WATERMELON SNOW

Our rainy day drive to the North Cascades National Park brought us to the visitors center at Newhalem.
Repeating myself, I'm in awe of the wonderful parks in the State of Washington, probably because I'm from California where our underfunded STATE parks are beginning to look bruised and abused with volunteer docents and no money for materials. Of course, this is a National Park and the interpretive displays are stellar. We decided not to take the river loop hike given the unpredictable weather and no rain gear. I cheated and took pictures of some of the displays instead. I'd heard of pink snow while visiting Alaska, but never watermelon snow. It is a phenomena of snow algae that attracts a worm. The above photo shows a bird feeding on the worms. Some worms and bugs are blown up hill out of their own element and supply food for birds. Isn't science wonderful?
This is a copy of a photo of a deer drinking in the river. I wish I could credit the original photographer, but, in any case, it comes from the displays.
This is a mock up of perpendicular glaciers on the steeps of the Cascades showing the hoof prints of a mountain goat.
Closeup of a gnarled tree, stunted by the wind and thin soil of high elevations. The photo exhibits were wonderful, but the highlight of the center was a 25 minute film about the Cascades and its inhabitants. It emphasized the closeness of the native peoples to the land; their life in harmony with nature; the beauty and grandeur of the mountains and the animals, birds and plants that call it home.
The Cascades are so steep and remote it is one place with less footprint by modern man than others. In fact, the grizzly and wolves are being re-introduced to the Cascades with some notable success. Salmon were naturally blocked on the upper Skagit and the dams here did not affect them as much as in other rivers.
During Chief Seattle's time, life revolved around the Eagle, Grizzly, Wolves, Owls and Salmon. The native people respected their animals, the storms, the seasons, the plants, in such a way they are indelibly stamped with the spirt of them for all time.

LADDER CREEK FALLS AND BEYOND

Wet, wind, and light rain didn't deter us as we drove up Highway 20 following the Skagit River. Our goal was The Gorge Creek Falls, Diablo Lake Overlook and Ross Dam Overlook.
We reached the Gorge powerhouse and electrical distribution field at Gorge Dam first, and were curious about a walking bridge across the river to the powerhouse. The powerhouse was built in 1919.



Across the walking suspension bridge, we found what remains of a once beautiful garden alongside the powerhouse in view of Ladder Creek Falls. This fall was a spectacle and as we followed the trails, up, and up and up it became more beautiful. After 153 steps, I quit counting the stairs, and continued on as the falls became a ladder of fall after fall. The gardens and pools and little water wheels and viewing benches are now awaiting reconstruction. Built in 1929 the townspeople would come out during the evening for a lovely walk along lighted pathways with music floating above the cheerful rush of water. We promised ourselves to return and see the changes that are coming.
The trails wind you around to the inside of the powerhouse with a short history of the place in pictures-self guided. It supplies 8,750 homes with electricity from the 880 foot dam.





We drove on to Gorge Creek Falls then Diablo Lake Dam and Overlook. The wind and rain had increased substantially and formed beautiful swirling clouds and mists against the ragged cascade spears. As we ascended, every couple hundred feet was evidence of falls that once flushed melt water into the Skagit. Dry, now, even the Gorge Creek Falls was a trickle of its former flow in winter.

At Diablo Overlook, the river curls and swirls around small islands. Turquoise waters and evergreens framed the view and took our breath away.

We decided to skip Ross Overlook and headed back to Concrete where we stopped for a hamburger at Hubs before going home. For more pictures click the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/1579penn/LadderCreekFallsDiabloOverlook#