After our early morning wake-up yesterday, Donna walked to the bakery downtown and picked up breakfast for us. She brought me a sausage, cheese and egg sandwich on a biscuit and bought a cinnamon pull-apart pastry for herself.
We pulled out of the Pine Near RV Park at 11am and headed west on the North Cascades Highway (WA20). We drove over this highway last year in our gasoline-powered Gulfstream coach. I remembered it being a slow struggle up Washington Pass. This year, it’s unusually hot. I took it easy climbing to the summit at Washington Pass, holding 40-45mph up the steep grade and switchbacks. The temperature gauge was indicating just under 200 degrees Fahrenheit – the hottest I’ve seen our Cummins ISL engine reach.
Windshield view as we climb the North Cascade Highway – yep, that’s snow in July
The North Cascade Highway is closed from around mid-November to mid-April due to the amount of snowfall. I crossed it once in the spring after the road had been cleared. The snow banks along the road were over 20 feet high.
Once we crossed the Pacific Crest Trail at Rainy Pass, it was downhill into the wet side of Washington. West of the Cascade Range, the climate is very different from the east side. The steep Cascade Mountains trap moisture from the Pacific Ocean. In the Seattle area, measurable precipitation falls 150 days per year. It’s cloudy more than 200 days per year.
We made a stop at the overlook above Diablo Dam. We stopped at the same place and took a selfie last year. We shot another selfie to compare our look a year later.
Selfie over Diablo
There are a series of three dams – Ross, Diablo and Gorge Dam. These generate electricity for western Washington, utilizing the water cascading down to the Skagit Valley. The water has a unique hue to it. The color comes from the glacial run-off that fills the reservoirs. Glacial action scrubs organic and inorganic matter from the mountains. This matter is suspended in the water, giving it a greenish color.
Reservoir behind Diablo Dam
Once again, the two-stage Jake brake on our Cummins ISL made descending into the Skagit Valley a breeze. It was a white-knuckle affair at times last year with our gasoline-powered Gulfstream coach.
After we passed Marblemount, Donna started to look for a place for us to dry camp. We found a WalMart in Smokey Point, near my daughter’s house in Arlington. Donna called and talked to manager. He said local ordinance limits the stay to 24 hours, but realistically two nights are fine. This was perfect as we need to hang out for two nights before we move to the Lake Goodwin RV Resort where we have reserved a two-week stay.
Donna programmed Nally (our GPS). Nally directed us to take Highway 530 through Darrington. I lived in Darrington, a small logging town in the north Cascades, for 13 years. This is where my three daughters grew up. When I talked to my oldest daughter, Alana, a couple of days ago, I asked about the condition of 530. There was a devastating mudslide recently between Darrington and Arlington that destroyed more than 30 homes, resulting in deaths and many injuries. The mudslide covered a stretch of Highway 530. Alana told me the road was open. She said there was a slow stretch with narrow lanes, but it wasn’t bad.
We took 530 through Darrington. The last time I came through Darrington was for my youngest daughter’s high school graduation in 2005. My youngest daughter, Shauna, attended school from kindergarten through high school here. Today, she’s a law student at Cal Western University in San Diego.
As we made our way to the WalMart, we passed the Arlington Airport. It’s a small general aviation airport. I used to live near the northwest corner of the airport from 2002 to 2005. We saw signs for the EAA Fly-in. This is a gathering of members of the Experimental Aircraft Association that takes place one weekend every summer in Arlington. They have seminars, vendors and planes on display. They also put on an airshow with aerobatic airplanes, warbirds and experimental aircraft.
After we set up in the WalMart lot, we walked back to a steakhouse called the Buzz Inn. It’s located at the south end of the runway. They had tables set up outside. We found seats and enjoyed cold beer and food while we watched the airshow. I had no idea that the EAA Fly-in was this weekend. I also didn’t know the WalMart was by the airport (it didn’t exist when I lived here before). Serendipity strikes again.
Last night, Alana stopped by with her eight-year-old daughter, Gabi (Gabriella). Her other daughter, Lainey, was out camping with friends for the weekend. We enjoyed the visit and will join them again today. We’re looking forward to spending time with Alana and our granddaughters over the next two weeks.