Black Diamond NOW

Chinook Salmon now Spawning in the Green River

On Tuesday, I headed out to Kanaskat-Palmer State Park hoping to see some fall colors along the shores of the Green River.  What did I find - Chinook salmon spawning close to shore and some fall colors too.  What a treat this was!  These are the big guys that we seldom see spawning around these parts.

I'm not sure which of these are the female and which the male, but they sure make a pair working their way up and down the spawning grounds and within about 20 feet from where I stood.  More often than not, there were three or four fish swimming side by side participating in this annual ritual.  You can see the eye of the one salmon to the far right - one of four in this cluster making plenty of splashes on the surface.

Here's another pair.  Note how big the humpbacks are.  The water is crystal clear.

Spawning is apparently a bit early this year, thanks to fall rains.  I also saw some smaller Pinks spawning, but the Chinook steal the show.  You can see the eye of another salmon above.  Is it the male with the bigger humpback or the female?  Judging from the positioning of the two fish, I would have to guess the bigger fish is the male, trailing somewhat the movement of the female.

I did find some fall color and the carcass remains from spawning fish that had arrived earlier.

On the one hand, it makes me sad.

On the other hand, we should be very happy.  It's the time of year when trees shed their leaves and salmon spawn, depositing their fertilized eggs for the spring return to sea and leaving their remains for the eagles and other wildlife that rely on them for sustenance to make it through the winter.  And to see them survive and now return in increasing numbers, it's a special treat.

This coming weekend should be a great time for visiting Kanaskat-Palmer State Park and wandering the shoreline, both to see the colors of leaves falling and to see the Chinook salmon in the act of spawning.  The best place I found was along the shoreline to the far north end of the park.  After entering the park, head down the road toward the river.  When the road T's, turn right and follow to the end.  Follow the trail from there to the river.  What a treat!

Bubbling Geyser State Park

With good weather forecast and a couple of weeks yet to go before schools reopen, this is a great time to go exploring with children and grandchildren at Flaming Bubbling Geyser State Park.  Here's your opportunity to combine lessons in geology, chemistry, natural science and P.E. and have a picnic too.  I'm referring, of course, to Flaming Geyser State Park located along the Green River Gorge.  At one time the geyser literally "flamed" several feet in the air, but alas, no more.  The methane seep caused by coal miners doing some exploratory drilling in the early 1900's has run out of gas in recent years. But even more impressive, at least to me, is the methane seep located up stream 100 yards or so from the one that flamed out.  Look at what grows just below this geyser that continues to bubble out gas.  First, a close up.

It looks like long stringy hair covered with crusty bleach.  That's calcium carbonate and it covers a significant area just below where methane bubbles out of the ground into the stream.

Fascinating material and not toxic to the water.  Unlike the geysers at Yellowstone National Park, the methane that seeps out here is not heated and there is little biological growth that accompanies the gas.  As a result, we don't see all the colors we find in geyser discharge at Yellowstone.  Still - fascinating to observe and definitely, something that will light up the eyes of children and oldsters too.  Sad to say, in all the years we've lived here and our many visits to Flaming Geyser State Park, we had never hiked up to the "bubbler" until earlier this week.  Well worth the short walk.  It will definitely test your abilities to explain to your kids and grandkids how and why this happens.

And while you're there, make it a point to visit the largely unknown north side of the park.  As you exit the park going back across the river, turn right heading northeast  and up the hill on Green Valley Road.  Turn right at 354th and follow the gravel road down to a parking lot at the foot of the hill.  This land was once farmed but was acquired by State Parks when farming ended.  Now there is park land on both sides of the river.  This neat old barn stands out as a north park landmark.

Plenty of trails to explore and river access too.

A large area of wetlands makes for good birding, particularly in the spring.

Enjoy this most wonderful of State Parks.

 

Time for a Visit to Hanging Gardens

If you want to see why the Green River is called the Green River, now is the time to hike on down to Hanging Gardens in the Green River Gorge.  With the large snowpack in the Cascades yet to begin melting and with water levels in Chester Morse Lake behind the Howard Hanson Dam kept low in anticipation of potential floods in the months ahead as snows melt, river flows right now are particularly low, clear and of course Green.  In this weather, how can you not hike to Hanging Gardens given the opportunity?  It's such a beauty.  And a special shout out to the "Friends of the Trail" who have cleared the trail of trees and branches that would otherwise have made hiking difficult like so many other trails around the area.

Such an iconic symbol of the gorge and it's sandstone rock walls.  Just under 2 miles round trip and maybe 250 feet of elevation on the hike back out, it's perfect for most hikers and walkers.  To get there, take Lawson Street east from SR169 in Black Diamond, cross the single lane Green River gorge bridge and continue along bearing right.  You will see a sign on your right for Shangri-La on the Green, then a couple of white No Trespassing Signs and then a rust/red colored "do not block the gate" sign.  This is the trailhead.  There is a small pull out area for perhaps 3 or 4 cars.  One heads up - road crews are currently doing some paving on both sides of the bridge, so you could face some short delays.

Whitewater Kayaking and Rafting Down the Green River Gorge - Update

Last week I noted how high water flows were in the Green River Gorge.  3,200 cfs is prime for whitewater kayaking and rafting (see complete article below). Apparently such a large release of water from the dam was done in coordination between the corps of engineers and recreational kayaking groups and only for a short period.  As of Feb. 1, water flows are now back down to only 1,000 cfs which is normal for this time of year. 

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With water now flowing at 3,200 CFS, it's prime time for advanced kayakers and river rafters to enjoy the thrill of shooting the rapids down the Green River Gorge.  What an incomparable experience this is.  

I spent yesterday hiking several trails in the gorge and ran into some kayakers at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park preparing to head down the river.  I also was surprised to see the high water flows being released by the dam.  

The word must have gotten out because at these flow rates, this is prime time for those capable of navigating level III and level IV rapids.  High flows limited my access to the river and photograph opportunities but it sure is a thrill just to see it.  The 5 miles from Kanaskat to the takeout at the Franklin bridge have some pretty amazing rapids.  So, I headed down to the Franklin bridge hoping to see the kayakers as they made their way down.  Sure enough, in not too long, along they came.  The photo you see above was taken from one of the take out points - after the major rapids.  By this time, it was pretty easy play time for these kayakers.

The take out point is immediately below and to your right.  A lot of water flowing.  Several years ago, Judy and I were fortunate to raft down through the gorge, guided by experts, and what a memorable experience it was.  It was not just the thrill of the rapids, but the unique beauty of the gorge seldom seem by many.  Since that day, my appreciation for the gorge and the need to protect such a unique asset for future generations has grown enormously and if I want to get away for a hike close to home, this is my get-a-way.

Such unique geology.  Somehow, I don't think I need the sign to tell me not to dive, even at high water.

 

Hiking To The Old Johnson Coal & Clay Mine

Picture of Gomer Evans taken on Wednesday during our hike to the old Johnson Mine

On a beautiful fall day, Keith Watson, Keith's brother, Gomer Evans, Bill Kombol and I had the opportunity to hike to the location of the old Johnson Clay Mine.  Gomer worked here during the 1950's, so we were anxious to see if we could find any remnants of the mine now located on Washington State Parks property.  It's on the south side of the Green River just east of Flaming Geyser State Park.  Thanks to Gomer's memory and the sleuthing/bushwacking skills of our team, I think that we did great and now have a pretty good understanding of how this facility all laid out - at least at the big picture level.

The old haul road that once connected the mine to SR 169 is still there.  In the picture that follows we see where the haul road decended into the area of the mine up on the ridge, about 600 feet above the river, that contained the burn pile areas, hoist, bunkers for loading mined coal and clay, the wash house etc. as sketched by Gomer in the link provided above.  We are hoping that Gomer might put together a more detailed sketch focused just on this area.

Bill Kombol gets the "discoverer" award for finding what clearly appears to be the area where coal/clay cars where hoisted up from the mine on rail to the ridge top.

The picture that follows shows just how steep this incline was for pulling cars up from the mine, which was located pretty close to water level in the river.

If you look near the top center, you will be able to see the river below - way down there.  Among Bill's discoveries was also what could have been a vent or just caved in area - big hole that went well into the hillside.  Notice the clear coal seam.

And for the last picture let me show some of the remnants pulled from the site including nuggets of clay left over from the burn piles, coal remnants and what we might best call a "klinker" that had been heated through the burn process but that contained other minerals like silica that would cause it to fuse and look "glazed" in appearance.

It appears that the best way to get there without having to cross private property is from Flaming Geyser - but I'll save that trail for another day.

Black Diamond Trails

Looking to find a shaded place for easy hiking close to home?  Try the old railroad bed which once carried passengers and coal to and from Black Diamond - now part of the Green to Cedar River trail plan.  Long term, this trail will take us all the way from Lake Washington to the Green River near Flaming Geyser State Park.  The following map shows the trail.  Most of it is hike-able and mountain bike-able and suitable for horses today, but some overpasses are needed such as at 288th and across the railroad tracks north of 288th.  In addition, most of the trail will eventually be paved to facilitate use by street bikes, trikes etc.   

The south section of the trail between 288th and Lake Sawyer park has some of the best "walking" trail you'll find.  The area is also haven to some great mountain biking so keep your eyes open for these hardy souls.  Following are several recent photos of the trail from this past weekend.

It was nice to see bikers with their dogs on a leash.  Some, like the woman above, attached the leash to her wrist.  Others attach it to the bike.

This guy sure looks like he is having fun.

Great place to teaching youngsters how to ride.

Also a great place for youngsters to carry their first backpack.  Have to carry water.  

Best parking is in the recently completed parking area on the west side (on your right heading south) along SR169 just south of 288th.  Gotta love the plant "cave" created by all the trees and bushes growing along and over the trail.

The 1,140 Acre Green River Natural Area

Living in Black Diamond, we have so many wonderful parklands, conservation areas, natural areas, acres of open space and miles of trails to explore.  Enough to keep us biking, hiking and exploring somewhere new and different virtually every week.  The 1,140 acre Green River Natural Area is perhaps the least known of them all.  Many of these lands were once farmed but flooded frequently.  To enhance salmon habitat and limit problems with flooding, King County has been able to acquire and turn back to nature much of the riparian habitat along Green Valley Road and in the process provide miles more of trail for us all to go exploring - with fishing holes aplenty.

As you can see from the above map, there are three main public access locations - O'Grady, Metzler and the recently opened Doreen Johnson Conservation Area.  While taking a Drive Down Green Valley Road, I stopped by both Metzler and Doreen Johnson to stretch my legs and take some pictures.  It doesn't get much greener than it is now.  Starting at Metzler:

If you are looking to get to the riverbank, follow the trails always keeping to the left fork.  You will need to cross a small stream along the way.  This trail has a bridge.

Plenty of wildlife.  While standing on the other side of this bridge, I was able to see an owl rob a nest and fly by with a youngster in its talons and a bird following squawking like crazy.  The ways of mother nature.  No time to photograph.  I was surprised see the owl, likely a great horned owl, but it was early in the morning.   

When you reach the river, it's wide.  A popular spot for fishermen.

Above is the view looking upriver.  The downriver view follows.  Lots of peace and quiet here.

The Metzler access is well signed and has plenty of parking area with a portable toilet.  Access to the Doreen Johnson area is limited to a small pullout at the access gate just off of Green Valley Road.  This area appears to have been farmed more recently than the others.

Several old roads and paths to follow.  With little time to spend, I found my way to the river.  Another great spot for fishermen.

Plenty of peace and quite and natural beauty.  Will be heading back soon.

 

Time for a Hike to Hanging Gardens

As the amount of rain has eased, so too have flows in the Green River.  Add in a few scattered days with sunshine and you've got all the incentive you need for hiking in the gorge.  It's been a while since I visited Hanging Gardens so time to get back down there.

Shadows create interesting reflections on crystal clear water.  As you see, water levels are low enough now to permit limited walking along the shoreline.  Sharing the beach with me were Mr. & Mrs. Merganser.

It would seem that Mrs. M hasn't laid her eggs yet.  In addition to taking time for lunch, perhaps they were scouting out nesting sites.

It's too early yet to see many new plants sprouting up along the rock face but hopefully soon.   A whole lot of birds chirping and dippers flying about.

The view above looks east and up river with grass beginning to grow in the shallows.

Photographing Hanging Gardens is a challenge.  Not only is the lighting unpredictable given the many shadows and little direct sun but the sandstone rock face is so big and right in front of you, it's hard to fit it all in - particularly with trees growing on the top.  I used a 24mm wide angle lens stitching together 5 photos and still couldn't fit it in very well.  

Will remember to take my 14mm lens next.  It sure was fun seeing the Mergansers too.  Speaks well of river water quality.

To get to the trailhead, take Lawson Street up the hill northeast out of Black Diamond, across the single lane bridge crossing the gorge and continue along up the hill as the road bears right and west.  Pass the gate to Shangri-La on your right, then the gate to Black Diamond's spring water supply.  The next gate on your right is the trailhead where you will see a 3 or 4 car pullout area.  Easy trail and only about 1 mile round trip.

Local Area Open Space - 1,000's of Acres to Explore

Designating Lake Sawyer as our "Center of the Universe" for the moment, draw a circle with a 15 to 20 mile radius from the center of the lake.  Or use Old Town Black Diamond with the Historical Museum at center and you will obtain the same results.  Within this circle there are nearly 10,000 acres of designated park and open space lands for us all to explore and enjoy.  Most of this land is owned by Washington State Parks, but in recent years King County has acquired large parcels particularly important to us here in Black Diamond.  Other owners include area cities and the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.  Here's a map with designated open space areas identified.

Dark blue lines represent regional trails.  Green areas shown are owned by King County, bluish green areas owned by the State and the smaller greenish brown areas owned by cities.  Light blue lines represent rivers and streams.  Following is this same view taken from aerial photos maintained by King County using their wonderful tool King County iMap.

King county has aerial images dating back to 1936 with the most current being 2015.  It's very easy to zoom in with high levels of detail and get a historical perspective on development in our area over time.  But first, we have so much open space lands to explore..  I encourage each of us to find open space areas on this map that you have not yet visited and would like to see.  To find ways to access, open iMap by following the link shown above and zoom in and move around until you find the areas you are interested in.  Pretty amazing.  Easy to use after just a little time to play with it.  You can even find out your neighbors' property tax assessed values and property history if you would like.  More about historical mapping and what we can learn in future posts.

Local Wanders - Try Jellum

We have so many wonderful, yet little known, places to explore in and around our community.  Miles and miles of trails winding through beautiful forests, rivers and streams.  Calling them hikes, however, might be a stretch.  Local "wanders" might be a more apt description - no clear beginning and end except where you choose to go (staying on public land and respecting private property).  My earlier post Exploring Local Trails Less Traveled focused on the north side of Flaming Geyser State Park and offers a great example of a beautiful and undeveloped public place to go wander.

This Saturday we chose one of my favorite wanders - Jellum along the Green River Gorge.  Once site of a homestead, this land was acquired by State Parks and has been left undeveloped for over 20 years.  You will find no signs or other directions telling you how to get there.  A fence that borders private land at the point of access makes it very clear that trespassers will be violated prosecuted.  However, the gate in front of the logging road has no such sign and warns only not to block the gate.  At the time of property acquisition, State Parks acquired an easement for use of the road that leads to the Jellum property.  This is where you park and begin your wander (after climbing over or under the gate).

This is what 2nd or perhaps 3rd growth timberlands now look like, even on a cloudy day.  Ferns, moss and salal - you won't find scenes like this outside the northwest.

Making your way along a shaded logging road is a pleasure here.

After about a mile, the road narrows to a trail.  This is likely where State Parks land begins and you begin a gradual descent to the Jellum home site and then down to the river.

Not much left of the home site except this concrete structure.

The river is very high right now with no shoreline to walk along.  If you go in the summer, you'll find one of the best "swimming holes" on the river.

This is what I call a forest beauty!

I can't think of a better way to spend a couple of hours on cloudy winter day.  We went about 3 miles this wander.

To find the access gate, follow Lawson Street in Black Diamond north to the single lane Green River Gorge bridge.  Cross the bridge and take a sharp left uphill on the road to Cumberland.  You'll find the access gate on your left in about 1/4 to 1/2 mile.  Happy wandering.

 

Exploring Local Trails Less Traveled

Time for a hike but it's cold and foggy outside.  At least there's no rain in the forecast and maybe some sun later in the day.  Where can I go?  Someplace that's close to home but "different".  This is not an uncommon dilemma for many.  For a change of pace, try exploring the north side of Flaming Geyser State Park directly across the river from main park facilities.  No signs telling people that it's even here keep this place quite a secret.  Don't tell.

OK, you've got a secret place to explore but it's fogged in.  What to do?  Get some exercise exploring the trails and bring your camera.  You never know when the fog might lift.

This property used to be a farm providing quite a large open space area now.

The fog began lifting first on the north side of the river, similar to what I've seen before.

There are no developed trails.  Just follow the paths left by others and you will soon find yourself along the river.  Quite beautiful from this side.  Following is a view looking upstream. 

Directly across the river.

Definitely too much water flow for people activities.  Dangerous and very little beach area.  Later in the summer, however, there are some great launch points for tubers wanting to float down river.

I guess we know why it's called the Green River.  On the north side of the property you will find some pond/marsh areas which are home to quite a few ducks during mating and parenting season later this spring.  No barn owls in the barn that I could see on this day.

Undeveloped and a great place to wander and explore.  To get there, take Green Valley Road from SR169 toward the main park area.  However, before you start to wind your way down hill, turn left onto 354th St. and follow this narrow dirt road until it dead ends.  A small parking lot holds about 5 or 6 cars and you can see the barn from here.  If there were a bouquet symbolic of this area, this would be it.  Pretty even in the fog.

Hiking to Icy Creek

This is a great time of year for hiking into the Green River Gorge.  Still some color left on trees and close to home for timing your hike between rain squalls.  I decided to make a list of all the hikes into the gorge that I know and can get to without trespassing on private property.  Here's a partial list:

• O'Grady Natural Area
• Kummer Bridge South
• Kummer Bridge North
• Flaming Geyser State Park South
• Flaming Geyser State Park North
• Icy Creek
• Cathedral
• Hanging Gardens
• Jellum
• Kanaskat Palmer State Park (multiple access points)
• Franklin (3+ access points from this hike)
• Gorge Bridge area via Green River Gorge Resort (multiple access points and $5 fee)
• Gorge Cemetery

Others are accessible with owner permission.  Quite a variety and such a unique treasure right in our back yard - places you can go back to time and again.

I always enjoy the hike to Icy Creek.  From this trail you can explore the old fish hatchery dam located upstream near where groundwater springs gush out of the ground creating Icy Creek.  

To get to this dam, take the side trail on your left just before you head down the steep incline to the river.  You will see a metal post on your left that appears to have once been part of a gate.  The side trail begins just before the post.  After exploring the dam and groundwater seeps, you can hike back up and then down grade following the main trail, which also serves as the service access road to the Icy Creek dam and salmon rearing ponds at the bottom.  Before you reach the bottom, though, you will find a bench and side trail off to your right.  Follow this trail and it will take you down to the river or you can work your way along a barely visible trail that will take you to the Cathedral - one of the best views in the gorge of shear sandstone cliffs.  It takes local knowledge and a quest for exploration to get to the Cathedral these days.  A slide washed away part of the trail and given lack of use, the once rough trail is now a very rough trail.  Will post some pics of the Cathedral later.  Some wonderful fir and cedar along the way.

Vintage northwest.  The river is flowing strong and the smell of rotting fish carcasses is ripe in the air while chum salmon are now spawning.

Kingfishers too.

Back out to the main trail and on down to the holding ponds and diversion dam.  I always love this view up the creek.  Something prime evil about it.

Overall, even with side trail diversions, the hike is short at less than 3 miles round trip.  Be prepared though for a pretty steep climb out of the gorge up to the flat.  It'll get your heart pumping.  To find the trail, take the Enumclaw - Franklin road off SR 169 toward the gorge.  Look for a rust colored gate on your left that says "Do Not Block Gate" with no private property signs.  This is the DFW access road to Icy Creek.  Park away from the entrance and follow the gravel road.  You will run into a paved road and circle for an undeveloped area of residential lots.  Just continue following the gravel road on the other side and it will take you down to the river.  

 

 

Green River Gorge Bridge Circa 1911

Before the Kummer Bridge along what is now SR 169 opened in 1933, the best route from Black Diamond to Enumclaw was via the Green River Gorge Bridge at Franklin.  Why here?  Franklin coal mines made the town quite the going concern in the early 1900's and the bridge span across the Green River at this point was the narrowest potential point of crossing for quite a few miles.  The first structure built, however, was not what one would call an engineering marvel.

Photo courtesy Black Diamond Historical Society

The one lane largely wooden structure was placed deep into the gorge and required steep grades both down and up to make it across.  Our current one lane bridge was placed directly above the path of old one.  The following photo taken from one of my earlier blog posts Green River Gorge Bridge shows the new bridge under construction high above the old one.

Photo courtesy Museum of History & Industry

Construction of the new bridge was completed in 1923.

Dam It

Recent publicity about full reservoirs and overflowing dams piqued my interest in how the dams in our state are holding up   How many dams do we have and where are they?  What safety risks do they pose.  As it turns out, the answer to these and many other dam questions in the state are now are now available thanks to an updated report prepared last fall by the state Department of Ecology.  Would you believe that our state as 1,189 dams with the biggest share located right here in King County?

Under state law, DOE is responsible for regulating dams that capture and store at  least 10 acre feet (about 3.2 million gallons) of water or watery materials such as mine tailings, sewage and manure waste.  Most are privately owned and not used for hydroelectric power generation.

I guess it should be no surprise that recreation and irrigation top the list of dam uses.  The number of dams being used for environment protection such as water quality maintenance, flood control, stormwater management and fish and wildlife is for me a surprise totaling nearly 30% of all dams.

As we can see in Figure 6, the vast majority of dams do not pose a high risk to our state population, but we do have a few monsters with the Howard Hanson Dam and reservoir on the upper Green River being closest to us here in Black Diamond.  Though the reservoir has a surface area of over 20,000 acres, the dam height is just 235 feet, nothing like the scenes we see of the overflowing Oroville dam in CA.  Reservoir storage capacity at the Howard Hanson dam is 136,700 ace feet of water.  For comparison, the Hiram Chittenden Locks, Dam and Lake Washington Ship Canal is much larger with a capacity of over 458,000 acre feet right in the middle of a dense population center. 

Do we have dams in Black Diamond?  Yes and I'm not counting the City Council.  We have two regulated dams in the city and one nearby in Ravensdale.

Name of Dam                                                                            Owner                                       Crest Length            Surface Area            Dam  Height        Max. Storage

Black Diamond Aerated Lagoon (Rock Creek)                    City of Black Diamond                           400 ft                      12.0 acres                    14 ft                    15 acre ft.

Lake Sawyer Outlet Weir                                                            Private                                              94 ft                     697.0 acres                    10 ft               1,116 acre ft.

Ravensdale Pit                                                                      King County DNR                              2,950 ft                      17.0 acres                    18 ft                  165 acre ft.

Looking at a google map of the Ravensdale area, I was unable to locate the Ravensdale Pit dam.  Is it related to an old mining pit along Rock Creek or perhaps the Reserve Silica mine?

Two years ago, we were able to have the Lake Sawyer Outlet Weir inspected for structural integrity and the weir got a clean bill of health.  For more info about the weir, ownership and maintenance, follow this link to one of my earlier posts Lake Sawyer Weir - Structural Analysis.

 

It's Salmon Spawning Time in Ravensdale Creek

Native Coho salmon runs  are rare in the northwest but we have a winter run each year right at home.  Each December/January, Coho make their way up the Green River, into Soos Creek, Covington Creek and on to Lake Sawyer before spawning just upstream in Ravensdale Creek.  It is now ritual for our family each Christmas eve to hike the trails along Ravensdale Creek hoping to catch sight of them in action spawning.  Two years we were rewarded with our best sightings yet.  What beautiful fish!

These photos were taken along the trail beginning at 288th heading south back toward Lake Sawyer on the west side of Ravensdale Creek. 

When the creek is not flowing too heavily, like right now, there is a gravel bar perfect for use as a spawning bed.   It's located along the trail staring at 288th and before you reach the slatted bridge.

We even were able to see a male fertilizing the eggs just laid by a female.  Several males were jostling for position to do the honor.  The white cloud you see in the photo that follows shows the results.

 Conditions are looking good right now for excellent water conditions.  Hope to see you on the trail.

 

 

 

KaBOOM in the Gorge - Revisited

Earlier in the week, I did a post about the closure of Mine 10 in the Green River Gorge.  Bill Kombol has been kind enough to share more background information about the closure, including a photo of the blast.  Quoting from Bill:

On March 27, 1971, the last coal mine on the Green River Gorge was blasted shut with powerful explosives supplied by a division of Rocket Research based in Redmond.  Coal miners, company officials, explosive experts, and the press gathered on the banks of the Green River as 900 pounds of the experimental dynamite, called Astrolite K, was placed inside the mine portal and on the mine bridge across the river.  Coal was first extracted near the Green River in 1885 at the town of Franklin.  Mining boomed until the early 1920s, and continued sporadically through the 1960s.  The Franklin No. 10 mine was opened by Palmer Coking Coal Company in 1964 and produced over 66,000 tons of coal during its seven years of operation.  In order to access the coal seam on the east side of the river, a timber-spanning bridge was built to the Franklin side.  Al Ballestrasse of Enumclaw hauled in four 110-foot timbers which were put in place with a skyline.  Bill Sharp, a mine carpenter from Issaquah built the bridge to the mine.  However, tightening safety standards and a desire by Washington State Parks to preserve scenic areas along the Gorge hastened its closure.  The demise of the Franklin No. 10 marked the end of underground coal mining in the Green River area, though surface mining continued.  This photo by Vic Condiotty shows the explosion seconds after the detonation which shuttered the mine and destroyed the bridge.  The event was even filmed by an NBC television crew for national broadcast on their “First Tuesday” news show.  Two years later, State Parks made the first of a series of land purchases from Palmer Coking Coal to acquire the Hanging Gardens and Franklin Townsite Heritage and Recreation Areas.

Photo courtesy of Bill Kombol and Palmer Coking Coal

Thanks again Bill for sharing.

KaBOOM in the Gorge

1971 marked the closing of the last coal mine located along the Green River Gorge.  Closing a mine meant explosives - in this case, a new type of explosive as described in the article by Black Diamond History.  Prior to detonation, following is a picture showing what the mine entrance and bridge crossing looked like.

Not much of a bridge structure but it apparently worked just fine. 

Fortunately, all went well with both mine closure and State Parks acquisition.  You can visit the site today.  It is located right where many of you have seen the famous coal car in the river.  Following is a photo taken last summer showing what it looks like today.

Here's a close up of the coal car.

To visit the site, take the dirt road that goes south just before the single lane Green River Gorge bridge.  The road is gated and on private property, but Parks has an easement, permitting visitors to cross the property reaching a new gate that signals the beginning of Parks property.  If you follow the road up the hill, this will take you to the ghost town of Franklin.  Instead, take a left following an unmaintained road bed that will take you down into the gorge.  And you are there.  Parking is best done at the old cemetery located about 100 yards west of the bridge back toward town.  Parking is not permitted along the roadway.  It's a fun short hike and the gorge is sooooo beautiful.

Green River Watershed - Then and Now

1936 marked a hallmark period of land surveys in King County, including the use for the first time of aerial photography.  The county's online iMap tool allows us to see properties and ownership as they were then (in 1936) and now (in 2015) and several years in between.  Following our recent visit to some of the restoration sites along the Green River where we planted trees a few years ago, I thought it would be interesting to see these same properties as they were then and contrast them with now. 

Following is an aerial view of the Auburn Narrows near the Hwy 18 bridge crossing as it was in 1936.

As we can see, most of the area along the south side of the Green River and north up Soos Creek were managed as farmland.  The soil here was rich in nutrients from past floods and flat land, making it ideal for agriculture.  Flooding, however, was both a blessing and a curse and pressures built to protect this land from floods, typically through dredging and embankment reinforcement.  Trees were logged off along shorelines resulting in increased water temperatures and increased runoff.

Today, the philosophy of land management along watersheds like the Green River have flipped 180 degrees.

Lands along the river have been acquired by King County and the state and trees replanted - reducing personal property damage caused by flooding and increasing salmon spawning and salmon rearing habitat.  Pollutant runoff has declined which is particularly important given the area's proximity to growing urban areas.  The risk of downstream flooding has also declined as have the ongoing costs of maintenance - this latter issue being particularly important in these times of stretched budgets.  Sometimes, simple answers to complex problems can be the best thing going.

 

 

A Bridge at Lester Circa 1914

In the annals of railroad history in Washington State, completion of the Stampede Pass tunnel stands out as a seminal achievement.  At 1.9 miles in length, the tunnel was among the longest in the country.  It was constructed under severe conditions imposed by both nature and the NP's need to complete the tunnel by 1889 or lose their land grants.  The tunnel was completed in time and the contractor received his $100,000 bonus.  However, 34 lives were also lost in the process, virtually all of Chinese ancestry.

Completing the tunnel and extending rail to Tacoma did not necessarily mean that it was efficient.  Operational and structural challenges with the many wooden bridges constructed along the way were a continuing problem.  This led to construction in 1914 of one of the longest steel bridges in the state near Lester.  The span across the Green River was 1,119 feet in length and 163 feet high.  The photo that follows taken in 1915 shows what a huge challenge this was.

Photo courtesy Washington State Historical Society, 1943.42.31907, Asahel Curtis photographer, circa 1915

The steel bridge that we see today at Lester does not appear to be the same as the one pictured above.  It's not long enough nor high enough.  Any ideas from readers as to where this bridge is today?

Riparian Site Restoration - What a Difference a Few Years Make

Riparian sites, those located at the interface between land and rivers/streams, have long been known to be critical for salmon habitat recovery and flood plain management.  Restoration in some cases means the removal of man made structures such as levees and impervious surfaces.  In others, the priority is planting trees to shade out invasive species and cool water temperatures.  In others, it can mean buying land and expanding natural flood plains.  Do these remedies work?  How do we know?  It can take years to see a measurable difference.

Fortunately, regular water quality monitoring in the Green River and other local watersheds has been ongoing for quite a few years - and these measures show improvement, despite continued population growth.  For volunteers like many of us, we have to approach site clean up and tree planting as a matter of faith.  A sore back and bleeding legs and arms from 10 foot tall Himalayan blackberry vines are battle scars worn with pride.  No chemicals for the hardcore among us.  We pull them out by their roots.  Take that you suckers!  Until they grow back of course, though in smaller numbers.  We know we'll be back next year.  Is it worth it?  Are we making a difference?

You bet, we are making a difference.  Just take a visit back to sites that you worked on 5 years ago or even less.  We recently visited 3 sites along the Green River where we volunteered a few years ago, removing invasives and planting trees.  Following is photo of Soos Creek just downstream of the fish hatchery.  Thousands of willow stakes were planted here.  This used to be nothing but blackberry vines.  Most are shaded out now with just a few remaining.

Did you know that willows can grow 8 to 10 feet per year.  The following is a photo of what used to be open land at what is called Auburn Narrows.  We got lost in here.

You may have seen the site just to the southeast of the Highway 18 bridge.  Only 3 years ago it was nothing but blackberries and a pretty rough parking area for fishermen.  Here, a matting was laid down over an area that was mowed, with plantings then added.  Now we even have flowers.

With winter rains approaching, there will be many opportunities for volunteering.  Lots of fun and making a difference.  For more information, contact our friends at the Green River Coalition or King County DNRP.