May-June, 2023
I spent part of today simply driving down the road, then back up the road … the road that follows along beside Icicle Creek, the road from Eightmile Campground down to Leavenworth, then back up to Eightmile Campground. First I drove down-river towards Leavenworth. But before I got into Leavenworth, I turned around and drove back up-river along Icicle Creek back to the campground. I stopped often. And took photos. 🙂
Here I am (below) early on in the drive down-river.
I drove on down-river stopping shortly for this view (below) where I wasn’t looking at the river at all, but was looking back up at a hillside of solid rock behind me.
When I looked closer at that rock wall behind me, I saw a woman starting to climb up that rock wall. So I walked back and took a photo. She waved, she was ok with the photo. And I waved back.
And then I noticed there were climbing pins and lines all the way up that rock wall, WAY above her. Then I noticed a vehicle nearby with a person simply standing and watching her. That other person, she was the spotter and was there to help in an emergency. I later learned that the rock walls along this road are commonly used by people who are learning to be rock climbers. Cool! [Go back and take a look at the first photo above of this rock wall, look at the very bottom and you’ll see a TINY pink image (this woman) and then look how far up this rock climbing wall goes … yikes.]
So then on down the road I went.
Just at the point where I decided to turn around and head back uphill, upriver, back up toward Eightmile Campground, I spied this odd thing in the river (photo below).
After some research online, I found out it has something to do with the fish hatchery, diversion of water, control of water temperature, etc. This appears to be the “Icicle Creek Diversion Channel”. Constructed during the summer of 1939, and still used today, the 4,085 foot-long diversion channel was a major project, with excavation carried on around the clock in four shifts. This small dam upstream is used to divert water into the channel from Icicle Creek, or not, depending on whether the two gates in the photo above are open or closed.
Here’s a Google Earth image (below) of the diversion dam.
And then I was almost in amongst housing on the outskirts of Leavenworth, so I turned around and headed back up-river towards Eightmile Campground. I stopped often for gorgeous views of the river and the mountains.
The only home I could see on that entire roadway was the one in the photo below. It was on the other side of Icicle Creek, had a bridge over the creek to access it, and a gate securely locked at that bridge. Those folks wanted peace and quiet.
On up the road a bit more, I stopped often for photos. And just to stand and stare, and listen, and smell the air.
The photo below is a portion of Icicle Creek.
And here’s a video …
Further up the road, I began to see rock walls on the opposite side of Icicle Creek (below).
And then the seemingly almost vertical sides of mountain peaks came into view (below). In the photo below, notice the rock peak on the right side of the photo.
Here’s a close-up of that peak.
Further up the road, almost back at Eightmile Campground now, there was easy access to park the truck and then walk to the edge of the creek/river to snap the photo below …
And to take the video below …
In fact, if you look closely, you’ll see that the place where I took these last photos (and the video) are exactly the same spot from which I took the very first photo above.
Just to drive this road down to Leavenworth then back up to the campground would take maybe 15 minutes, at most! But I spent about three hours driving, stopping, walking, watching, and loving every minute. What a beautiful corner of the planet and how blessed I am to be able to see and enjoy it.
Heading home tomorrow. You can bet your boots I’ll be back here for another visit!