Cutthroat Pass
Cutthroat Pass is a gap between Skagit County and Okanogan County and lies in the path of the Pacific Crest Trail. Here, on the higher and drier slopes of the Cascades, a special tree lives. The larch is a needle bearing conifer like a pine or fir, but which turns golden in autumn and drops its needles. And so, in early October, the slopes of the eastern Cascades seem to resemble an alien planet.
Autumnal larches and peaks.
Golden larches on a backdrop of evergreen conifers.
Autumnal larches and serrated ridgeline.
Tall larches.
Larches cover the slopes above 6,000 feet.
Kangaroo Ridge reflected in a pool at Washington Meadows.
Tall larches living downslope.
