First View of the Mudslide~

We decided to drive the Loop.  Starting out in Granite Falls on the Mountain Loop Highway we headed toward Darrington.   Most of the holiday campers had moved out & traffic was light.  Huge thunderheads floating overhead, instant cloud bursts - then the amazingly golden sunshine breaking through.

On the Loop~

We stopped a couple times, looking for a spot or two where we could come back with the camper to spend a night.  Once over the top - we dropped into the back side of Darrington.  Talk about quiet - the town was the quietest that we've seen it in a very long time.  The town hopes to promote tourism, but they need a restaurant that's open, maybe a bar & a shop or two would be nice.  The sign at the edge of town heading down toward OSO warned that there would be a delay 9-miles ahead.

Waiting for the pilot car~

The delay wasn't too long, less than 30-min. before we started moving & made the turn onto the by-pass.  I'd heard that it went up to the power lines & up we went.

Starting up~

To the power lines

We didn't know what we'd see - but soon ~

First view of the slide area~

As we rounded a corner - this was the first view of the slide...  Something about the starkness of the slate gray clouds & rain- fitting for how this view impacted us...

Further on the by-pass

The by-pass is rough - but about any vehicle can now travel through.  Further along I could see the piles of debris up ahead.

The slide area~

Once around that corner - we could see the slide....

A stark scene~

We were past the apex of the climb now & as we moved lower in elevation, the size & scope of the mud field was almost too much to comprehend.  Huge - & that after months of work clearing, moving, cutting & hauling.

Final view~

There's something about seeing all this destruction that saddens your soul...  Thinking of the families who've suffered, the lives lost & yet others changed forever...

It will be healing - someday - to see this area when time has closed the rawness of the wound.  Washington is an amazing state when it comes to growing green over the worst environmental atrocities.  Having survived over 100 years of clear cut logging, rampant development etc. - we can only hope that changes will occur that prevent anything like this happening again...