Be aware of on coming traffic.
Once across the dam you will head right past a small Seattle City Light Tour Dock.
Park at the next dock, (just before a large storage building) unload all your gear, park your vehicle in the designated resort parking and then carry all of your gear down the gangway to the floating dock.
If you drive too far (beyond our loading/unloading dock) you will come into the parking area for one of our great neighbors! The North Cascades Institute's Learning Center.
We'll have a post about them at another time.
Something you must be aware of is the departure time of the Seattle City Light boat. They keep to their schedule. So allow yourself plenty of time to get here and schlep all of your gear down to the floating dock.
If you are late, the only alternative in the afternoon is to drive several miles east on highway 20 to the Ross Dam Trail head at milepost 134 park your car and hike down to Ross Lake. Find the resort telephone (its well marked) call us and we will zip across the lake to get you.
Because no road exists to Ross Lake Resort, and because it is so remote and isolated, simply put, there is no alternative solution. You make it on time to the boat or you hike in carrying the minimum you need for the night.
The next morning you will have to get up early, hike back up to your car, drive back down hiway 20 and across Diablo Dam, carry all your remaining gear to the boat dock and catch the morning boat.
Please - it is much easier to be on time. You want this to be as stress free an experience as possible.
Note: Once your gear is on the dock, and the boat has arrived, what usually happens is: all the people headed up to Ross Lake will pitch in to load and unload the Seattle City Light boat. At the base of Ross Dam everyone carries everything to the resort truck. The resort drivers have the responsibility to ensure that the truck is loaded safely and appropriately for the trip.
It's all a very spontaneous and a wonderful tradition, everyone helping out. If you are unable to lift much don't fret - carry what you can. A number of times I've carried heavy coolers and younger guys have grabbed it and said "hey, I'll get that for you".
It's part of the Ross Lake experience.
photos © Paul Anderson
