More Skagit Lowlands

Another short notice outing had a group of club members rediscovering a couple of local sites.

We walked and hiked through and around the town of Concrete. We poked around old buildings including “The Castle,” an historic bridge, the salmon recovery facility, and some unique viewpoints down by the Skagit River. Afterwards we explored up the east side of the Baker River Valley. We saw streaming waterfalls and enjoyed hiking and exploring in the snow. An exciting surprise was our rediscovery of the old lime quarry, kilns, and tram towers from the business of making concrete in Concrete.

Fascinatingly, many of the structures which appeared to be wood from a distance were actually built of concrete. Rather than molding back into the earth quickly as wood would have done, they were still largely intact sporting a pleasant green mantel of moss and lichen.

Pleasant walks through natural areas and past historic buildings were our reward at the Northern (Washington) State Recreation area just east of Sedro Woolley. A poignant stop at the old State Hospital Cemetery in the warm glow of the evening light finished a beautiful and rewarding day.