Bucket List

Where would we be without our bucket list? It seems to keep us going during those long work weeks and make our lives more envious on social media. Ten years ago I found out about an abandoned train tunnel that sits below Stevens Pass and it immediately went into my bucket list. The pass is named after John Frank Stevens who was the principal engineer in the construction of the 2.6 mile tunnel. It was abandoned in 1929 due to the curse of multiple avalanches and the disastrous avalanche that struck the town of Wellington in 1910 that resulted in 96 lives lost. The town (later renamed Tye after the nearby river) was abandoned and in time burned down yet many foundations remain as well as the snowshed and tunnel. As nature reclaims both structures through erosion, they stand fragile due to the ample amount of rain and snow in the Cascades. Several years ago the ceiling collapse near the west portal, hence creating a dam and flash floods. The likelihood that the tunnel will reopen is pretty low however this tunnel is 1 of about 10 abandoned train tunnels in eastern Washington and frankly, all tunnels look the same once you get inside. Still, that doesn't stop curiosity to traverse the entire tunnel then again, what kind of example is that for my little one?

Apparently I know someone else who is interested exploring and actually knew about this tunnel. Since it's rare to come across awesome people, we had no choice but to explore the tunnel and snowshed with our good friends from Seattle. We spent Friday night in Seattle and enjoyed a spectacular spring morning drive along Hwy 2 as it crosses the Skykomish and Tye river. The abandoned section of the railroad has been named "Iron Goat Trail" and much effort has been made to preserve and describe all the remnants that have survived the test of time. None of us took the responsibility to splash in the small puddles and creeks along the trail so Ben took it upon himself to put his blue boots to work. It turns out that they work great and we were all envious of his boots. The western portal has a good amount of water rushing out and unfortunately we were unable to reach the eastern portal due the amount of snow on the road... so basically, I owe this tunnel another visit.

Saturday evening was spent at the KOA in Leavenworth and we enjoyed the best (literally) veggie burgers in the western hemisphere. I'm not sure what ingredients were added but I ate until my belt began to hang for its dear life. After switching to some stretchy pants and enjoying more great food, I realized I had problem that needs to be addressed. But that's what these test are for. Anyhow, we had passed an abandoned dam as we made our way to Leavenworth and I was antsy to see it so I got up early on Sunday morning to take pictures. It turns out that the Dam played a major role with the Great Northern Railroad and a large diameter pipeline carried the water under high pressure to a powerhouse down river near Leavenworth therefore providing power to the electrified section of the railroad. The lower half of the pipe that crossed the river still remains and has been turned into a walking trail.

Highway 2 from Stevens Pass to Leavenworth sits on top of the old railroad bed. In the 1920's The Great Northern Railroad bypassed Leavenworth when they shifted the tracks through the Chumstick Valley and therefore beginning the decline of Leavenworth. Other events assisted in the downturn such as the sawmill closing, the Great Depression and World War II. Fortunately, in the 1960's a small group pitched an idea to remodel Leavenworth with a barbarian theme to encourage tourism. Gradually business joined in and turned Leavenworth to the town that we know today. The old depot still sits quietly in Leavenworth and unless you know your history, you won't even notice that it's in plain sight on the main strip.

Before I end this post I have to mention that on Friday evening we made our way to the mall in Auburn. There is a carousel there and somehow Ben wanted to ride on the only chicken surrounded by horses. Not sure why, but I believe that was his favorite part of the entire trip. Bucket List perhaps?