The rain shadow of the North Cascade Mountains creates a more arid environment east of the mountains and waves of dense forest give way to grass clad hills along the Columbia River. Our journey across the North Cascades begins in one of the various micro-climates created along the Columbia and its’ assorted tributaries which provide conditions conducive to growing various stone fruits, especially apples and cherries, and more recently, wine grapes.
As we head west deep into the mountains the forests return and I anticipate glacier draped peaks framing the views. Or so I hoped. Unfortunately the unseasonably wet weather continues and my views will be framed in clouds and rain…
Lake Chelan
There are very few locations where one can penetrate the rugged North Cascades and our journey starts in Chelan, WA, at the eastern end of Lake Chelan. Lake Chelan is a narrow lake created by the slow retreat of a glacier that reaches over 50 miles into the North Cascades. The mountains rise so precipitously from the lake that there is no road from one end of the lake to the other. The small village of Stehekin occupies the far end of the lake and is only accessible by boat or boat plane. The other two communities on the lake are the village of Manson about eight miles up the lake from the town at the foot of the lake, Chelan. The road up the north side of the lake ends just beyond Manson while the road up the south side goes a bit farther, ending near 25 Mile Creek.
Chelan is a city of approximately 4,000 people around the foot of the lake about five miles west of the Columbia River. Native Americans lived in the area for hundreds of years, the first European settlers arrived in 1886 and constructed a sawmill at the foot of the lake. Settlers quickly discovered that fruit orchards could be planted without the need for irrigation around the southern part of the lake. The first resort hotel was built along the lake in 1892 and today the duo of tourism and agriculture continue to be the foundation of the local economy. Driving up the south side of the lake the views north across the lake are of the small village of Manson and the vineyards and orchards that sprawl across the south-facing slopes.
Looking northwest the lake narrows just past Manson.
Near the end of the road on the south side the lake continues to stretch deep into the mountains.
Turning around and heading back east towards Chelan, the view is of the southeastern end of the lake and the town of Chelan. The range of hills in the background rise on the eastern side of the Columbia River, flowing unseen at their base.
In 1901 C.C. Campbell hiked into Lake Chelan and purchased property at the foot of the lake next to where the Chelan River leaves the lake for its’ short five mile journey to the Columbia. Impressed with the area, Campbell built the Hotel Chelan later that year. Later named Campbell’s Resort, the hotel complex continues to dominate the southern end of the lake under the same family’s management. The view from the hotel’s dock stretches northwest up Lake Chelan.
Just up the main street from Campbell’s is St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, built in 1898.
The bustling town center stretches east from Campbell’s for several blocks.
This is a beautiful area where tourism is a key contributor to the local economy, and the prices reflect it. The city campground that I am staying at is in a great spot on the lake but is by no means fancy. Built at a time when motorhomes were smaller, it certainly accommodates the Lunch Box just fine, but most other rigs are bigger and fill up their spot completely, often leaving the accompanying vehicle to partially block the road. The bath houses are cement and while clean, are “rustic” to say the least. AND, on top of charging $50 a night, one has to have quarters to pay for the showers! As dusk settles in the valley the reason that the city is able to charge such high prices is very clear. Standing on the lake shore to my left the town is still basking in the light of the fading sun while to my right the sun sets behind the North Cascades.
Highway 20 is the only route across the North Cascades and was just completed in 1972. Closed during the winter due to incredible depths of snow and ice, it follows the Methow River deep into the mountains from the east and then descends down the Skagit River to the west. It’s been raining off and on and low clouds hide the mighty mountain peaks as I head up the Methow River Valley to Twisp.
Twisp, WA
Twisp is the largest town in the Methow Valley, home to around 1,000 people. Founded in 1899 it serves as the commercial center for the farmers, ranchers, and loggers who work in the area. A fire in 1924 destroyed most of the town but it quickly rebounded. Lumber mills and the Forest Service became the primary employers in the area. Twisp is the center of the local arts community and the small main street bustles in the drizzle.
In 2009 the Forest Service consolidated its operations in the neighboring town of Winthrop, closing the Twisp campus. Local residents, assisted with a $1 million dollar loan from an anonymous donor, purchased the campus as a business “incubator.” Christened “Twispworks”, nearly 50,000 square feet of space has been renovated and modernized. More than 50% of the campus partners are artists and the mix includes various businesses, a light manufacturing facility, a brewery, and the local newspaper and radio station. The campus is fully occupied, self-sustaining and paid off the loan in 2019.
Leaving Twisp we continue to climb up the valley under threatening skies. Normally snow capped mountain peaks would be reaching into the sky, today they are hiding behind the clouds.
The center of tourist activity and gateway to North Cascades National Park is the small village of Winthrop. Home to a permanent population of around 450 people, the small town huddles between the Methow River and a line of bluffs. This is tourist country and the residents are dwarfed by the number of visitors. Even on the day of my visit, a morning on a rainy day in the middle of the week, parking is quickly filling up along the Western theme storefronts that line both sides of the main street.
Winthrop, WA
The Methow Valley begins to narrow as we reach deep into the mountains. While I am disappointed that the expected view of soaring peaks and gleaming glaciers is being shrouded in clouds and drizzle, there is a certain intimacy to moving in an emerald green world draped in shimmering mists.
Once over the pass the descent is quick, occasionally punctuated with little water falls along the highway.
The highway clings to cliffs along the canyon created by the Skagit River, a path which we will follow all the way to Puget Sound. A series of three dams step their way down the canyon, providing power to the Pacific Northwest. The largest of the lakes created by the dams is Diablo Lake behind Diablo Dam, built in 1930, where the only real evidence of the glaciers that I expected to see is stunningly apparent. Not fields of ice and snow but rather a striking aquamarine lake behind Diablo Dam. As glaciers grow and recede in the surrounding mountains the grinding of rock against rock creates a fine powder, which is then washed down into the surrounding lakes and rivers. This “rock flour” is so fine that it remains suspended in the waters of the lake, creating the striking aquamarine color.
Below Diablo Dam the Skagit River flows through a narrow canyon for miles. Gorge Lake is another of the lakes created by damming the Skagit.
The valley gradually widens and the river spreads out as it reaches the coastal plain on Puget Sound.
The coastal plain is virtually flat as it stretches from the base of the North Cascades to the inlets of Puget Sound. This is a very fertile agricultural area, and especially around the town of Mt. Vernon, is known for growing tulips!
My attention now turns from the land to the waters around Puget Sound.
Next up: Ports of Puget Sound
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