A different perspective of Mount Rainier

 

Mount Rainier from Raven Roost

Raven Roost Lookout in Central Washington offers stunning panoramic views of the state’s iconic mountain, Mount Rainier.

Getting to Raven Roost in the Wenatchee National Forest is a bit of a journey, but the views of the east side of Mount Rainier make bumps and potholes well worth the effort.  “Awesome” is how a recent first-time visitor to Raven Roost described the view.

At more than 6,000 feet in elevation, Raven Roost affords a view of Mount Rainier, sometimes hidden by clouds, sometimes cloudless and snow-covered but always majestic.

Mount Rainier, at 14,410 feet tall, is the most well-known of Washington’s Cascade Mountains. Pictures of the mountain abound on scenic calendars and other items promoting the state, though many of those pictures are usually taken from Paradise on the west side of the mountain.

Miles of velvety-green forests 

The only thing standing between Raven Roost and Rainier are miles of forest-covered valleys. Deep green trees, interspersed with small grassy meadows, and other mountains make up the landscape as far as the eye can see.

Visitors share the perch with a satellite tower, which is located at the rear of the perch.

Because of the altitude, it can be windy and chilly at Raven Roost, even on the hottest of summer days, so visitors should bring light jackets or sweaters to guard against the cold.

Getting to Raven Roost is a trip

Getting to Raven Roost is a trip unto itself. Raven Roost is a detour off State Highway 410 which connects the scenic Chinook Pass with Yakima. Turn on Forest Service Road No. 19; this is three miles west of the popular Whistlin’ Jack Lodge at Cliffdell. Follow the directional signs, making a left turn on Road No. 1902, which is a few miles north of Highway 410.

Motorists will wind through Crow Creek Campground, with the pavement ending a short distance from there. It is 13 miles from the campground to Raven Roost. After the pavement ends, the road is fairly decent gravel until you get to Sand Creek Campground seven miles up the road.

Motorists should be on the lookout for motorcycle riders in the Sand Creek area as several popular dirt bike trails end there, including No Name, Sand Creek, Yellowjacket, Crow Creek and Pepsi.

The road starts deteriorating after Sand Creek and gets progressively worse the higher you go. From this point on, don’t expect to drive faster than 15 miles per hour as the road contains many potholes. If you’re traveling in the early morning or late afternoon hours, be on the lookout for elk and deer on the road. At all times you should be on the lookout for dirt bike riders who frequently forsake the trails for the road, especially when it comes to the final ascent to Raven Roost.

It takes about an hour to drive to Raven Roost from Highway 19; the return trip takes half as long because it’s downhill all the way. The road is closed in winter due to heavy snow. Sometimes it’s not possible to get all the way up to Raven Roost by vehicle until July, though the road is usually open by mid-June.

Hiking into the William O. Douglas Wilderness

Just before you begin the final ascent to Raven Roost, Road 866 juts to the left for hikers who want to reach the Pacific Crest Trail about three miles away. Motorized vehicles are not allowed beyond the parking lot which has limited parking for vehicles and horse trailers. The Forest Service requires a permit for hikers who want to go beyond this point.

Montana Territorial Prison Museum

Guard tower

The Montana Territorial Prison housed convicts for more than a century. Today it has been turned into a museum.

The Montana Territorial Museum, located in Deer Lodge, accepted its first prisoners in 1871, and closed its doors in 1979 when a new prison was built just four miles away. The Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation leased the building in 1980 and turned it into a museum. One end of the museum was turned into another museum, one housing an outstanding collection of old vehicles.

Montana was a lawless country in the 1860s, so the U.S. Congress appropriated money to build a prison in the Montana Territory at the request of the territorial legislature. The federal government funded the prison until Montana became a state in 1889. The new state could not afford to operate the prison, and so contracted it out to private operators, according to the website, Legends of America. Deer Lodge residents Thomas McTague and Frank Conley were awarded the contract, receiving 70 cents per day per prisoner. The prison began accepting women in 1907.

Montana prison warden made convicts earn their keep

Conley, who served as warden until 1921, put the convicts to work at such things as constructing additions to the prison to hold its burgeoning population and establishing a farm to grow food for the inmates. Convicts replaced a wood fence surrounding the prison with a 4-½-foot thick fence made with stones they made themselves. They also built the 1912 cell house, the maximum security building and the prison theater. Later prisoners helped construct state government buildings around Montana and paved 500 miles of state roads.

The prison looks pretty much as it did when the last convicts moved out. The Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation did only minimal restoration before opening it as a museum. As visitors walk through the museum grounds, they will find paint peeling from the ceilings, uneven walkways and dark hallways.

Walking tour covers entire complex

The walking tour includes the dental and medical clinic, housed in the same room, and seeming very primitive compared to today’s clinic. They’ll visit the cell blocks and can see the cell occupied by Pete Eitner who spend 49 years in the prison, and whose cell was “retired” upon his death. He earned the nickname of Turkey Pete because he cared for the prison’s flock until he sold them to a man for 25-cents each!  As he slipped away from reality, he imagined he was running the prison and “issued” checks to pay for prison expenses, including the salaries of his guards. His funeral was the only one ever held inside the prison walls.

The museum offers guided tours of the facility during the summer months as well as provides a booklet for those doing self-guided tours. It takes about an hour to tour the complete facility.

The prison is located at 1106 Main Street in Deer Lodge, a small town on Interstate 90 between Missoula and Butte in western Montana.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last admission at 3:10 p.m., from March to December.

Totally awesome video!

If you love wildlike, you'll love this short video clip about wildlife at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and the National Elk Refuge at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was the grand prize winner at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, Montana. After you've watched it, you'll agree!

Enjoy the video!

White Salmon - where?

The New York Times list of best places to visit in 2013 contained a major surprise this year. Tucked in among some of the world's most fascinating places, such as Paris, Oslo, Rio, Ghana and China, was White Salmon, Washington, which came in at No. 13, above Paris and Washington, D.C., the last two places on the list of 46.

Few people have probably ever heard of this small town on the Columbia River. It's a pretty little town that we've driven through a few times when we chose not to take the freeway to Portland.

White Salmon made the list because of its potential to become a major whitewater rafting destination. A dam on the White Salmon River was removed last fall for fish conservation reasons. But its removal meant the river can now flow freely from its headwaters in the Cascades to the Columbia River. The river boasts Class IV rapids, making it a challenge for rafters and kayakers. The newspaper predicts a slew of rafting companies will begin offering trips down the river.

If rafting doesn't appeal, you can always cross the river to Hood River, a major center for wind surfers.

Free things to do in Seattle

Seattle skyline from West Seattle

Seattle can be an expensive city to visit or it can be easy on the budget, like free. The Emerald City offers visitors many things to do that don’t cost a penny.

Activities that won’t break the bank include walking along the waterfront, visiting Pike Place Market or touring a winery. These are all free. In fact, it’s possible to build a vacation around just doing the free things Washington’s largest city has.

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is the best known farmers market in the United States. The market, founded in 1907, is a colorful place to walk through with its farm fresh fruits and veggies, flowers and seafood markets. Watch as workers toss salmon around like baseballs. There are also boutiques with funky clothes, art galleries, magazine stores and restaurants; in short, the market has something for everyone.

Seattle Waterfront

Just below the Pike Place Market, Seattle’s waterfront offers opportunity for a pleasant stroll. The water side of the street is lined with the usual souvenir shops, but there are also places for visitors to sit and watch the seagulls at play or the ferries crossing Puget Sound. It costs a few bucks, but if the day is nice, why not enjoy a relaxing ferry ride. Ferries leave frequently from the terminal on Alaskan Way.

Visitors who want to wade in Puget Sound can head over to West Seattle’s Alki Beach for more unobstructed views of the islands as well as a look back at the Seattle skyline. The area has restaurants, delis and sidewalk cafes for folks who want a little something to eat with their daily latte fix.

Space Needle at Seattle Center

Seattle’s number one landmark, the Space Needle, is located near downtown area at the Seattle Center. Unless visitors are eating at the Space Needle’s restaurant, a ride to the top of the Space Needle can be costly. However, gazing up at it from the ground doesn’t cost anything. The Seattle Center has many things to do, ranging from sporting events to ballet to big name entertainment acts. Spend some time just wandering around the site of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.

Wineries in Seattle

The Puget Sound area is home to 35 wineries, of which 20 are located in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville. Woodinville’s oldest winery (and the state’s) is Chateau Ste. Michelle, an award-winning winery centered around a French chateau. Guided tours which last 35 minutes are free, but there is a charge for tasting the wines. Tours are given from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The winery is located at 14111 NE. 145^th St.

Art Museums

Most Seattle museums, such as the Seattle Art Museum, are free to the public the first Thursday of every month. Many museums also offer free admission to seniors on the first Friday of every month and to families on the first Saturday. These museums include the Frye, the Wing Luke Asian Museum and the Experience Music Project.

Free Transportation

There is such thing as a free lunch, or in Seattle’s case, a free ride. Seattle’s Metro Transit offers free rides from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in the downtown area. Boundaries of the free ride area are from Battery to Jackson streets and from east Sixth Avenue to the waterfront.

Take a quick hike at Starvation Creek State Park

The nature trail at Starvation Creek

Starvation Creek State Park is a tiny park nestled alongside Interstate 84 between Portland and Hood River. It gives travelers a chance for a quick hike through nature.

Unless they have to use the restroom, most travelers speed by Starvation Creek State Park at Exit 54 on eastbound Interstate 84. The patk is better known for its restroom facilities than it is for its nature hikes. But there’s a short, handicapped accessible trail which starts at the restrooms.

Starvation Creek Has Short Nature Walk
The trail starts at the north end of the restroom building and makes a loop through a heavily wooded area. Starvation Creek runs through the middle, babbling and rushing its way to the Columbia River on the other side of the freeway. In some places the path is a little steep, but easily doable for travelers who take their time. There are picnic tables along the way to enjoy a snack. The forest blots out the sound of the freeway, adding to the serenity of the picture.

It takes about 10 minutes to walk the loop of this roadside nature trail. Travelers with more time can take longer hikes up the Mt. Defiance Trail to see several waterfalls. The park is at the trailhead of the Mt. Defiance Trail. Other hiking opportunities are nearby.

Park Part of Historic Columbia River Highway
Signs at the site denote this is part of the historic Columbia River highway system. A plaque at the site says construction of the highway started here in 1912.

The park’s name, Starvation Creek, dates back to 1884 when a train en route from The Dalles to Portland became snowbound when avalanches blocked it at both ends. According to the Oregon State Archives website, the Pacific Express, carrying 148 people, became stuck in the snow on December 18, 1884, during a particularly bad snow storm. Rescuers reached the train on Christmas Day, but it was not until a week later that the train was able to move. It went back to The Dalles, finally reaching Portland three weeks behind schedule. Passengers reportedly were more in danger of freezing from the winter cold, burning train seats to keep warm, than they were of starving. The archives notes a pig on the train did not survive the trip.

No Westbound Freeway Access to Starvation Creek Park
Starvation Creek State Park is open for day-use only, though the restrooms are open around the clock. The park is accessible only by eastbound travelers. Westbound travelers will need to continue down the freeway a few miles then cross to the eastbound lanes and double back to Exit 54. Another option is for westbund travelers to get off at Viento State Park, then walk the two miles to Starvation Creek.　
　
　

Bodie livens up Richland's The Parkway

Bodie

It's always a delight to be walking along a city street and come across a piece of sculpture in the most unexpected places.

That's how I felt when I "discovered" this bronze statue of a labrador named Bodie in The Parkway, a short pedestrian mall in Richland, Washington.

According to the plaque, Bodie accompanied his owner, Cindy Irvin, to work at The Parkway for many years, becoming a fixture among the shop owners and customers. Bodie also was a certified therapy dog who visited patients at Kadlec Hospital, just a few blocks away.

The "Many Friends of Bodie" erected a plaque at the base of the statue to remind us that dogs are, indeed, man's best friend.

The sculpture of Bodie, resplendent in his kerchief, was made by Tom McClelland, a local artist. The statue was installed in 2010.