Author Archives: mvanderbilt

Wing suit jumper missing

On January 3, 2013 Kurt Ruppert, a Florida wing suit enthusiast, jumped out of a chartered helicopter hovering over Mt Si at 6500′ to begin another of his over 1000 thrilling jumps. It was the last time anyone ever saw him. Two companions jumped just before him and were waiting in the landing zone, but did not see him jump, or see his chute deploy. The Mount Si trailheads were closed to function as a base for Search and Rescue operations. About 145 searchers covered a 9 square mile area on the flanks and cliffs of Mount Si for 4 days before concluding that it was unlikely Kurt had survived, given the cold conditions and lack of contact from him. The story drew national coverage because of the sensational nature of the sport and the suspense over whether Kurt had survived. Messages of grief and condolence convey the tragedy of this accident.

Kurt Ruppert Jr

Mt Si search below west side cliffs – photo by SMR

Mt Si search – photo by SMR

Mt Si search, behind the haystack – photo by SMR

Related coverage

2013/01/04 Searchers comb Mount Si for missing skydiver
2013/01/04 Missing Skydiver Identified
2013/01/04 Missing skydiver had made more than 1,000 jumps
2013/01/05 Crews Continue To Look For Skydiver In Washington
2013/01/04 Search for missing Lake City skydiver resumes Saturday
2013/01/05 Crews narrow search area for skydiver in Wash
2013/01/06 Search Suspended: Skydiver Kurt Ruppert Still Missing on Mt. Si
2013/01/06 Ground search ends for skydiver missing in Washington
2013/01/07 Rescuers scour Washington’s Cascade Mountains for missing skydiver
2013/01/07 Police: Missing skydiver likely hasn’t survived
2013/01/09 Search ends for skydiver
SMR February newsletter includes details of the search operation.
Lower three photos courtesy of Seattle Mountain Rescue.

Abandoned antiques

These are the two oldest cars I know of still sitting and rotting in the Middle Fork. Most of the junkers have been hauled out, but these are not very accessible. With help from experts at nwhikers.net I was able to get probable model identification leading to photos of what these cars looked like in their prime. Not that they looked that way when driven into the Middle Fork, because as stated by a valley veteran “Some logger/miner/decrepit somebody just drove an ol’ junker ’til it died, then they just left them. Then maybe somebody shoved the junk out of the way.”

1938 Plymouth 4-Door Touring Sedan

1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe

1938 Plymouth Touring Sedan grill

1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe

1938 Plymouth 4-Door Touring. From Wikipedia

1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe. From myoldpostcards

The left car is below the road near the Big Snow trail head. The right one is just across Granite Creek where the overgrown logging/mining road cuts back and up to the Horseshoe Mine site.

Mailbox parking lot

DNR begins construction of the new Mailbox Peak parking lot.

Building a solid shoulder for 2 lane access to the parking lot

Many trucks coming and going

Later the same day the shoulder has been built up to the level of the former single-lane road

View toward the new Mailbox parking area

Granite Lakes road-to-trail

The Granite Lakes road-to-trail conversion is underway, with work currently being done on the road segment between the Granite Lakes fork and where the Thompson Lake trail took off. A large excavator is digging up the old road bed and removing culverts, leaving a roughed-in trail instead of a road. It will take a number for years for vegetation to re-establish itself along this trail, but it’s currently mostly willows and slide alder that will come back fast.

Segment being converted

Fresh road-to-trail conversion

Large excavator used for heavy work

Green carpet underneath alders

King County OKs paving

The King Countys DNS (Determination of NonSignificance) announcement follows the Federal Highway Administration’s FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact), which was released in June, and is another necessary step before work gets underway. Gotta love those government acronyms! The document includes a slightly more concrete statement about when construction will occur.

“The project construction will take approximately 2.5 years between February and December subject to weather and timing restrictions to protect wildlife. It is anticipated that the project will be advertised in the fall of 2013 and that construction would begin in April 2014. The exact construction timing or schedule will be determined by the contractor.”

Nitpick: The indicated location of the three bridges to be? replaced are incorrect on this King County map. They are correct in the FONSI materials.

New Mailbox trail

Work on the trail is progressing steadily. As of July 19, 2012 the Bobcat was up to ~2000′ with the cutters about 1/4 mile ahead of that.

Map of Mailbox Peak progress

New Mailbox trail

New Mailbox trail, beyond the Bobcat, just cutters

Old Mailbox trail

Pratt connector connects

The Pratt Connector trail construction is roughed in all the way to the connection with the Pratt railroad grade. In this section a new trail has been blasted into the rock buttress where the old one dipped below it.

New trail blasted from the rock

Old trail passing below the rock buttress

Map from Pratt River Connector proposal

PDF archive of maps from Pratt River Trail Connector #1035 Relocation

Daylighting Bessemer road

Trucks are rolling

Wisdom Earthworks, the Bessemer talus mining operation, is clearing a 20′ swath of trees from the edges of the Bessemer road, a process known as “daylighting”. The proceeds from the sale of the timber go to the Mount Si NRCA as stipulated by the Three Lakes land acquisition.

Not just saplings!

Bessemer road after daylighting

Toyota Misses The Turn

Driving too fast on the Middle Fork road can quickly turn a great day in the mountains into a nightmare. This particular accident didn’t need to happen. The vehicle didn’t make the turn at the most dangerous spot on the road at MP 6.7, skidded off the side and turned at least once before coming to rest right side up in the gully. This incident did not make the news so my assumption is that no-one was seriously hurt or killed. Keep your speed down!

It’s not a good sign when a police car is stopped at this turn

This Toyota rolled at least once after it left the road

This off camber turn combined with loose gravel is treacherous at speed

Eight months later car parts still litter the gully

The FONSI says “Pave the Road!”

The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) selected the preferred alternative and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road Project.

The roadway will be 20-feet in width for most of the 9.7 mile project area
The road will be improved/paved from MP 2.7 (Valley Camp) to 12.4 (Campground)
The grade will be raised to minimize flood damage
Sharp curves will be softened with minor alignment adjustments
Pullouts will avoid the need to park cars where they encroach on the roadway
Bridges at MP 6.0, 8.4, and 10.6 will be replaced

Project area location map

MP 6.0 bridge – deteriorated abutments and substandard railing

MP 8.4 bridge – functionally obsolete and structurally deficient

MP 10.6 bridge – scour has undermined the abutments

Documents

Middle Fork Road Project Environmental Assessment

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Mid Fork Rocks

All About The Middle Fork

Author Archives: mvanderbilt

Wing suit jumper missing

Abandoned antiques

Mailbox parking lot

Granite Lakes road-to-trail

King County OKs paving

New Mailbox trail

Pratt connector connects

Daylighting Bessemer road

Toyota Misses The Turn

The FONSI says “Pave the Road!”