The skies were brilliant blue this morning and temperatures quickly rose after dawn from about the mid-40s to the high-60s. We were a bit slow getting out the door but soon we were on our way on an explore. The truck needed fuel so we started the day by driving west on Highway 20 into the town of Lyman and filling the tank. After that, we headed back east along the north bank gorgeous Skagit River.

Not five miles from the gas station, we came across a herd of bison, happily grazing in some rancher’s pasture. We continued past Birdsview, where there is a micro-brewery and tavern, and continued upstream through the towns of Concrete, Rockport and Marblemount. These are tiny towns – there really isn’t much of a main street, other than Highway 20, and few stores. After a long, beautiful cruise up the river through forests and along volcanic bluffs, we reached Newhalem.

This town was barely saved from fire last year and it is plainly evident when one gazes up at the massive lava and basalt mountains, now devoid of trees. Other forms of vegetation were tougher, however, and any place with a bit of soil left has short flowers and bushes making an emerald comeback.

We began to look for a place to pull over and dine along the Skagit and we kept finding very nice spots, all without a river view. We kept going up the river until we ultimately came to the town of Diablo. There, we broke out our luncheon materials just in time for a spectacular demonstration of lightning, thunder and torrential rain. We ate in the truck. Diablo was a small company town located right below the Diablo Dam which holds back Diablo Lake. There are very few folks living there now but all the original houses, theaters, commissaries, community centers and chow halls are still carefully maintained by Seattle Power, who owns the dam. There is a gigantic sloped elevator here that used to simultaneously hoist two aggregate hopper rail cars to the top of the dam, where they were emptied into the stockpiles for concrete materials.

After our lunch, we continued a bit further up Highway 20 which starts climbing rapidly above Diablo Lake. About ten miles up we pulled into a wayside where a tremendous view of the Lake can be enjoyed. This area is within the North Cascades National Park so there was a very knowledgeable docent who answered our questions about this stunning area.

The water in Diablo Lake and the Skagit River is turquoise, a product of flour-like ground up volcanic rock and grinding friction of glaciers at the headwaters. It is magnificent.

To see pictures of today’s scenery, click the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/j3N2ijhkeJUNkk3Z7