On a clear warm August day, we set out to explore the Old Cascade Highway in search of the town of Wellington, the site of a huge avalanche in the winter of 1910 that killed almost 100 people.
We found a bicycle bridge that connects two pieces of the old highway and lots of late summer wildflowers
like this Columbine .
Cow parsnips were in full bloom all along the road.
We even spotted a distant waterfall,
lots of pearly everlasting in bloom, and
even a bit of fireweed.
We found the Tye river and
the currently used tunnel that was built to replace the tunnel near Wellington, but we did NOT find Wellington.
As we headed back home, we spotted the turn off to the Irongoat Interpretive Center, and voila! Here was the information we needed.
A short way down the trail was this old snowshed , one of many built to protect the train after the avalanche in 1910.
We found a few elderberries and learned that further exploration would have to wait since it was too late the hike the whole trail.
If your kids want to see a real caboose up close, this is the place to go! It took us two more attempts before we finally found Wellington. More about that another day.
7 comments:
Thanks for that fun journey. Glad you did end up finding Wellington....can't wait to see about that. What a sad story about the trains and the avalanche. Thanks so much for sharing.
Oh my goodness, it's so lush and green...and you have flowers still blooming. What lovely country, and it sounds like you had fun exploring!
Looks so beautiful Judy! I love the caboose...I think it's sad that they are a thing of the past. Have a wonderful trip and I'll chat with you when you return!
It's fun to go on adventures and be a tourist in local areas. The wild flowers are beautiful.
I've heard the term "snowshed" before, but never realized its purpose.
Thanks for taking us on your hike and adventure.
Again...such beautiful pictures. I miss cabooses. It is such a shame that freight trains don't have them anymore.
Beautiful photos! Everything looks so green compared to over here :) The caboose is the best!
very interesting..I'll bet Fireman knows about the avalanche...he stores that information somewhere in his brain!
Great flower naming tour for me too, thanks
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