Governors Ridge

White River and Cowlitz River.^[1] The toponym honors all the governors who have served the state of Washington. The highest rocky crag on the ridge is known as Governors Peak. There is also a 40-foot leaning spire known as Governors Needle,^[4] and Barrier Peak

Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.^[5] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.^[5] During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer.^[5]