Leaving for Seattle

We thought we'd take a couple of days to get to Seattle rather than drive straight through. 

Obviously it was a beautiful September 1st morning when we left. I have no fewer than five neighbors keeping an eye on the house for us and one who is willing to look after the garden.

The trip was planned with us going through the Menthow Valley on Hwy 20, the northernmost highway east/west in Washington, because it is the very area that was hit by horrendous fires this summer. Then two weeks ago the same valley suffered washed out roads and mud flows from torrential rains. I knew travel would be slow but who am I to complain, I'm most likely the one who will be causing most of the other vehicles behind me to drive slower... or make a daring pass.

The last burn count I saw was 380 square miles of devastation. With all the ground cover stripped away into smoke, there was very little to hold the soil on a hillside during its first rain storm. The Carlton Complex fire was Washington's largest to date.

There were a few places on Hwy 20 that had washed out or were reduced to a single lane, but it's not like I was in a hurry anyway.
Leaving on Labor Day weekend would never be considered an ideal time to travel, but circumstances dictated no other choice in the matter.

At the end of the Menthow Valley we start our climb over the east side of the Northern Cascades.

This drive reminds me of going to Yosemite from Lee Vining over the Tioga Pass... only more dramatic. By now we are well outside the fire area. Hwy 20, commonly called the "Northern Cascades Scenic Hwy", was originally an Indian trade route to the coast.

It doesn't get much more beautiful than this.

I stand corrected. It's like icing on the cake when I can get my wonderful bride in a photo. 
In the background of this, and maybe more the previous photo, you can see the "classic" U shape caused by glaciers. Here again is another reminder of Yosemite Valley.
 The glaciers will be a "theme" greatly expanded upon in the next blog.

All resemblances of the Yosemite end with this photo... why do you ask? There is actually snow still on these peaks and much more to come, even though it's only Sept 1st.

By now we are near Washington Pass, elevation 5400, which to some may not sound very high, but you have to realize, this area has a record of heaviest snowfall in the United States. In the season of 1998-1999,  Mt Baker, just to the west of us... received over 1100 inches of snow. 

The main reason for taking the "slow way" to Seattle is because for years, Donna and I have wanted to go to the "Northern Cascade National Park", of which we had never heard, until about three years ago. So this is like hitting the proverbial "two birds with one stone"...right?

The next blog will be the downhill side of Hwy 20.