Northern Cascades unveil a magic act

Diablo Lake is one of several reservoirs in the Cascades used to produce power for Seattle.

A Valley Like This

Sometimes you look at an empty valley like this,

and suddenly the air is filled with snow.

That is the way the whole world happened –

there was nothing, and then. . .

But maybe some time you will look out and even

the mountains are gone, the world becomes nothing

again. What can a person do to help

bring back the world?

We have to watch it and then look at each other.

Together we hold it close and carefully

save it, like a bubble that can disappear

if we don’t watch out.

Please think about this as you go on. Breathe on the world.

Hold out your hands to it. When mornings and evenings

roll along, watch how they open and close, how they

invite you to the long party that your life is.

– William Stafford

(Written on plaque at Cascades lookout)

Highway 20 from the Seattle area climbs into the northern Cascades and is part of the Cascades Loop, a 400-mile scenic drive.

Liberty Bell is the peak as seen from Washington Lookout, the highest point on the drive.

The Skagit River, below, is dammed several times.

The suspension bridge leads to a rain forest-like walk along the river.