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Ross Lake National Recreation Area North Cascades

Ross Lake National Recreational Area

Within the North Cascades National Park, Washington USA

George Power Plant
George Power Plant



 

Here's a dam park.  Literally a dam park.  Really.  Nothing but dams to create power for Seattle.

 




Cascades National Park Snowy Road Winter's a great time to visit.  Not much traffic.

 

 


Skagit Valley To explore this place, we need a plan.  How about you take the high road and I'll take the low road.






To be accurate, it's not really a park but technically a "recreational area".  The Cascade National Park which it resides within, has no dams. We guess park areas that are fouled or significantly altered are thusly called recreational areas:-).





 

Hillside Antenia View

Not that it's a bad place, as it's really not.  The big park "fouler" is Seattle City Light, the power utility that manages the hydro-electric dams.  They are a gracious host though and seem to go out of their way for the public good.  Worst things could happen.  Let's check out what they're doing.

 

Here's something they've done.  If we are quiet we can sneak up on it.

 

 



Dam Path with Snow Hills Made it.  Hot diggity dog.  We're on a dam damn it!

 

 

 


Water control with boats Hmmm.  This place is humming. And what's with the boats?

 

 

 


Boat Shed on Upper Skagit River Nice view.  Swift current, cold water, suspension bridge, heavy hat.  Heavy Hat...?

 




 

 

crane over water by dam Oh man, get that thing down from there.

 


 


Seatle Light and Power Truck

Fascinating, the only way to reach the Ross dam is by water.  Way cool just like the old days.  How's that for a commute.  Glad they didn't build a road to it.  Makes ordering pizza that much more difficult though. "Not the Ross damn guys again".










North Cascades Environmental Learning Area

This is the view from the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center at Diablo lake.  Beautiful area where you really feel you are out in the sticks.


Overall a nice job integrating these damn dams into a seemingly rugged park.  Oh, technically it probably was the other way around for sure.

 

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