Chinook Pass

Separate from the pleasure of your company, I don't much care if I never see another mountain in my life.
-- Charles Lamb

Tuesday, September 4, 2001
One year ago: Endgame
Two years ago: The Swimming Hole
Three years ago: Pep, Vim and Verve
Four years ago: Fire for Fire

Jack decided we'd leave his parents' place after lunch. Why so late? I like to get on the road! But so be it. We had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, yum!

For some variety, we decided to take a different pass over the Cascade range. Chinook pass is only open in the summer time. The route is the same through Yakima, then Jack guided me onto the road to Naches (pronounced "Na-*chees*). We stopped for a bio-break (drinks, stretch legs, bathroom), then Jack took over the driving so I could see more scenery.

We gradually went up and up, through National Forest Land, mostly paralleling the Naches river. It was very beautiful country, similar to the landscape we saw when we drove the North Cascades Highway. There was very little traffic, which pleased Jack.

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We stopped at the Alpine lake, Lake Tipsoo, (more of a pond, really) at the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. They've been doing some work up here, improving the parking and repairing meadow damage. We walked along the marked trails around the lake. I could identify some plants (lupins, for example) but others I didn't know. I liked how they discouraged you from walking on the disapproved trails -- they put a cut tree on the narrow trail, blocking it.

From the pass, we drove down, down, down. We never did actually see the mountain, since the sky was overcast. Jack's daughter H---- was interested in the rock faces visible along the road, since she's been doing a lot of climbing this summer. When we left the park, we debated about what route to take with regard to rush-hour traffic and so on. If we went one way, we'd drive through some little old towns, but another route might get us home faster. H---- requested a direct route. "I'm getting tired of long car rides." Understandable, since we'd taken the long way yesterday, driving around the Klickitat Valley. I offered to let her take a turn in the front seat, but she declined.

So we ended up going through Enumclaw and Auburn, then north on the interstate Highway. Home at last!