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  3. TRAVEL: 2007 through 2011
  4. JULY AND AUGUST, 2011

BACK INTO WASHINGTON

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Nice lupine along the trail.
32 / 46

Nice lupine along the trail.

uezbluelaketrail

  • Another place I have difficulty driving past without stopping: Diablo Dam.
  • At 389 feet, this was the tallest dam in the world when it was completed in 1930. It's always such a spectacular view to see the water near the top of the dam on the east side and then turn around and see this deep chasm.
  • Now, before you watch the following video, look at this photo. Imagine the wind coming up the valley from your right to your left. As it hits the concrete barrier of Diablo, it is all diverted upward. So, if one stands a few inches from the edge, all seems calm. However when one looks over (as Bev is doing to your upper left), a wind howls in one's face. Now, that sets the stage for the next video......
  • You've heard the old saying "You don't spit into the wind." Well, if the wind is vertical, it can actually be fun! You've just got to watch this video to see what I'm referring to.<br /> <br /> Be sure that your sound is on, then click the triangle above. You may need to press the "Pause " button to let it buffer a bit. Then press "Play" and watch very closely!
  • Now, in case you didn't catch that in the last one, here is the slow motion version....... (it looks much better once it's playing).<br /> <br /> I wasn't skillful enough to catch the entire trajectory, but the liquid missiles did make it all the way to the water on the other side of the dam. So, this very saliva may be passing through the turbines and helping to light Seattle as you read this! In fact, as inter-connected as our power grid is nowadays, their spit may be powering your computer right now!
  • Panorama. Seems to me like, for some reason, this doesn't give the feel of depth that the previous photos did. But, if you look at the people on the top you still get some perspective as to how tall this structure is. The first red shirt you see nearest the left side of the photo is Zac. The blue shirt near him is Mario. Bev is between them. I think Olga must be nearly hidden behind Zac.<br /> <br /> Since this is a panorama, if you bring it up to original size (hover your cursor over the photo and click "Original" on the pop-out menu), you can see lots of detail.
  • Even further to the east, the highway climbs high above Ross Lake, a reservoir behind Ross Dam. This water backs all the way beyond the Canadian border, about 20 miles due north of us.<br /> <br /> If any of you happen to be Jack Kerouac fans, it was on a mountain rising from the east shore of Ross Lake where he spent the summer of 1956 as a fire lookout just before writing DESOLATION ANGELS.<br /> <br /> By the way, the turquoise hue of the water is due to very finely-ground "rock flour," and is a common (even distinguishing) characteristic of pristine, glacier-fed lakes.
  • Just about a mile from the crest of Washington Pass (the summit of North Cascades Pass Highway) is the trail head for Blue Lake.
  • SNOW! In AUGUST!
  • In my opinion, when one really wants to hike but is somewhat pressed for time, Blue Lake is the answer. It is a well-maintained 2.2-mile trail with an elevation gain of 1,050 feet . Enough to satisfy that "gotta hike to the high country" urge, but short enough to allow one to relax and enjoy the view and still get back to the car in only a couple or three hours. The fact that it's high enough (6,250 feet at it's highest point) to get to snow in August (not every year, but often) quenches the thirst for feeling that one is in the high country.<br /> <br /> Because of its proximity to a fairly busy highway (WA Hwy 2, North Cascades Highway) and easy access, it may disappoint you if you are wanting a deep wilderness trek. But the views are hard to beat, and the recreation / effort ratio is (in my opinion) among the highest of any trail around.
  • We were treated to the spectacle of having some paragliders gracefully swooshing above our heads.<br /> <br /> Music by Kevin MacLeod of <a href="http://incompetech.com/">http://incompetech.com/</a>
  • Nice lupine along the trail.
  • More snow! Right there on the trail!
  • The spires of Liberty Bell Mountain. I think that the paraglider pilots must have climbed up there somewhere to launch. Now THAT type of thing has a different recreation / effort ratio!
  • Approaching Blue Lake.
  • Safely across the river!
  • Come on into my cabin!<br /> <br /> I wouldn't be surprised if this cabin may have been used by a prospector at one time, but I have no idea how many years ago that may have been. It definitely is a "fix-er-up-er," if any of you are interested.
  • AAaaaaahhh! The refreshing waters of Blue Lake! Nice to be able to see it here on my computer screen, sans skeeters!
  • I have no idea how many times I have photographed that very tree. It's just not a hike to Blue Lake if one does not get a photo of this tree framing the lake.
  • Well, the mosquitoes convinced us that a few minutes was sufficient at Blue Lake, so (having donated our fair share of blood) we headed back to the trail head.
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