Trip Report
We went north, then by I-205 to the Columbia River Highway. Lunch was along the river east of The Dalles. We crossed at Biggs Junction then climbed Satus Pass Road through Goldendale and down into the Yakima River Valley. We took the high road toward Ellensburg but turned east via the Vantage Ferry to George, then north to Wenatchee, where we spent the night.
We stopped at the Gingko forest display at Vantage. From Wenatchee we climbed the hill to the beautiful Ohne Gardens situated along the bluffs. Much water has made this a very nice garden. We then visited visited the Rocky Reach Dam, which has a tremendous museum in its open spaces ranging from art, archaeology, geology and history to a lot about electricity. We ate lunch at the dam then proceeded north past the Ribbon Cliffs and Lake Chelan to the Methow Valley. When we reached Winthrop we drove up the mountain to the Sun Mountain Lodge, which has been renovated and enlarged, and looks out over the Methow Valley. Our night was spent at the Virginian Motel on the edge of town, but many hiked into Winthrop, a western style village.
Our departure was timed to get us to Diablo in time to join the City of Seattle Power Co. tour. We drove past Mazama near the site of Summer Camp a few summers ago, and stopped at Washington Pass at the Liberty Bell Mountain overlook. The weather was ideal and the view wonderful. We then proceeded over Rainy Pass and down the Skagit tributary with a stop at an overlook over Diablo Reservoir. We arrived at Diablo in time to view their museum and look around before we gathered to board a lift that was designed to hoist freight cars 300 feet vertically. We hiked past the Diablo Dam to a waiting boat and then journeyed up the lake to the J.D. Ross Dam (formerly called the Ruby Dam for Ruby Creek). The dam is high and backs water into Canada. They were flushing the valves when we were there and the water shot far out from the base of the dam. This is a once-a-year procedure, so we were lucky to be there at the right time. At the same time, the eclipse (which covered up to 30% of the sun) was taking place. We returned to Diablo for the meal they dispense - all you can eat, topped off with pie and ice cream. Very nice! We also celebrated Mary Mallery's 85th birthday with a birthday cake. From there we had time to go west to Rockport, south to Darrington and then to Marysville, where we spent the night at the Tualip Inn on the Indian Reservation of the same name.
Our last day took us south via I-5 to the Puyallup turnoff and then a stop in that town for break. We continued south through Elbe with its quaint setting, Morton, and then west to Lewis and Clark State Park for a lunch break. We turned east to the new Mt. St. Helens museum five miles along the Toutle River Road. It is large, and very nice with beautiful displays. We returned to Eugene by 5:15.
Our driver was John Goddard. Riders: Murray & Wilda Agate, Kay Anderson, Margaret Baldwin, Mary & Richard Bentsen, Ingrid Carmichael, Bernice Claypool, Clair Cooley, Jane & John Corliss, Ardis Ebbighausen, Bette Hack, Jane Hilt, Miki Hutchison, Helen Hughes, Virginia Kapsa, Delores Kelley, Helen Knowlton, Bea Lefevre, Mary Mallery, Frances Newsom, Lois Schreiner, Clarence & Dorothy Scherer, Elma Schuck, Ethel & Robin Steussy, Mabel Toliver, and (leader) Ewart Baldwin.
