GEOGRAPHICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE CASCADE SYSTEM 331 



touched with a geological hammer are other reasons for placing on record 

 the results of the Boundary survey. 



Geographical Subdivision of the Cascade Mountain System 



In 1901 Messrs G. 0. Smith and F. C. Calkins, of the United States 

 Geological Survey, made a reconnaissance survey of the 10-minute strip 

 crossing the Cascade range immediately south of the 49th parallel. Their 

 report gives a succinct account of this part of the mountain system which 

 may well serve to locate the region here to be treated. Two paragraphs 

 may be quoted from the report : 



In northern Washington, where the Cascade mountains are so prominently 

 developed, the range is apparently a complex one and should be subdivided. 

 This was recognized by Gibbs, who described the range as forking and the 

 main portion or "true Cascades" crossing the Skagit where that river turns 

 west, while the "eastern Cascades" lie to the east. Bauerman, geologist to the 

 British commission, recognized three divisions, and as his subdivision is evi- 

 dently based upon the general features of the relief it will be adopted here. 

 To the eastern portion of the Cascades, extending from mount Chopaka to the 

 valley of Pasayten river, the name of Okanagan mountains is given, following 

 Bauerman. To the middle portion, including the main divide between the 

 Pasayten, which belongs to the Columbia drainage, and the Skagit, which flows 

 into Puget sound, Bauerman gave the name Hozoineen range, taken from the 

 high peak near the boundary. For the western division the name Skagit moun- 

 tains is proposed, from the river which drains a large portion of this mountain 

 mass, and also cuts across its southern continuation. It will be noted that the 

 north-south valleys of the Pasayten and the Skagit form the division lines be- 

 tween these three subranges, which farther south coalesce somewhat so as to 

 make subdivision less necessary. 



The Okanagan mountains form the divide between the streams flowing north 

 into the Similkameen and thence into the Okanagan and those flowing south 

 into the Methow drainage. In detail this divide is exceedingly irregular, but 

 the range has a general northeast-southwest trend, joining the main divide of 

 the Cascades in the vicinity of Barron. The highest peaks, such as Chopaka, 

 Cathedral, Remmel, and Bighorn, have a nearly uniform elevation of 8,000 to 

 8,500 feet and commonly are extremely rugged. Over the larger portion of 

 this area the heights are above 7,000 feet, and below this are the deeply cut 

 valleys.* 



The sketch map, figure 1, shows the position of the boundary line in 

 the Cordillera and of the section described in the present paper. 



Area covered by the Boundary Commission Survey 



Since the year 1901 the United States surveyors attached to the Inter- 

 national Boundary Commission have prepared an excellent contour map 



♦Bulletin no. 235, U. S. Geological Survey, 1904, p. 14. 



