Geographie Character: Central Division. 111 
valleys, and along the backs of the main dividing ridges, at a height of about 
8000 to 9500 feet (2440— 2900 m) above the sea. Besides these lake meadows 
several other forms may be distinguished, viz., hanging meadows, found 
lying asland upon moraine-covered hillsides; bogmeadows formed by the 
damming of some perennial stream and small pot-hole meadows found along 
the banks of the main streams, on the summits of rocky ridges or on glacier 
pavements. 
North of Lassen Peak, an isolated volcanic cone, 10,437 feet in height, 
the range is broken through transversely by a great fault, or great depression 
comparatively level. Seventy miles north-west of Lassen Peak rises Mount 
hasta, 14,380 feet (4382 m), standing in remarkable isolation on a base 
between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. North of Mount Shasta the mountain mass 
becomes the Cascade range. The ridge is comparatively low and on it at 
irregular intervals rise great volcanic cones. Mount Pitt, 9760 feet (2975 m), 
is a well-defined cone. Mount Jefferson is of a similar character and between 
Pitt and Jefferson occur five sharp peaks known as the known as the Three 
Sisters. All through this portion of the range are evidences of recent volcanic 
activity in the form of craters and outflows of lavas.. The Columbia River 
breaks through the Cascade range 100 miles (161 km) north of Mount Jefferson, 
where the volcanic masses have been cut through at the Dalles, which are 
great, broad flat sheets of lava. Near this point rise three well-defined volcanic 
cones: Mount Adams 12,470 feet (3799 m), Mount St. Helens 10,000 feet (3048 m) 
and Mount Hood, 11,225 feet (3421 m). Mount Rainier 14,526 feet (4400 m) 
lies apart from these snowcapped peaks 75 miles over against Puget Sound, 
while north of Rainier, or Mount Tacoma, is Mount Baker, 10,827 feet. 
The Coast ranges of California and Oregon are west of the Sierra Nevada 
and the Cascade range. The Coast ranges are newer geologically and of less 
elevation. The upheaval of the Sierra Nevada Mountains took place according 
to Whitney at the close of the Jurassic epoch, whereas, that of the Coast 
ranges was the result of agencies operating during the latter part of the Ter- 
tiary and continuing down to the post-Pliocene. The portion south of San 
Francisco Bay is Miocene. These coast ranges are severed, where the San 
Joaquin River from the San Joaquin valley joins the Sacramento River from 
the valley of the same name and flows through the Golden Gate into the 
ocean. In the vicinity of San Francisco Bay, their altitude ranges from a few 
hundred to 3000 or 4000 feet. Prominent points near that bay are Mount 
Diablo, 3849 feet, Mount Hamilton, 4209 feet, and Mount Helena, 4343 feet. 
Mount Bally 150 miles (241 km) north of San Francisco has an elevation of 
6246 feet. Finally near the southern end of this chain of mountains are found 
the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains, each rising to about 
11,000 feet (3350 m). Here this range joins the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which 
make a turn to the west, while in the southern part of Oregon and in northern 
California, they become confused with the Cascade Range. 
