Napeequa River
Encyclopedia
The Napeequa River is a 19 miles (30.6 km) long river in the U.S. state
of Washington on the east side of the Cascade Range
. It rises in northwest Chelan County and flows southwest into the White River near Twin Lakes. The White River flows into Lake Wenatchee. The Napeequa River and its valley are notable for their beauty and isolation, as well as their interesting geological history. It flows through an isolated southeast-trending valley characterized by a broad meadows surrounded by rugged mountains. The Chiwawa Mountains, or Chiwawa Ridge mark the east side of the valley, separating the Napeequa and Chiwawa River
s. To the west the White Mountains separate the Napeequa from the White River. Both are sub-ranges of the Cascade Range.
The river is part of the Columbia River
basin, being a tributary of the Chiwawa River, which joins the Wenatchee River, a tributary of the Columbia River.
A large number of place names in the Napeequa River basin, including the river's name itself, were given by Albert H. Sylvester
.
. It flows west briefly then enters its main southeast-trending valley. Near the head of the valley the Napeequa is joined by a south-flowing tributary originating near High Pass. Flowing southeast through its valley the Napeequa is joined by Louis Creek from the north, then an unnamed stream flowing east from Pliz Glacier and Richardson Glacier. Numerous small streams tumble down the Napeequa valley's high slopes. The valley widens and flattens considerably and the river meanders lazily. Hiking trails enter the valley via Boulder Pass and Little Giant Pass (both over 6400 ft (1,950.7 m) high–the valley floor is about 4000 ft (1,219.2 m) high in this vicinity), crossing the White Mountains and Chiwawa Ridge respectively. There are no trails into the valley that do not cross a high pass. Downstream the valley narrows for some distance, then widens again. Many tributaries flow down the steep slopes on both sides of the glacial valley. In its last mile the Napeequa turns west to join the White River. It is joined by Lake Creek from the south, which drains Twin Lakes.
The Napeequa Valley continues southeast from Twin Lakes but it occupied by Big Meadow Creek, a tributary of the Chiwawa River. Big Meadow Creek was probably once a tributary of the Napeequa but was captured by the Chiwawa. The Napeequa Valley has been compared to the fabled Shangri-la
. The valley is part of the Glacier Peak Wilderness
.
calls the Napeequa River valley the "most interesting valley" of the region. It is a classical glacier-carved U-shaped trough, flat bottomed and nearly straight. Its present form was created by a Pleistocene
era glacier. The lower valley is so broad and flat the Napeequa River meanders slowly through it. Near Twin Lakes the Napeequa makes an abrupt westward turn, leaving its valley through a steep gorge cut through the gneiss
rock of the 6500 feet (1,981.2 m) high ridge between the Napeequa and White River valleys. Big Meadow Creek occupies the southern part of the same glacial-carved valley, flowing southeast to the Chiwawa River. It is probable that the Napeequa River used to flow through the entire valley including the southern end now occupied by Big Meadow Creek. It is also likely that as the ice retreated a large lake formed in the valley.
word meaning white water place."
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington on the east side of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. It rises in northwest Chelan County and flows southwest into the White River near Twin Lakes. The White River flows into Lake Wenatchee. The Napeequa River and its valley are notable for their beauty and isolation, as well as their interesting geological history. It flows through an isolated southeast-trending valley characterized by a broad meadows surrounded by rugged mountains. The Chiwawa Mountains, or Chiwawa Ridge mark the east side of the valley, separating the Napeequa and Chiwawa River
Chiwawa River
The Chiwawa River is a tributary of the Wenatchee River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is completely contained within Chelan County.Much of the Chiwawa River's drainage basin is designated national forest and wilderness...
s. To the west the White Mountains separate the Napeequa from the White River. Both are sub-ranges of the Cascade Range.
The river is part of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
basin, being a tributary of the Chiwawa River, which joins the Wenatchee River, a tributary of the Columbia River.
A large number of place names in the Napeequa River basin, including the river's name itself, were given by Albert H. Sylvester
Albert Hale Sylvester
Albert Hale Slyvester was a pioneer surveyor, explorer, and forest supervisor in the Cascade Range of the U.S. state of Washington. He was a topographer for the United States Geological Survey in the Snoqualmie Ranger District between 1897 and 1907...
.
Course
The Napeequa River flows from Butterfly Glacier in the Glacier Peak WildernessGlacier Peak Wilderness
The Glacier Peak Wilderness, created by the US Forest Service in 1960 by efforts of the , four years before the 1964 wilderness legislation of the Congress, is located within portions of Chelan County, Snohomish County, and Skagit Counties in the North Cascades of Washington...
. It flows west briefly then enters its main southeast-trending valley. Near the head of the valley the Napeequa is joined by a south-flowing tributary originating near High Pass. Flowing southeast through its valley the Napeequa is joined by Louis Creek from the north, then an unnamed stream flowing east from Pliz Glacier and Richardson Glacier. Numerous small streams tumble down the Napeequa valley's high slopes. The valley widens and flattens considerably and the river meanders lazily. Hiking trails enter the valley via Boulder Pass and Little Giant Pass (both over 6400 ft (1,950.7 m) high–the valley floor is about 4000 ft (1,219.2 m) high in this vicinity), crossing the White Mountains and Chiwawa Ridge respectively. There are no trails into the valley that do not cross a high pass. Downstream the valley narrows for some distance, then widens again. Many tributaries flow down the steep slopes on both sides of the glacial valley. In its last mile the Napeequa turns west to join the White River. It is joined by Lake Creek from the south, which drains Twin Lakes.
The Napeequa Valley continues southeast from Twin Lakes but it occupied by Big Meadow Creek, a tributary of the Chiwawa River. Big Meadow Creek was probably once a tributary of the Napeequa but was captured by the Chiwawa. The Napeequa Valley has been compared to the fabled Shangri-la
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
. The valley is part of the Glacier Peak Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness
The Glacier Peak Wilderness, created by the US Forest Service in 1960 by efforts of the , four years before the 1964 wilderness legislation of the Congress, is located within portions of Chelan County, Snohomish County, and Skagit Counties in the North Cascades of Washington...
.
Geologic history
Fred BeckeyFred Beckey
Fred Beckey is an American mountaineer and author, who has made hundreds of first ascents, more than any other North American climber.-Early years:...
calls the Napeequa River valley the "most interesting valley" of the region. It is a classical glacier-carved U-shaped trough, flat bottomed and nearly straight. Its present form was created by a Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
era glacier. The lower valley is so broad and flat the Napeequa River meanders slowly through it. Near Twin Lakes the Napeequa makes an abrupt westward turn, leaving its valley through a steep gorge cut through the gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
rock of the 6500 feet (1,981.2 m) high ridge between the Napeequa and White River valleys. Big Meadow Creek occupies the southern part of the same glacial-carved valley, flowing southeast to the Chiwawa River. It is probable that the Napeequa River used to flow through the entire valley including the southern end now occupied by Big Meadow Creek. It is also likely that as the ice retreated a large lake formed in the valley.
History
The river was once called the North Fork of the White River. Forest Service supervisor A.H. Sylvester changed the name to Napeequa, a Salishan word meaning white water, because the river's water is nearly white in the spring and summer due to heavy glacial silt. According to William Bright the name comes "perhaps a Sinkiuse-ColumbiaSinkiuse-Columbia
The Sinkiuse-Columbia were a Native American tribe so-called because of their former prominent association with the Columbia River. They called themselves .tskowa'xtsEnux, or .skowa'xtsEnEx , or Sinkiuse. They applied the name also to other neighboring Interior Salish peoples...
word meaning white water place."