Before you even get up to the ice cap you're treated to simply astounding views of the Cascades. This is the immense North Face of Johannesburg Mountain (8,200+ ft) seen across the Cascade River valley. From valley floor to summit it's 5,600 vertical feet in 7400 horizontal feet (a 37-degree average incline). From a distance, it always looks steeper than it really is. April 3, 2004.