Loggers and Ross Lake

© Paul Anderson

© Paul Anderson

As Carol mentioned in the FAQ section of the website, Ross Lake has an interesting history.

Walk around the resort and you will see underneath most of the cabins Red Cedar logs that are hundreds of years old.  These "floats" were harvested by the original timber camp loggers when the dam was constructed and the lake began filling up.

The valley was steep walled and had very tricky terrain, so the only place to keep the crews was on floating camps that could be moved up and down the upper Skagit Valley as it filled with water.

Logging was necessary for the safety of the dam and for any visitors to the lake.

In the photos notice that one old tree is actually serving as a "nursery log" for another tree, something that is common in old growth forests but not so familiar in floating resorts!