Sunday, May 23, 2010
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
National Park Service, Seattle City Light and the contractors are working extremely hard to get everything in place for a successful summer season.
Weekend Update
Hi Everyone,
I have just spent the weekend visiting (and helping out where I could) Tom and Carol as they prepare the resort for the opening in just a few short weeks.
We were hoping to move the buildings from the winter locations into the summer configuration but alas the wind wouldn't cooperate.
Any wind over 4 miles per hour can seriously push the buildings around since the sides of the buildings (especially the Peaks) act just like sails on a sailboat.
Numerous tasks were completed by the staff and the 5 of us who came up to help out.
Over the next week I will write more about winter configuration, tasks performed, the rock slide and introduce you to an excellent group of people I met that were studying the red shiners that are in the lake.
I have just spent the weekend visiting (and helping out where I could) Tom and Carol as they prepare the resort for the opening in just a few short weeks.
We were hoping to move the buildings from the winter locations into the summer configuration but alas the wind wouldn't cooperate.
Any wind over 4 miles per hour can seriously push the buildings around since the sides of the buildings (especially the Peaks) act just like sails on a sailboat.
Numerous tasks were completed by the staff and the 5 of us who came up to help out.
Over the next week I will write more about winter configuration, tasks performed, the rock slide and introduce you to an excellent group of people I met that were studying the red shiners that are in the lake.
New Listing on TomsList
The agent for Tombio Barnettii, has just announced the offer to sell a major piece of art by this recently discovered, exciting artist.
Mr. Barnettii, head of the Pickett Range Collective of Individualistic Abstract Environmental Impactionistic Modern Art, has recently completed and unveiled his latest creation titled Pancaked in Blue.
Tombio Barnettii's mixed media, wall hanging sculpture is a fusion of steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, chrome, rubber, fir, and particularly nice gneiss from the Skagit pluton.
"It is an amalgamation of all I stand for - technology vs tradition, the force of nature battling the hand of man, the now vs the perpetuality and duality of the everlasting," said Mr.Barnettii.
It measures approximately 19 feet long, 8 feet wide, and about 2 feet thick. Weight is estimated at 4000 pounds.
Mr. Barnettii, head of the Pickett Range Collective of Individualistic Abstract Environmental Impactionistic Modern Art, has recently completed and unveiled his latest creation titled Pancaked in Blue.
Tombio Barnettii's mixed media, wall hanging sculpture is a fusion of steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, chrome, rubber, fir, and particularly nice gneiss from the Skagit pluton.
"It is an amalgamation of all I stand for - technology vs tradition, the force of nature battling the hand of man, the now vs the perpetuality and duality of the everlasting," said Mr.Barnettii.
It measures approximately 19 feet long, 8 feet wide, and about 2 feet thick. Weight is estimated at 4000 pounds.
Asking price $197,000.00
Notice From TomsList
Note: You have been selected to view this notice because you have previously expressed interest in an item listed on TomsList.
After lengthy discussion, the owner of the blue pickup truck listed on TomsList has removed the item from the for sale auto category.
After lengthy discussion, the owner of the blue pickup truck listed on TomsList has removed the item from the for sale auto category.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Opening Day in the Lowlands
Hi Everyone from the North Cascades!
Its nice and warm out here in the lowlands of Puget Sound. But just 45 miles east up SR522 our local ski area - Mt. Baker (just a few hours ago) closed for the season. Skiing was excellent. 6" of fresh snow overnight. Any moguls left standing from yesterday were blown apart and smashed down by skiers and snowboarders as the snow transformed from powder to heavy North Cascades cement to wonderful, magical corn snow.
The tulip festival in the lower Skagit River Valley is winding down.
And this was opening weekend in the lowland lakes. Just up the road at Lake Padden, here in Bellingham, hundreds of Dad's and Mom's are out showing their young ones how to catch their first trout. It's not as special as catching a wild Ross Lake trout - but none the less - the kids will never forget spending time with their parents out on the water.
Its nice and warm out here in the lowlands of Puget Sound. But just 45 miles east up SR522 our local ski area - Mt. Baker (just a few hours ago) closed for the season. Skiing was excellent. 6" of fresh snow overnight. Any moguls left standing from yesterday were blown apart and smashed down by skiers and snowboarders as the snow transformed from powder to heavy North Cascades cement to wonderful, magical corn snow.
The tulip festival in the lower Skagit River Valley is winding down.
And this was opening weekend in the lowland lakes. Just up the road at Lake Padden, here in Bellingham, hundreds of Dad's and Mom's are out showing their young ones how to catch their first trout. It's not as special as catching a wild Ross Lake trout - but none the less - the kids will never forget spending time with their parents out on the water.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Nice Clean Pickup Truck for Sale on TomsList
For those of you wanting a little memorabilia from the North Cascades we have a rare opportunity. A new posting has just been added to TomsList for a low mileage pickup truck - runs fine. downhill
Perfect for that teenager with a mullet haircut wanting a first car and you are a little hesitant about loaning out the family Dodge Dart. You are trying to reach 425,000 miles on it after all!
This little baby has only been run short distances - half of which were typically downhill. some involuntary. Not many hard flat freeway miles on this showcase.
Great airflow, no air conditioning required. Let go with your hand and the moon roof opens seamlessly.
You can still kick the tires on this puppy!
Enjoy the evergreen scents of the North Cascades emanating from the plush upholstery. until the needles dryout
Handles rough roads like a mountain goat, nothing sheepish about this midnight blue babe magnet.
You Dads, with this beauty you can spend those magic moments in the garage teaching that teenager how to patch a radiator, change the oil, touchup minor dings and scratches. That boy will look at you with awe and respect when you show up in the driveway and he realizes that this truck is for him and that you are keeping hold of Mom's K car for a few more years.
He'll be so happy he may even offer to massage your feet for the next 6 months.
Inquire on Tomslist. Minimum bid required.
Buyer to accept delivery on site.
sold as is, buyer beware, no returns accepted
Perfect for that teenager with a mullet haircut wanting a first car and you are a little hesitant about loaning out the family Dodge Dart. You are trying to reach 425,000 miles on it after all!
This little baby has only been run short distances - half of which were typically downhill. some involuntary. Not many hard flat freeway miles on this showcase.
Great airflow, no air conditioning required. Let go with your hand and the moon roof opens seamlessly.
You can still kick the tires on this puppy!
Enjoy the evergreen scents of the North Cascades emanating from the plush upholstery. until the needles dryout
Handles rough roads like a mountain goat, nothing sheepish about this midnight blue babe magnet.
You Dads, with this beauty you can spend those magic moments in the garage teaching that teenager how to patch a radiator, change the oil, touchup minor dings and scratches. That boy will look at you with awe and respect when you show up in the driveway and he realizes that this truck is for him and that you are keeping hold of Mom's K car for a few more years.
He'll be so happy he may even offer to massage your feet for the next 6 months.
Inquire on Tomslist. Minimum bid required.
Buyer to accept delivery on site.
sold as is, buyer beware, no returns accepted
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Rock Slide at Ross Dam, Diablo Lake!
Hi Everyone!
Well I just got off the phone with both Carol and Tom about the rather large rockslide that happened a few weeks back and this will result in some minor changes to you and your trip from Diablo Lake to Ross Lake.
Tom and Carol want everyone to know what is going on.
Here is what we know:
1. A large rock slide came down off the rock face near the tunnel that we drive thru just above the boat dock where we load and unload at the base of Ross Dam.
2. No one was injured. A favorite truck of the resort was destroyed. Long time staff member Will Sields was traumatized by the loss of the truck to such an extent that he and his lovely bride decided to continue on their annual month long trip surfing in Hawaii.
3. The dock at the base of Ross Dam was split in half.
4. The tunnel is closed.
5. The National Park Service and Seattle City Light will come up with a fix. They have brought in boatloads of experts to come up with a viable solution. The National Park Service deals with rockslides on a regular basis. They are experts in dealing with rockslides and keeping the public safe.
It looks like the National Park Service will be responsible for building a small trail/ATV road from the new location of the boat dock, up across the benches where guests will be loaded into the Ross Lake Trucks.
6. A short, gradual 100 yard walk will be required of guests. Luggage will be transported to and from the trucks on the ATV trail for you by the resort staff. In the tradition of the North Cascades everyone will help load and unload the boats and trucks as we've done since the resort opened.
7. Guests in the early part of the season will be the most affected as the new process is refined. There will also be construction and some blasting going on when guests aren't around to stabilize the rock faces.
8. Long time guests are looking at this as another interesting approach to one of America's favorite, most interesting resorts.
7. Campers requiring portages of canoes and kayaks will be affected. You will be required to haul your gear and equipment up to the resort trucks.
Well I just got off the phone with both Carol and Tom about the rather large rockslide that happened a few weeks back and this will result in some minor changes to you and your trip from Diablo Lake to Ross Lake.
Tom and Carol want everyone to know what is going on.
Here is what we know:
1. A large rock slide came down off the rock face near the tunnel that we drive thru just above the boat dock where we load and unload at the base of Ross Dam.
3. The dock at the base of Ross Dam was split in half.
4. The tunnel is closed.
5. The National Park Service and Seattle City Light will come up with a fix. They have brought in boatloads of experts to come up with a viable solution. The National Park Service deals with rockslides on a regular basis. They are experts in dealing with rockslides and keeping the public safe.
It looks like the National Park Service will be responsible for building a small trail/ATV road from the new location of the boat dock, up across the benches where guests will be loaded into the Ross Lake Trucks.
6. A short, gradual 100 yard walk will be required of guests. Luggage will be transported to and from the trucks on the ATV trail for you by the resort staff. In the tradition of the North Cascades everyone will help load and unload the boats and trucks as we've done since the resort opened.
7. Guests in the early part of the season will be the most affected as the new process is refined. There will also be construction and some blasting going on when guests aren't around to stabilize the rock faces.
8. Long time guests are looking at this as another interesting approach to one of America's favorite, most interesting resorts.
7. Campers requiring portages of canoes and kayaks will be affected. You will be required to haul your gear and equipment up to the resort trucks.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Trout and Olympic Bronze Medal
Since so many of us love trout - especially the wild Ross Lake Rainbows - I thought that I would pass on this interesting piece of news.
Bryon Wilson - originally from Butte, Montana - just won an Olympic bronze medal in men's moguls competition just across the border on Cypress Mountain in west Vancouver.
Bryon also carves and sells wooden sculptures of trout. Check out his website:
http://www.wilsoncarvings.com/
Beautiful art.
Congrats on the Bronze Medal!
Bryon Wilson - originally from Butte, Montana - just won an Olympic bronze medal in men's moguls competition just across the border on Cypress Mountain in west Vancouver.
Bryon also carves and sells wooden sculptures of trout. Check out his website:
http://www.wilsoncarvings.com/
Beautiful art.
Congrats on the Bronze Medal!
Hi Everyone Welcome Back
Its been 4 months since the last post and spring is in the air here in the Puget Sound lowlands.
After a huge snowfall in November, El Nino has been effecting the weather patterns reducing the snowfall in the high Cascades.
Last spring, after what seemed like months of cool weather, many of the flowering trees and shrubs didn't bloom until late April and early May. This winter is decidedly warmer and trees and plants started budding out and in some cases blooming in late January.
Hundreds of Trumpeter Swans feed in green fields alongside I5 near Conway next to the lower Skagit River and recently hundreds of empty buses passed through the valley heading north to Vancouver and the Winter Olympics to ferry volunteers and spectators to events over the next 12 days.
Two weeks ago the Legendary Banked Slalom snowboarding race was held up at our local ski area - Mt Baker. You may remember dock guy Odin Barnett - Tom's cousin and son of Jerry and Allyson (who worked the front desk for several seasons). Odin took 2nd place in his division. Well done Odin.
Tom used to ski race up at Snoqualmie Pass Ski Area and a friend on his race team Joe Sweetin - well- his son Austin won his division at the Legendary Banked Slalom. Austin is an amateur just out of high school but is sponsored by a board and clothing manufacturer. He recently returned from almost a month back east on a photo and video shoot in Canada and the east. He has been featured in double page ads in various snowboard magazines performing incredible jumps. Oh to be young again.
Who knows maybe we'll see Odin and Austin someday perform in future Olympics.
After a huge snowfall in November, El Nino has been effecting the weather patterns reducing the snowfall in the high Cascades.
Last spring, after what seemed like months of cool weather, many of the flowering trees and shrubs didn't bloom until late April and early May. This winter is decidedly warmer and trees and plants started budding out and in some cases blooming in late January.
Hundreds of Trumpeter Swans feed in green fields alongside I5 near Conway next to the lower Skagit River and recently hundreds of empty buses passed through the valley heading north to Vancouver and the Winter Olympics to ferry volunteers and spectators to events over the next 12 days.
Two weeks ago the Legendary Banked Slalom snowboarding race was held up at our local ski area - Mt Baker. You may remember dock guy Odin Barnett - Tom's cousin and son of Jerry and Allyson (who worked the front desk for several seasons). Odin took 2nd place in his division. Well done Odin.
Tom used to ski race up at Snoqualmie Pass Ski Area and a friend on his race team Joe Sweetin - well- his son Austin won his division at the Legendary Banked Slalom. Austin is an amateur just out of high school but is sponsored by a board and clothing manufacturer. He recently returned from almost a month back east on a photo and video shoot in Canada and the east. He has been featured in double page ads in various snowboard magazines performing incredible jumps. Oh to be young again.
Who knows maybe we'll see Odin and Austin someday perform in future Olympics.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Christine Gedye/Edge of Light
all images © Christine GedyeChristine Gedye visits Ross Lake Resort each September with her husband to celebrate their anniversary.
They enjoy kayaking up the Ruby Arm and capturing the quality of the light in photographs. Over the years they have captured hundreds of images in bright specular light, in sublime mist, moody weather, on the cusp of changing weather, flat high overcast light, and the light at various times of day.
From those images, and from memories of emotions felt while paddling through this landscape, Christine created a seriesof paintings from the Ruby Arm.
Several of these paintings will be part of an exhibit at: The Fountainhead Gallery 625 W. McGraw Street in Seattle. 206.285.4467.
The exhibit is titled: Christine Gedye / Edge of Light. October 8th to November 2nd, 2009
I strongly encourage you to attend the preview this Thursday night, October 8th 5-7 PM or the opening reception Saturday October 10th 5-7PM. Christine extends her personal invitation.
As you can see from these paintings, Christine is passionate about her art, and like each of you who regularly read this blog, she is also passionate about Ross Lake and the North Cascades.
Congratulations on the exhibit Christine. Your paintings are beautiful and capture the emotions so many of us feel here at Ross Lake and at the edge of light.
You may preview her other images at:
www.christinegedye.com
The Fountainhead Gallery is at: www.fountainheadgallery.com
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ken Burn's Film on the National Parks
Please don't forget to watch every night this week.
The film is excellent.
Way to go Ken, your artists and historians!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Ruby Creek Art
Photos © Paul Anderson
Andy Goldsworthy has inspired many people to create art outdoors that has little or no impact on the environment but helps satiate the creative drive we all have.
Good friend Jerry Wilbour (as a younger man Jerry spent months living and camping in this part of the North Cascades building and maintaining trails) and I, his son Curran, and my son Dyan headed out to do some exploring, to build a cairn.
At the head of the Ruby Arm, just upstream from where the creek enters the lake, backpackers, day hikers, kayakers and boaters have created a small gallery of cairns that have but a brief existence. Wind, fall and winter rains, snow, spring floods and gravity will soon remove all trace of these masterpieces.
We spent a couple of hours on this morning relaxing and spending time with the boys. Just guys out building stuff and dinking around.
The Back Door
© Paul Anderson
If you hike over to the dam you'll get on the trail here. Hike a few hundred yards west towards the dam and then follow the switch back east to gain elevation. If you continue to follow the shoreline you will end up in a series a gullies. That is not the way.
Don't worry as you hike east because you need to get above those gullies, you will shortly access the main trail and can then head west towards the dam or east to Green Point and the Sourdough Trail.
Ask for directions from the staff if you have any questions.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Who are they? Why are they smiling?
Why are they smiling you ask?
Well after several years of rapid shiner growth (the minnows you see in the lake) the wild rainbow trout are getting large enough to enjoy the shiners for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This results is some veeeeeeeery big and fat rainbows.
So big in some cases that they are starting to grow beyond the 2 foot measuring tape at the fish cleaning table.
Who is the guy with the ruler? Tom Barnett of course! Owner and fisherman muy excellente! And he is happy that so many friends and guests are being rewarded with nice fat fish.
Tom's young cousin Bode was up this past weekend and provided dinner for us. Oh man, fresh grilled wild Ross Lake Rainbow Trout! The taste was great.
Oh, and here is some more trout for you fishers!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Service to America
Joe Kemphaus has a lot to be proud of.
Proud that he was able to retire from a company after a long career and before it closed its doors in his hometown.
Proud of his skills as a sports fisherman and of his aluminum sport fishing boat..
Proud because he is an honorable man who has tried to live by the rules.
Proud of his country, and his family.
I recently met Joe when a mutual friend introduced us. Joe was fishing these waters for wild trout with Scott McLeod.
Scott had just returned from a long journey.
Joe has fished the waters of Ross Lake for a number of years, Scott has not.
So after Scott reconnected with his wife and two kids ages 3 and 6 over the last 30 days, Joe brought Scott up here.
It was a good time for Scott to help Joe get out fishing, and for Scott to reconnect with his grandpa. It was a time for Scott to step back and pause after the emotional intensity of his homecoming with his wife and children.
Scott had just completed his third tour of duty in Iraq.
Grandpa Joe is a smart man.
It was interesting getting Scott’s perspective while gazing out at Ruby, Snowfield and Colonial Peaks. He was a foot soldier with the US Marines his first two tours and as a linguistic specialist and Arabic interpreter most recently with the National Guard.
He participated in the invasion, the long months spent finding and disassembling I.E.D’s and most recently the S.A.F.E. negotiations and withdrawals from the major cities. Scott likes the Iraqi people and he feels that most Iraqi’s like the American people.
Much of his time after the invasion was spent trying to provide basic services for the Iraqi people - water, power, education. He has helped provide water to truck farmers who previously eked out an existence from their dry, parched plots of land. He has helped farmers till the soil.
Iraqi men who worked, who could provide for families are less tempted to accept outside money to lay down I.E.D.’s. They were able to keep their families from starving.
Scott has seen women’s rights flourish since the end of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
We talked about what was working and what wasn’t from his perspective.
Sitting here in the middle of the North Cascades and talking with Scott, it didn’t feel like a 30 second sound bite from Fox or MSNBC. It didn’t feel like the glowing reports from John McCain and Lindsey Graham nor the doom and gloom from their counterparts.
It felt like the report and perspective, with intelligent insight, of a young soldier who is trying to serve his country with dignity, with honor.
So what did I learn from this discussion here in the middle of the North Cascades?
Maybe we need, as a country, to lead and vocalize more from the middle rather then the edges.
Maybe we need to tone down the rhetoric and think more about the common good of the American people rather than being obstructionists in the political arena.
Maybe we need to think about the needs and requirements, jobs, education and health of middle class families like Scott’s and his Grandpa Joe rather than redistributing the wealth of average Americans and concentrating it up to the banks, Wall Street, multi-nationals and large corporations.
Scott will graduate soon with a degree in middle eastern studies. He is already fluent in Arabic.
After he has his degree he will apply for officer candidate school and a career in the US Marines.
Joe Kemphaus has a lot to be proud of.
And so do we.
Scott, thank you for your service to America - to us.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Autumn Quietly Arrives at Ross Lake Resort
© Paul Anderson
It has been a wonderful summer up at the resort. Some of the best weather in years. The fish have been biting and guests have caught large Ross Lake wild rainbow trout. So large that some don't fit in the 24 inch measuring tray at the fish cleaning table.
Now fall is arriving. Colors are starting to turn. Sunrise is later, sunset earlier.
Snow dusted Colonial and the surrounding peaks last night but the warm sunny weather returned today.
If you happen to be out on a hike and are returning a little later than you normally would, or hiking in later from hiway 20 and across the dam, you will be greeted by the warm lights of the resort. Our office hours are 8 AM until 8 PM.
Enjoy the season.
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