Wellington (Tye) (just below the top of Stevens Pass)
History
Over 100 years ago, the Great Northern Railway crossed the Cascades at Stevens Pass and helped open up the Pacific Northwest. It was well-engineered, with an intricate set of switchbacks. The Cascade Tunnel, completed in 1900, bypassed the switchbacks. Snowsheds were added for safety, but winter conditions could still be hazardous.
In 1910, snowslides delayed two trains at the town of Wellington ... and while the trains waited, an avalanche from Windy Mountain broke loose and swept the trains into the Tye Creek below. Nearly 100 lives were lost. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_avalanche
After the disaster, the town's name was changed to Tye, after the nearby Tye River, because of the negative connotation of the original name.
In 1929, with the completion of the "new" Cascade Tunnel, the old grade was obsolete and it was abandoned. The Iron Goat Trail runs along this abandoned stretch of railroad.
Information summarized from http://www.irongoat.org/history.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington,_Washington
The trail goes from
the Wellington Trailhead and Townsite,
0.3 miles to disaster viewpoint, and continues for a total of 2.7 miles
to the Iron Goat Interpretive Site
2.8 or 3.2 miles, depending on route
to the Martin Creek Trailhead
And from the intrepretive site to the Windy Look Overlook ... a steep 1 mile hike
Tentative plan: Drive to Wellington trailhead, hike to snowshed and back. Then, drive to interpretive site, have lunch, hike to Martin Creek, back to Windy Pt Overlook, and a little toward Wellington, then back to the Interpretive site. Total ... approx 7-8 miles total.
Notes:
Maps are at http://www.irongoat.org/maps.html
A Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking at the Martin Creek and Wellington trailheads
Toilets are available at all trailheads
Parking is not available in the winter. If you plan to visit the trial in winter, first check avalanche conditions at http://www.csag.org or 206-526-6677
There are bike racks at the Iron Goat Interpretive Site
Stay on the trail, and off the old timbers, which are prone to collapse
Stay out of the tunnels and avoid the flash-flood zone of the old Cascade Tunnel, which is in a state of collapse
Respect the private property which adjoins some parts of the trail.
Directions to the Wellington trailhead (Leavenworth side)
Take US 2 to Milepost 64.3, just west of the Stevens Pass summit, and turn North onto the Old Cascade Highway. For safety, if coming from the west, go to the summit, turn around, and return to Milepost 64.3
Continue 2.8 miles to USFS road #050 (hard to see)
Turn right and proceed to the parking area.
Directions to the Iron Goat Interpretive Site (middle)
Take US 2 to Milepost 58.3, ten miles east of Skykomish, 6 miles west of the summit
Turn North onto Old Cascade Highway, then immediately right into the parking aread
NW Forest pass is NOT required iat this site
Directions to the Martin Creek trailhead (Skykomish side)
Take US 2 to Milepost 55.0, 6 miles east of Skykomish, 9 miles west of the summit
Turn North onto the old Cascade Highway
Proceed to the junction with USFS road #6710. Turn North and continue 1.4 miles to the trailhead.
If coming from the east, turn onto the Old Cascade Highway at MP 58.3
Links:
Volunteers for Outdoor Washington info@trailvolunteers.org .... help maintain the native plantings at the trailheads
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7UsC8DRMpc&feature=fvsr
wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington,_Washington
Many pictures http://microvoltradio.com/railroad/gnry.htm
Old pic of snowshed being built http://digitum.washingtonhistory.org/u?/genphotos,29
Visits
2010-10-30 Drove to Wellington trailhead, took a look at the concrete snowshed (huge, kind of creepy. I like it a lot), the end of the tunnel (blocked & very dangerous due to floods.) There's a piece of mobile artillery at the trailhead, for triggering avalanches. Then we drove to the Iron Goat interpretive site, and hiked the west loop (to Martin Creek and back.) We chose to do the lower grade first ... leaving the switchbacks for the very end. Along the way we saw railroad retaining walls and tunnels, and views of the valley below. Weather was cloudy and later rainy ... but considering it was the end of October, it was really nice. The concrete snowshed at Wellington is 1/2 mile long ... and while one is hiking there, one is essentially "inside" ... the snowshed provides protection from rain and probably wind.
The Wellington depot was closed when the second Cascade Tunnel came into use in 1929. The town of Tye was abandoned and eventually burned. However the old track and snow sheds are still there today
Keywords: railroad, avalanche, disaster