Rockslide Update - Call for Photos.

Granite Construction staff have requested a little help.  If any of you happen to have photos of the area of the cliff where the rockslide started from the past could you please send them to me via gmail and I will be glad to forward them on to the project managers.

Here are a couple of photos from Sunday as we were leaving.

Notice that the resort truck, I mean piece of installation art Pancaked in Blue is no longer at the site.  Rumor has it that it sold at a record price for any artist of the Picket Range School of Modern Impactionistic Art.

Portage Service - Important Please Read

Ross Lake Resort Will Provide Portage Service With Limitations!!!!!!!

There is no phone at the new dock and you cannot access the power house.

THE ROCKSLIDE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THERE WILL BE BLASTING ON THE CLIFF FACES ABOVE TO STABILIZE THE ROCK!

Portagers - In June you will be required to send someone up the 1.5 miles of gravel road to phone the resort and request portage service.  (Because of all the variables and potential for delays, as of today you cannot call ahead and schedule a portage pickup).

You will then carry your gear, and canoes or kayaks up approximately 100 yards to the point where the resort truck will pick you up.

Boats and motors will not be picked up because of the weight issues.

In July - still TBD - a driver may be stationed at the lower lake between the hours of 10:30A.M. - 1:00 P.M. and again at 3:30 P.M. until 4:30P.M. to provide portage service.

Ross Lake Resort Opens June 10!!!!!!

Yeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaaa!  Sorry about that outburst!

The resort opens June 10th as scheduled.

Here is the latest for guests of the resort.

Seattle City Light will pick you and your gear up in a high speed 7 passenger boat at the usual location - the dock on Diablo.

Park and unload as usual where you see Ross Lake Resort Parking.

You will unload at the new passenger dock west of the landslide.

The resort truck will pick up all guests and their gear after a short hike - for transport up to Ross Lake.

Our thanks to Tammra Sterling of the National Park Service for providing us with the information and new haul road map.

One more thing to add!

Everyone at Ross Lake Resort cannot express and thank enough the staff of the National Park Service, Seattle City Light and the contractors who all have worked feverishly since March to provide for the safety of visitors,  and for developing an innovative solution to the rock slide conundrum.

We are fortunate to have such a fine partnership.

So this summer when you are sitting in front of the cabins or riding up lake in one of the blue boats and you see staff from the National Park Service or Seattle City Light - give them a wave and thank you.

They appreciate the beauty of the North Cascades and this magnificent lake as much as you do!

Extra, Extra Read All About It

Double click on the Map

New Road From New Dock

As I mentioned in an earlier post the National Park Service and Seattle City Light is doing a tremendous job on punching in a new road/trail that each of you will use when you come to Ross Lake Resort via the Seattle City Light tour boat.

Final details have not been completed but the new dock will be further west of the damaged dock and a new spur road is being built above up road from the tunnel that we all would ride through after loading the truck with guests and luggage.

Note: The tunnel was not covered in the rock slide - but it is very close to the edge of it and with all of the construction work, including blasting down loose or potentially dangerous portions of the cliff above the rockslide, it is not available for passage by the public.

Here are some of the images from today.

photos ©Paul K Anderson

Top of new spur road from a short distance above the tunnel looking down Diablo Lake towards the west.

Some of the equipment used to establish the foundation/base of the new road/trail

Not too far from the new location of the new dock.

The boat dock unload area for guests.

Rock Slide Top to Near Bottom

©Paul K. Anderson

The Old Dock Below Ross Dam

Here is a photo I shot several hours ago of the old dock and ramp that we used to walk up.

National Park Service, Seattle City Light and the contractors are working extremely hard to get everything in place for a successful summer season.

A view of Tom's old truck and the loading ramp at the base of the rock slide.  ©Paul Anderson

Rockslide Update

Hi Everyone,

Greetings from the North Cascades!

Tom and Carol sent some interesting photos of the rockslide for everyone to view.

Seattle City Light and the National Park Service are working at an excellent pace building a spur road.

Check out the size of these boulders. Many are bigger than a truck.  Trees over 100 feet tall snapped like toothpicks.

Up at the resort everything is calm and peaceful.  It has been a quiet winter.  General maintenance is always happening.  Some painting going on. Some tinkering with the boats.

General dinking around.

Books were read, flies tied.

Imagine you dozed off in front of a warm wood burning stove and the toughest decision you had to make was to either get up and walk over to the door to watch snowflakes gently falling on dark green water or stay seated and listen to the crackles, groans and hisses of the fire.

Sometimes that is a typical day.  Life is short.  Take a time out.

Enjoy!

Its been typical April weather. 70 degrees one day, snowing the next. Rain one day followed by 40 inches of snow falling up on the peaks.

Soon, in less the a month, the resort will move to the summer location, Carol will plant the flowers and final preparations for guest arrivals will be made.

Happy Spring Everyone.