Photo @materas // Aerial photo over the Glacier Peak Wilderness, North Cascades, Washington. The North Cascades are a rugged wilderness of wild rivers, thick old growth forests, alpine rock, and ice with over 300 active glaciers. There are very few roads that penetrate the North Cascades, but one of the few that does is the North Cascades Highway, which is closed in winter because of the deep snowfall and avalanche hazard. Most of the hiking and climbing in this beautiful wilderness requires long approaches with thousands of feet of elevation gain. Follow me @materas for more images like this from Washington and around the world. #northcascades #wilderness #aerialphotography #glacier