Trees on Mt Si trail get tipsy in wake of storm. Photo by Nancy Higgins
A major ice storm swept through the valley the second week of January leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power for days. Residents report “hearing trees popping” in the forest. Valley Camp posted this ominious comment on the Goldmyer facebook page:
“Middle Fork road is impassable. Due to freezing rain the road is blocked by trees. Bring chainsaws and chains.” By the weekend the couplet section of the road was cleared, but so many trees were down it was impossible to drive beyond that. A week later firewood collectors and others had opened the road to the Taylor River. Finally in early February a Northwest Wilderness crew cleared the stretch to the Dingford gate and on up to Goldmyer.
Snow and trees block the road at Valley Camp
The cliff at Island Drop bend drops trees onto road
Trees slide down the hillside near Champion Beach
A Northwest Wilderness group clears blow down before the Dingford gate
Clearing sticks behind the chainsaws to restore Goldmyer access
Related coverage
- 2012/01/17 Valley Camp Facebook storm updates
- 2012/01/18 Goldmyer Facebook storm updates
- 2012/01/18 North Bend man dies from falling tree during weekend storm
- 2012/08/19 Shut down by ice storm, Valley power may not come back for days
- 2012/01/21 Urban flooding is new danger after storm
- 2012/01/23 Snoqualmie mayor proclaims emergency in wake of storms
- 2012/01/23 Positive outlook sees Lower Snoqualmie Valley through power outage
- 2012/01/24 Surviving the blackout: Valley residents hunker down amid days-long outage
- 2012/01/30 High water on the Snoqualmie; King County flood center opens