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Saturday, August 6th, 2016
Today we paid a return visit to the Iron
Goat Trail near Stevens Pass. Three years ago we hiked
the shorter Windy Point switchback trail. It was a brutal
climb, for me anyway. This year we returned to do the longer
but easier interpretive trail along the old railroad bed, past the
Twin Tunnels to the Martin Creek trailhead and back. |
We weren't the only ones up early in the morning.
We parked near the caboose, just like last time.
Well now, what a nice path. This part is even paved.
Uh oh - time to make a decision. That's the Windy Point path on the
right.
We stuck to the paved one.
These markers depict how far it was to St. Paul,
Minnesota, headquarters of the railroad line.
Here are remains of one of the 6.4 miles of snowsheds.
They helped with avalanche control.
I'm reading about it on one of the interpretive signs.
In a combination-type snowshed, timbers formed a roof over the train.
Sometimes the trail gets very dark.
We have to wait a long time for 'someone' who's crossing the path.
Sometimes the path leads to open areas and views of the surrounding
mountains.
Wildflowers still bloom along the pathways.
And there are still a bazillion shades of green.
Here's the first of the tunnels. They are in bad repair and marked
as very dangerous to enter.
We can go in a little way, as far as the interpretive sign.
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