A Visit To Trinity

"Trinity was built around 1914 although there had been some mining activity as early as 1900. Copper was the mainstay of the town with some silver as a passing interest. The town had a power plant, a mess hall, a commissary, rooming houses for single miners and homes for married miners and their families and all the other buildings usually found in a mining camp. The town even had a sawmill. There had been about 275 men working in the mines and mill but the number dwindled as operations began to slow down. At last everything stopped and everybody moved away. What is left are rusting ore carts on narrow gauge tracks and buildings that show the affects of heavy winter snowfalls."

Taken from the Book...Ghost Towns of the West by Lambert Florin 1971

We picked up our friends and headed up the Chiwawa River Road on 14 miles of pavement.  The road became narrow and graveled for 9 more miles with a few washouts, many rocks and steep drop offs to the river.  We could see where several trees had been cut over the winter as they had fallen across the road. We traveled this road last year, so I knew it would be bumpy and it was even more so!  The family we were going to visit travel the 9 miles on snowmobiles in the winter and have trucks for summer.

We enjoyed the afternoon with good friends and learning more about the ghost town.  Life in such a remote place has advantages to be balanced with long periods of lonliness when the road is closed in winter.  The generator creates excesses of electiricty so there's a hot tub on all the time and plenty of heat in the cabins. The State has placed meterological stations in several places and there is a web cam that broadcasts weather conditions that we frequently check when we are on the West side. Trinity is a a mecca for sled dog events, snowmobiling, hiking, quad riding, back packing and hunting.  I think it would be fun to camp out overnight there in the wilderness with the comforts of home just a few steps away if needed! 

View from the family cabin porch looking to the Cascades.  The Pacific
Coast Trail is along these ridges

Old power plant building which houses the generator that supplies the
buildings with electricty. The snow is often up to the eaves and more
in the winter.

Interior of the power plant.  

My friends found a small moose for the truck bumper where the deer hit
me last week.

After we arrived at Trinity, we took two vehicles another 5 miles
along a narrow woods road to the diversion dam on Phelps Creek.
The dam is 6000' and the peaks around us were  towering above.  We
could see a waterfall way at the very top.

This platform is over the diversion pipe.  You wouldn't know that we had a snow
shortage this winter judging by the amount of water rushing by.

Tesing the water temperture.  It looks like the stream is even with the platform
but really, it's several feet below.

Looking down river from the dam.

These steps lead to a small heated room to use in winter after the 5 mile trek.

Panoramic view of the dam.  We learned that in high summer, the creek is low enough to walk across (if one dares
try it!)

Our transportation to the end of the road at the dam.  I didn't
watch when the vehicles got turned around for the trip back.
 Fearless drivers!!  The edge was too close for me

Thistle near bloom along the road.

Looking back to the platform at the dam.

Further down stream looking back.  The air was so clean
and cool.

On the way back, I was trying to capture the ridge line above us.

From the truck window.  This is the water sifter.  There are 3 pools in the
large tank.  The water is going through the pipe on the left which has a filter
attached to catch the sand.  As the water travels to the next pool, there is
another filter which helps to keep the water clear for the turbine in the
power house below. 

Beginning the bowling alley tour.  This building must be 100'
long.  

The bowling alley has two lanes and a manual ball return. On the left is
an old forge.  Those beams were probably 12x12 and the building
was 3 stories high.  Our tour guide told us that in the winter, his daughter
climbed in the window on the third floor which was at "ground
level".

Pins are set up....

and it's a strike!!

Old ore cart rusting in the bushes.

The are many foundations around the property.  This one is probably 100
years old.

The deer come in the evening.  At one count, there were 9

These two are 6 weeks old.  They will grow up to run with a sled in winter.

Kayaking Along the Shore

Couldn't believe how flat the lake was.  At times, it was disorienting-
which way was up?? I paddled about a third  of the way up the
lake.  When we come back in August, if I get another chance like
this, Sonny will drive me to the boat launch at the head of the lake
 which is 7 miles long and I'll paddle back.  If the wind comes up,
it will blow me towards the State Park!

The tall posts along the shore are where the boat docks are attached.
The lake doesn't freeze so many leave their docks in year round.

This home had a sad ending.  Only the chimney and twisted metal left.

The clouds begin to form up in the West but the wind didn't come
up till much later in the afternoon after my paddle.

Am I upside down or not??

For Sale

Heading back to the State Park, the white beach in the distance.

The Week After Memorial Day

The campground was full for the holiday weekend. The weather was warm but the beach was very windy.  A few children braved the brisk breeze and played in the water. The wind did keep the mosquitoes at bay.  Campers were pretty well behaved.  Sonny had to make one late evening visit to a very drunk guy listening to gangster rap to the annoyance of  his neighbors. When Sonny circled around to check back, the guy had turned the music back up. That warranted a call to the Ranger who paid a visit and the noise stopped.  That site was empty very early the next morning. We were underway with cleaning 91 sites by 10 AM and by noon, on Monday, the campground was quiet with only a couple of campers staying over. In spite of the wind, the camp store sold many ice cream cones and a few kites.

We cleaned over 60 sites plus Group Camp by dinner time.  We were falling asleep by 8:30 pm so we went to bed and slept 10 hours. On Tuesday, Sonny finished the remaining sites while I picked up 4 buckets of litter on the beach and in the parking lots.  The wind can quickly blow wrappers and napkins into the bushes. In the afternoon, we went to Plain to do the laundry and have coffee on the patio in the sun.  In the evening, we went with another couple to Mountain Springs Lodge for a dinner concert by Olivia de la Cruz.  

On Wednesday, Sonny golfed at Leavenworth Golf Course while I strolled around Annie's Attic in Cashmere.  Since it was our day off and there weren't any campers, we had our own campfire.  Thursday morning, the lake was flat calm which is a rare treat.  I got in my kayak and paddled for 3 hours along the Western shore. Later in the afternoon, we had a chance to go with friends to the copper mining ghost town of Trinity which is 25 miles up the Chiwawa River. Another couple we know are caretakers of the power plant, dam and the "town". What an adventure!

Sadly, campers often leave with their campfires actually still burning or
the wood still has embers.  Our job is to remove the remaining burnt
pieces.  As we drove along in the GEM, I could smell something and we
 turned around to see the wood bucket on fire.

Campers have departed except for the "R-pad" on the left.

Remains of children's creations at the beach

Fort building between the beach logs

One girl had to spend the weekend on crutches but I guess
she didn't want to take them home.

The water has come up some from the beginning of May.  The wind
made the waves crash along the shore.

This little kite had a short life.

Beach logs

The local laundry in the town of Plain

Sonny had to spend many hours at the laundromat while he was growing
up so he isn't fond of this weekly trip.  A 16oz Americano and the
crossword puzzles is nearby so that helps to pass the time

Mountain Springs Lodge

Several years ago, we took an evening snowmobile tour
from this cabin at Mountain Springs

Sunset clouds behind our friends, the Tates, in Plain.

Wild roses along the road

Memorial Day Weekend

The campground was quite empty early in the week. In the evening, the coyotes sounded like they were only a few campsites away. On Monday, we took a drive up the White River Road after dinner and got back in time to see a glorious sunset.  Tuesday, was a short chore day so we got the groceries and laundry done. Wednesday, the 20th, was our Saturday.  After breakfast, I dropped Sonny and two friends off at Three Lakes Golf Course in Malaga.  I spent several hours in Wenatchee's antique stores and the Pybus Public Market. After golf, we made a Costco stop and had dinner at the Headwaters Tavern before getting back to the lake.  Thursday, we didn't have any special plans to spend time off so we worked on "fluffing the wood chips" on the children's playground for a couple hours. The lake was flat calm so I got my kayak into the water for a quiet paddle up the East shore. Several families of Canadian geese swam ahead of me. I got back just as thunder clouds were brewing on 3 sides. We had our coffee break at the Midway Store listening to claps of thunder all around. Friday, campers began arriving and the sites filled to capacity.  

On Saturday, Sonny let me have a couple of hours off to go to the local garage sales.  On my way, a deer crossed in front of me and 2 seconds later, his buddy ran into the truck's front fender. I found a spot to pull over to check for damage. A family in the truck behind me said the deer spun around and was trying to get up when they passed by. The driver got his pistol and searched for the deer but after 5 minutes, we couldn't find the deer or any blood so we hoped the deer was able enough to recover in the woods.  The truck seemed to be okay but when Sonny inspected it, he decided the bumper would need some repair.

Around 9;30 pm, while we were on our Friday evening camp tour, we were stopped by two men at the 8 yard dumpster. One wanted to know if we could pull the dumpster over so he could get his wallet which he dropped inside along with his camping receipt? Pulling over a dumpster was out of our job class so we declined.  The Ranger came along and climbed up on the recycle bin next to the dumpster and used our litter pickers to get the wallet and receipt.  The man was grateful and asked the Ranger if that was the weirdest request he had had.  The Ranger said no, it wasn't the weirdest but it was in the top 20!

Dirty Face looks like it could be a volcano in the evening sunset.

Mushrooms are sprouting up.

Morels

 I don't know the names of these flowers but there are many in the park.

Campground entrance before campers arrive for Memorial Day Weekend

On our way up the White River Road, this dog wasn't very willing to
share the road. Sonny had to drive around and then avoid hitting him
when he chased us.

Napeequa Crossing  on the White River. There were about 5 small sites
here.  

The beavers had been busy along the banks though we didn't see
any evidence of a dam.

While we were at the Midway Store, this man left on his bicycle.  I
thought it was interesting that he had an old kitchen chair
attached as a passenger seat.

The park staff have been working hard to get the new
bathrooms ready for use this weekend.  The project was
supposed to have been completed last Fall, but in reality,
completion was last week.  Final inspection took place this week.
5 truckloads of gravel were hauled in for the landscaping.

The weather predictions were for rain so many campers were prepared
with tarps. The rain didn't come but the wind did.

The children in this site made another tent with tarps to play in.

Soft top camping in the back of a truck.

More tarps

Ice cream choices at the camp store.  They make the best
real milkshakes!  Espresso Madness is a favorite.

Today, the wind was around 15-20 mph and the waves were crashing on
the shore just like at the ocean.

Someone's symbol on a tree stump.

Deer fur on the front fender.

I love the campers who leave their art work.

View from our bedroom window towards the "30s".  The blue tarp in this
picture was huge and suspended from the trees.

"Fluffing the wood chips" is turning the crushed chips over
with a pitch fork to create a softer cushion till new chips
can be spread.

I've got two more sections around the edges to finish this week.

This walkway in Wenatchee crosses over the rail yard making
easier access to the Pybus Market.