescens, Lewisiopsis tweedyi, Trifolium thompsonii, and Valeriana columbiana. The Wenatchee Mountains checkermallow (Sidalcea oregano var. calva) occurs only along Peshastin Creek, south of Leavenworth, Washington. It is the rarest plant in Washington, and is now on the endangered species list.