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October 2003 - A drive in the country

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It goes without saying that I like to take pictures... I took advantage of a slow weekend to take a drive up into the Cascade Mountains.  I got a hold of Les, a buddy of mine, and talked him into coming with me.  He's a shutter bug like I am, so it wasn't all that hard a task.

Since it was raining a bit, I bet Les a dollar that it was snowing in the pass. 

With our target laid out, a full battery in the camera, we headed out to see what we could see.

A train bridge crosses the Skykomish river along US 2

The initial premise for the trip, as if I needed one, was to go see the salmon run that was supposed to be happening this weekend.

 The hump of a humpie breaks the surface as the Coho Salmon makes its way up a shallow area
Resting in a slackwater area, taking a breather from a rough area, these salmon gets ready for another push upstream

The problem is, no one apparently told the salmon that this was "their" weekend... there were a few, but nothing like they announced it would be on the news, that's for sure!

Lots of fish don't make it... its sad, but its nature's way of maintaining balance... the dead fish provide food for fish in the river, as well as the various birds that depend on the streams and rivers.
The banks and eddies were littered with the one's who couldn't make the trip... nature's way of ensuring that only the strongest survive. This humpie was floating back down the river, too tired to continue - or even stop the slide
Day trips are a lot of fun...    I drove along US2, and shortly after I started, I knew that I wasn't going to see many salmon, so to make sure that the whole trip wasn't a bust, I paid attention to the scenery along the way. The train played a major role in the area, even now, US 2 follows the original rail lines.
This hotel has a pretty spectacular view, and seems like a nice place to relax 'away from it all' You'd be surprise what you can see when you actually LOOK at where you are...
There's quite a few places to stop, more than enough picture opportunities, and even a few opportunities to learn something here and there along the way...  That's why I like "day-tripping" so much! 'der Baring store' Heavy German influence remains in the folks who call the Cascades home
You just don't see stuff like this anymore! This little store, in Baring, has been open since 1898, and has been owned by the same family since then.  It serves hot food, and doubles as the town's post office

They had a picture on the wall, taken by the grandfather of the family, from 1907, back when Baring, and the store, was still an outpost.
This is the Post Office, in the back corner of the store This was taken in 1907. Tains would struggle up to here, then take a break to cool off, take on water, and get ready for the push to Skykomish, the next major 'train town'
After Barring, the last 'major' town before the pass is Skykomish. 

As you can see from these pictures... the town sure hasn't changed much over the years!

More on Skykomish
Main street Skykomish, in 2003 Main Street in Skykomish, in 1906, just after the completion of the new Skykomish Hotel.
The scenery, even in the rainy weather, was, as always, incredible!  THIS is what I like about this area -- no matter where you go, there's something awesome to look at! The fog really sets the scene as this pine stands basically alone in the mist
Look how clear the water is! The streams in the area are CLEAN...

Only a few miles out of Skykomish, there's Deception Falls, the site of the completion of the Great Northern Railway, which linked the West Coast to the rest of the US... a "Historical Marker" - my favorite sort of 'rest stop' marks the spot for all to read.

James Hill, when asked if he wanted the US President to come and drive the last spike as a publicity stunt, said; "I don't care if the President, or some laborer drives that last spike, just let me know when it happens so that I can tell folks to start making money!"  The person's name who actually dove the spoke has been lost to history: it was an everyday employee of the company.

There's a trail down to the falls, its a really pleasant walk, even in "liquid sunshine"...
The sign commemorating the important moment
This Cedar is about 600 years old! Here's Les, standing next to the lower falls of Deception Falls
It was a fun drive, I learned a few things, and I saw some things that I hadn't noticed before... it was a relaxing, fun way to spend a day that could easily have been a day to sit around, do nothing, and wonder where all the time went. The USFS has a outpost at the pass, providing a base of operations to try and keep the pass open from
The US Forest Service Sign at Stevens Pass Oh... the weather at the Pass?  No snow... just really cold rain.  I lost a dollar, but it was worth it!
Stevens Pass is home to several ski lodges... they're itching to get enough snow to open! The snow was about 500-750 feet higher than the pass... the hills around the pass were being dusted with new white stuff.