We six arrive in Washington and it lives up to its reputation - Clouds and Rain

Cashmere, high up in the Cascades

We left Oregon on the first full day of summer crossing the mighty Columbia early in the morning. We did a little bit of freeway flying so made pretty good time to Ellensburg where we picked up US 97 that we had taken from Bend Oregon to the Columbia at Biggs Junction. Now we were climbing up Blewett pass into the Cascade Mountains. We are now into very familiar territory. We have spent a lot of time cruising the mountains here. 

 Blewett Pass is 4124 ft. pass and at this time of year has only been snow free for a short time. It's cold up here at night. We looked for a campground near the top but couldn't find anything that worked for us. The trailer is almost too long for many of the forest service campgrounds. We looked at two of them but couldn't find a spot that was a fit. We tried to get into a couple of spots but one was in a spot where the road was too narrow and I couldn't get the trailer backed into it. We got into another couple but in both cases the slope was so steep that we couldn't get even close to level without putting the tongue onto the ground. So we reluctantly continued up the pass to Hwy. 2, it was Friday so we were competing with weekenders for camping spots. When we got to the highway I headed east towards Cashmere knowing the Leavenworth would be booked. 

Columbia Lily Lilium columbianum in one of the camping spots we tried to get into

 We got a spot at the fairgrounds expo center. They have a huge field laid out for RV's. Nice big spots that are pull through. Easy in and out. We settled in for the weekend and got a hold of Uriah to let him know where we were.

 Cashmere is on the eastern slope right at the transition zone between Mountain forest and desert. The weather was ideal being in the high 70's during the day and a chilly high 50's at night. 

  The town of Cashmere in Chelan County is among the most picturesque in Washington. It lies on the southern bank of the Wenatchee River about midway between its turbulent upper reaches at Leavenworth and its more placid confluence with the Columbia at Wenatchee. The 8,500-foot Mount Cashmere and neighboring peaks of the Cascades are clearly visible to the west. The narrow benches of land surrounding the town are covered with fruit orchards. There are roads on the upper reaches of the orchards that connect the little towns of Cashmere, Dryden and Peshastin with Leavenworth. 

 In the morning we went downtown to check out the museum and pioneer village. It turned out to be Frontier Days and the admission was free. What a deal!

 Ntuatckam, a Sinpesquensi village of about 400 in 1850, stood on the site of present Cashmere. The Sinpesquensi (or Sinkaensi or Sinpeskuensi) were a band of the Wenatchi Indians, who found a bountiful supply of food in the salmon, camas roots, berries, and game animals of the region. During the period before the major influx of non-Indian settlers, Catholic missionaries, particularly Father Urban Grassi, had worked to convert the Indians of the area. Over the years, they built several small missions, the main one being St. Francis Xavier, constructed in 1873. In 1888 they erected the church building that gave the new settlement, which later became Cashmere, its first name: Mission, or Old Mission.

 All but 2 of the buildings are original to the town and were moved here to the grounds behind the museum. Some of the buildings date back to when the town was called Mission. The furnishings are original as well many of them were donated with the buildings that house them.

  Later in the afternoon Uriah and his our granddaughter Emilee arrived along with Dawn a girlfriend of Uriah's. We said our hello's and then drove around the area talking and driving while Denise cooked up some chili. Yum!

Uriah Cornell

A mule deer, here you only find them up in the Cascades on the eastern slopes. Down in the valleys of the western side are the Columbia Blacktailed deer.

The Wenatchee river

Sedro-Woolley, Washington - Riverfront Park

 

On the following Monday we packed up the trailer and animals and headed over Stevens Pass to the area where we lived for many years. We passed through Monroe where we had lived. It's grown and not for the better. It's hard to see some place stripped of some of the familiar places. The bowling alley is gone. It was a tiny place by most standards for bowling alleys if I remember correctly it only had 4 lanes.

 We continued down the highway to I-5 and headed north to Sedro Woolley, a small town on the North Cascades Highway. We got a camping spot in the city RV park on the Skagit river. We settled in for a week and half to two week stay.

 Getting set at Riverfront Park

There's a dog park too! Pata is in doggie heaven

 There's a hydrant for the guys...

 and a tunnel for the little dogs.

 Riverfront Park gave us a place with electricity and water, in town where we had internet and access to stores and other conveniences. It also gave us a jumping off place to visit the North Cascades area and northern Puget sound. We never made it to Mt. Baker National Park but went many other places.

North Cascades highway to Marblemount

 Denise and I drove up Hwy 20 in search of eagles that are reported to be seen along the Skagit river. We got skunked on the eagles but still had a pleasant drive. We went about 15 or 20 miles down a road that was marked Dead End. There were some cascades along the road and a couple of campgrounds that aren't identified from the highway. There were some views of the snowcapped peaks unfortunately they were obscured by clouds.

  Elk Cervus canadensis

  Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus

Cascades - It's how the mountains got their name.

A swift creek along the road.

We could only see the lower reaches - The peak was covered by clouds.

 

 

 

Cabbage White Pieris rapae 

 

 

 

Padilla Bay trail - 4.5 miles round trip

 I hiked this trail while Denise went shopping for my birthday present. It was an easy walk along what is sometimes waterfront. Unfortunately when I went it was low tide and the bay was just a huge mud flat. It was still pleasant but the only sea birds were gulls. No shorebirds at all. I didn't take Pata along so I didn't have her tugging at my arm as I tried to take photos.

Padilla Bay looking toward

Anacortes

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica 

 Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium

Teasels Genus Dipsacus 

  Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensi

 An old farmstead on the bay

 

Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense

  Coastal Hedge-Nettle Stachys chamissonis

Thistles Genus Cirsium

 

Hamachek Ideal Viner made in Wisconsin around 1920's  

 

 

 Little Mountain Park - Mt. Vernon

June 28th - My 67th birthday we drove to Little Mountain park just outside of Mt. Vernon. It's a 522 acre park that has 10 miles of hiking trails. We went to the top of the mountain first. We walked around the top looking for an easy trail for Denise. She decided that it was not for her so I took one of the trails down from the top and she drove the truck down the mountain a ways to meet me. It was steep and rocky so it's a good thing she didn't attempt it. It would not have been a good trail for her. I enjoyed it and when I got down to the parking area where she waited I asked her to go down further and meet me at the park entrance. She agreed so I continued on down. It's dark in the forest and the day was cloudy and drizzly so I didn't get good camera shots. There were warblers in the treetops but none came down where I could see them. 

This little pickle was a geo-catched item that was hidden on top of one of the trail signs.

The trail wending it's way down the mountainside.

Ferns and moss and some large trees

  Juvenile Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

              Female

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

  Pacific Bleeding Heart Dicentra formosa

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

 

 

 

Anacortes to Whidbey Island then on to Everett 

June is rapidly coming to a close and we had been in Riverside Park for 5 days at this point. After day one we had clouds and rain every day. I have become acclimated to Texas and sun so it was already beginning to wear on me. Oh well this too shall pass as they say. I used to get depressed when we lived here and went weeks without sunshine. It didn't take long to bring that back.

 On the 29th we went through Anacortes and on to Whidbey Island to see the sights there, also that was the area that showed the most signs of sun breaking through the clouds. It never fully got sunny but it didn't rain either so that was a plus. 

 I had originally planned to just drive halfway down the island and then turn around and head back the way we had come but Uriah called and we decided to meet him and Christian in Everett for dinner.

 A tour boat at Deception Pass

View from the bridge at Deception pass

We finally saw an Eagle. It was sitting on a rooftop but hey it's an Eagle.

Great blue heron  Ardea herodias

The harbor at Coupeville

Downtown Coupeville a nice little Victorian town in the middle of the island.

Leaving the dock at Clinton

 

 

 The ferry from Clinton to Mukilteo

The upper deck on the ferry

The other ferry going from Mukilteo to Clinton. There are two ferries running at the same time

The lighthouse at Mukilteo

We took the ferry to Mukilteo and then on to Everett for dinner. It's $9.25 senior price for the ferry certainly a lot cheaper than the fuel it would take to drive back up to Anacortes and then back down the freeway to Everett. Less traffic too. We only waited about 10 minutes for the ferry begin loading. The crossing time is only 20 minutes, barely enough time to get out of your car, climb up the stairs to the deck and take a few pictures.
 Dinner was good, we went to an Italian restaurant that we had been to before. Christian brought his girlfriend Heather and a friend Brian. We got caught up on the past couple of years and had some laughs.
 The next morning Uriah came to Sedro-Woolley and we drove around to a couple of places looking for eagles. Again we were skunked on the eagles but had a nice day anyway. It was rainy and cold but we got out and walked the beach at Birch Bay before heading back to the trailer.

  Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon

 Birch bay

 

Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens

 Crabs were food for the gulls and herons

Denise getting some fresh air

Birch Bay panorama

This concludes June in Western Washington. We stayed at Riverfront through the 5th of July. I will continue the adventures in another blog. This one has gone on too long as it is.