Mountain Loop & Darrington~

Up Mountain Loop~

We decided to drive the Mountain Loop to Darrington this morning.  I checked the web site & it showed the loop open.  It was just terrifically beautiful!  The road was Very icy going over all the bridges & anywhere that was in the shade.  At Barlow Pass though - the road closed signs were up :-(  I was really disappointed, we wanted to hike up to see a waterfall friends told us about.  Turn-around, drive back down, beautiful Both directions :-)  Up to Hwy 530 & on to Darrington.

Original trail to the river is just to the left of where Butch is standing~

When we arrived at the Wright property - things had again changed, but not as dramatically as it did during & after the storm.  Quite lot of what was land - is now river.  The rest of the larger trees have fallen in, one big evergreen - leaning last week, I found in the water~

Ever widening view~

 Below is my recorded GPS.  Wouldn't you know that it would decide to glitch today.  My actual start was the same as where I ended -  rather than leaving from the neighbor's to the north.  Otherwise it looks to be accurate.  I put a white pin where the outgoing tract becomes correct.

Photo documenting this dramatic change of an ever-changing landscape has been so interesting.  I walked as close to the edge of the river as possible, without falling in :-)

Looking South - house, left behind the trees~

Grandson Ben spent seven good years of his childhood here - what a lucky kid he was!  Someday, I may put all those photos together for him.  These trips up work out well - it puts Rhodes River Ranch on our return trip home!

Sunset from RRR

 Our timing works out Great too.  Late enough in the afternoon, it's pretty quiet.  Even on, or maybe because - it was a Seahawks Sunday.  We were one of only two tables occupied - that helped with the service & the food is always good!  Sunset - on our way out into the cold early evening, was perfection.

RRR Lights~

Decorating at the ranch is almost completed, such a festive way to end a spectacular late November day~