Omak to Seattle 6/9 &7/9

Yesterday as we left Omak we discovered that we had been staying in an apple growing area. We wound up through the valley surrounded on either side by red apples ripe for the picking. As we gradually climbed higher the forest returned and we were soon driving between dense pine forests. We kept climbing into the Northern Cascade Mountains. The highest point was Washington Pass. There was a delightful lookout there and we wandered around the overlook and a short walk trail. The view was spectacular because the road has been cut into the side of the mountain. There was an information board giving the history of the road construction. When it was decided that a road was needed through the mountains the route was planned and work began from two towns on opposite sides of the mountain. The middle section took two years in the 1920's with the men working for $2/day. When it was almost completed the whole road was washed away in a winter storm. This delayed things somewhat and it wasn't until the late 1960's that a new survey devised the current route. Modern explosive technology was used to blow the new path through the rock in one big bang. It was completed in 1972.
From there we drove on to the Northern Cascade National Park and found the picnic area for lunch. We then tackled the Visitor Centre and picked a nice relaxing 3 mile River Walk Loop. The water in the rivers in the mountains is wonderfully clear and a beautiful greenish blue when there is depth. We were walking along the path when we came  upon a family of flightless birds. The biggest (mumma) was the size of a small hen only a bit closer to the ground. They were fairly untroubled by us so we managed to get some photos. Back at the Visitor Centre we checked and found that they were Sooty Grouse and the rangers have only noticed the one family.
Our accommodation that night was on the Highway between two small towns. There was not a lot of choice in that part of the world but the Totem Trail Motel was very comfortable and had interesting benefits. Before dinner we were sitting outside in the Gazebo and I was eating my fill of juicy blackberries. They are everywhere in this part of the world and the motel had a huge hedge of them around the back of the units and the car park. We had to drive a couple of miles back to get dinner and I tried my first "pulled pork". It was tasty but as usual I couldn't eat it all.
Today we had a short run into Seattle where we have accommodation for 3 nights at the City Hostel. So we have two days to explore. We stopped at the outlets on the way into town and did some shopping because we couldn't check in until after 2pm. The traffic coming into Seattle was very heavy but Bob and our faithful GPS managed it safely. Photos of the Cascades Loop Hway separately.

Spokane to Omak Tues 5/9

This morning as you will see in the previous post we went out early to retrace our steps and take photographs. We then had some domestic chores to accomplish including and oil change for the car. Bob had realised that it was due 1000 miles ago and he can't leave something mechanical undone. By the time we set off it was close to 11am but we didn't have far to go. We were travelling over those undulating plains of golden stubble again at first. The most remarkable thing we saw was a huge pile of barley grain dumped beside two huge silos which must have been full. They were using a front end loader to load it into trucks (we surmise beasues there was no train line there). They are obviously not expecting rain.
 The obvious place to stop for lunch was marked on the map as " The Grand Coulee Dam". When we arrived we were almost rendered speechless. It is indeed GRAND. The first phase of construction was in 1933 to dam the Columbia River. Even then it was a grand scheme. It was part of Roosevelt's New Deal recovery plan after the Great Depression. It expanded under the leadership of Truman after WW2 and then again in the mid 1980's. It is so big that I couldn't fit the whole dam wall into my photo frame. Bob had to use video to get it all. It generates enough power to supply about 7 States around it. Then there is a complimentary process with 17 tributary rivers having dams on them which provides water right across to Seattle - approx 200 miles.
After that we were back in the mountains but  lower than the Rockies and forested with pines. Tonight we are staying in the Omak Inn which is located much to our amusement in Koala Drive. The family restaurant across the street apparently has suitable Aussie themed decoration. So we should feel right at home when we go for a meal tonight.

This only shows 2 sections, the 3rd is obscured by smoke.

I am not going to talk about smoke again. We saw a map of fires burning in Washington State and they are all down the coastline so take it as given from now until I can say we have clear skies.

Photos of Spokane

Bridge below the Falls

Waterfall in the centre of Spokane.

Bing Crosby Theatre built in 1914.

Empire State Building in Spokane.

West to Spokane Washington State 4/9

We actually drove NW from Kalispell to visit two small towns that were mentioned as interesting. This took us back into small town rural US and the forests and mountains. As we drove I jotted down some names that tickled our fancy. There was Bitter root Lake, Kick Horse Saloon, Loon Lake, Stampede Lake, Crazy Moose Crossing, Bear and Beaver Creeks, Snowflake Lane, Silver Spur Restaurant, and Lake Cocolalla.  As you may gather we were passing lots of water features but there  were at least two major fires in the hills nearby and the day was clouded in smoke.

 This is what the sky looked like all day. We stopped at Bonners Ferry which was a very pretty litle town. It is beside the very large Kootanai River. The history is that gold miners heading to the gold strike in British Columbia, Canada could not cross this river without the help of the local Indians who took them across in their canoes. An enterprising propective miner realised there was a development opportunity here and persuaded a couple of others to join him in purchasing a ferry. So his fortune was made and the now substancial town has a bridge. We were now on the Wild Horse Trail and drove on to Sandpoint the other town in the county but got lost in the suburbs trying to find the river again and somewhere to eat out lunch. As is often the case the private land owns most of the river bank and we decided to head SW to our last destination for the day. Fortunately just out of town we found a State Park camping area beside a lake. After a conversation with the Park Ranger during which he explained that we couldn't picnic in their camping bays and there was a free but unsignposted picnic area 100 metres away  we settled alongside the lake. The view would have been stunning but we couldn't see more than 100 metres.

We arrived in Spokane in mid afternoon and found our very comfortable motel which is located in the centre of the city. The nice young man registering us explained that there was a three day food and music festival occurring in the River Park 3 blocks away for the Labor Day long weekend. After settling in we walked down to the Park half expecting that the festival would be closing down but found it still in full swing. We browsed the food options, made our selections, perused  the seating options overlooking the stage, bought a beer and settled at a table to listen to the music. They were a local rock band who almost immediately played a Split Ends  composition and we felt right at home. They were very good and we stayed to the end of their performance.  After I had bought myself my first icecream of the trip, a "small" Ben & Jerries Cherry waffle cone we walked the extent of the River Park. Spokane's claim to fame is the only City built around a waterfall. The hydro elctricity from the falls provides a lot of the citys power but this doesn't detract from their beauty. The surrounds have been landscaped and the Park is currently being expanded to make even more of the site. We will go back this morning to take some photos.

Photos from Glacier NP

GLACIER NP Day 2

Today we adjusted our plans and decided on a 1.5 mile walk out to Rocky Point on Lake McDonald. This gave us quite a good view across part of the lake that minimised the effect of the smoke. We then retaced our steps and drove up to a tiny place 20 miles up the road called Polebridge. I had visions of an old wooden bridge but the expanse across the river was very wide so it was concrete pylons with huge logs hoizonally as rails to stop the drivers sliding off when it is icey.  We went for a walk through the pines which were regrowth from a fire in 2003 and across a grassy meadow. I had a vague hope we might see a deer grazing but it was not to be. By then it was late lunch time and we headed back towards the Park Entrance to look for a picnic spot. Imagine our amazement when a medium size Black Bear lolloped across the road in front of us. He was very handsome but you will have to take my word for it because he didn't stop for photos. I was sooooo excited to see a real bear. Shortly afterwards we passed a deer browsing on the verge. It lifted the whole day. We then  gave up on the Park as this side was crowded wth all the people like us who couldn't access the trail to the east of the lake. Instead Bob remembered there was a recreation area on our way back to Kalispell, the Hungry Horse Reservoir. We had a very relaxed lunch then  took the car to the car wash because it was very dusty. And now I am writing to you.

Glacier National Park Sat 2nd Sept.

The Park is a very sad place today. There is a big fire in it's heartland and there is a smake pall everywhere. We arrived at the beginning of the "Going to the Sun Hway" at about 10-30am and collected our map and read the fire bulletin. The Sun Hway which cuts across the centre of the Park was open so we proceeded as planned. The scenery is obviously magnificent but the smoke everywhere blurred the outlines and sapped the colour. We stopped at lots of overlooks as it was only the main carpark at the top of the pass which was impossibly crowded. The road was constructed in the 1920's. It is narrow and constantly windng with precipitous drops to the river valley and must have been incredibly difficult to work on given the machinery of those times. There are still large ice sheets across many of the mountain tops so climate change hasn't done away wih the glaciers yet. I couldn't help wondering how they may have looked even 10 years ago. There is a wonderful swimming hole in the river where the hardy types were having a great time. We were tempted to try to eat our lunch by the river but there wasn't any conveniently level places. Instead we drove on to the picnic area beside Lake McDonald. This is a huge glacier gouged lake. We found a remarkably peaceful spot wih picnic table under the pine trees and went for a walk by the lake after we had eaten. On our way back we came across a ranger putting up a notice advising that all the camp grounds to the east of the

Lake are to be evacuated by midday tomorrow because of an expected dangerous wind change. We have accommodation booked for two nights to the west of the Park so checked in to the Visitor Centre to find out about walk trails that are safe to use on the west side of the Lake. We have a couple of good options so can spend the day exploring.
Note the blue water of the river which is crystal clear.

I have picked the snots which show the clearest pictures.

Camp ground near where we  had lunch.