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1965 Map of Monte Cristo

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Monte Cristo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Monte Cristo serves as the focal point for this high-altitude survey, situated at the headwaters of the South Fork Sauk River. The area reflects a transition from its mining heyday to a more recreational or administrative phase within the Mt Baker National Forest. While Monte Cristo remains a named settlement, the map identifies nearby historic hubs like Mineral City (Site) and Galena (Site) as former sites, tracing the footprint of the Cascades' extractive history.

The landscape is defined by extreme verticality, with high-mountain landmarks such as Del Campo Peak, Gothic Peak, and Silvertip Peak towering over deep drainage basins like Elk Basin Creek and Seventysix Gulch. Water is abundant in the high basins, found in Foggy Lake and Silver Lake, which sits just below Poodle Dog Pass. The southern portion of the quadrangle follows the North Fork of the South Fork Skykomish River, providing a clear record of the glacial valleys and rugged passes that shaped early access to these remote mineral districts.