Located in northern Washington State, lies the 1,706,000 acre Okanogan National Forest that includes the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. Vegetation in the forest varies with grass and shrubs in the lowest elevations near the Columbia River, to the beautiful Ponderosa Pine at mid-elevations, to the Douglas-Fir in the Cascade Mountains, and the Subalpine and Alpine zones at elevations above 6000 feet. The highest peak is North Gardner Mountain at 8974 feet, with many other peaks above 7000 feet. Moderate daytime temperatures and cool nights characterize the climate during the summer; during the winter, sub-zero night time temperatures are not unusual, but days are frequently sunny.