In a land that glaciers once dominated lies the most northern desert in the United States, and higher elevation mixed conifer and alpine habitats. Plants more commonly known only to the south or to the north find thier furthest reaches here, as well as rare and endemic plants including a number of Carexes and Botrychiums.

It is a land in which the sky is big and valleys and mountains are carved. The deer eat from farmers' fields while the cattle graze in the woods. Not easily forgotten is the ice, for if not for the character of topography, then for the water that flows. Springs fall from mountains and wet meadows abound- where the earth meets water and all is green.

Photo at right: Castilleja cervina (Deer Paintbrush). This plant is found in a small range including only Southern British Columbia, Northeastern Washington and Northern Idaho. This photograph was taken at McCay Mt. 7/25/02 in bloom, at 6,400 ft. growing in a high elevation dry meadow with Artemisia tridentata.