Day 1 - Vancouver, WA to Whidbey Island

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Woke up this morning, anxious to start my trip, looked out the window and IT WAS RAINING! IN AUGUST! Groan! Had to put the top up on the Miata before I even started the trip.

Hit the road heading for Whidbey Island with the intention of taking back roads all the way (no I-5). About one hour into my trip it stopped raining (yea!) so I immediately pulled over and flipped the top down (I felt much better!). Drove on Forest Service roads through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the east side of Mt. St. Helens and came across a temporary bridge where a MASSIVE washout had occurred, apparently in 2008. The temporary bridge was installed earlier this year and just opened in July. I found this news item in The Columbian's web site:

"The Forest Service was also able to install a temporary one-lane bridge along Forest Road 25 north of its junction with the road to Windy Ridge. When they tried to reopen the major north-south thoroughfare after its normal winter closure, Forest Service workers discovered a massive landslide had taken out a bridge installed only 13 years ago across Benham Creek."

I enjoyed zipping down country roads and driving through lots of little Washington towns that I've heard of but never seen before. Over the course of the day the weather gradually changed from rain to drizzle to mostly cloudy to mostly sunny. Arrived at Whidbey Island late in the afternoon and stopped for the night at the home of Ed and Judy Chittester (friends and former co-workers at Bonneville Power). Judy made a delicious home-cooked dinner (pork roast) and we relaxed and gabbed until bedtime. All in all, it was an excellent start to my trip.

Jack

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Comments

[Wendy]

Mt St Helens
Hi Jack We were on the road to Texas so did not get to check your blog until now. Do you recall we had 1 acre of land in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We used to camp there - I think in the area of your travel. Have a wonderful trip. Love, Sis