Page 18 - Pierce County Lawyer - July August 2024

The White Cascade BOOK REVIEW
In 1913 Great Northern began building snow sheds between Tye and the town of Scenic, nine miles downhill, but in 1916 another avalanche near Corea killed eight Great Northern passengers. In 1929 a new 7.8 mile tunnel, 1,180 feet beneath the pass was opened, bypassing many of the problem areas on the prior rail line. The tracks at Tye were abandoned, and most of Tye was dismantled, eventually disappearing into the forest. Memories of the Wellington Avalanche faded over the years.
The Wellington townsite can be visited fairly easily today. Just a few hundred feet west of the Stevens Pass summit, at mile post 64.3 on US 2 is an entrance to the Old Cascade Highway, aka Tye Road. Follow this 2.8 miles to Forest Service Road 050, then take that road to its end, and a small parking lot, where you will have access to the former townsite and west exit/entrance to the Cascade Tunnel. Part of the old Great Northern roadbed is now the Iron Goat Trail (named for the mountain goat symbol of the Great Northern). Ten miles east of Skykomish, at mile post 58.3 is an interpretive site with trail access. The hiking trail ascends to what was Wellington. There is little left of Wellington today, but you can see the crumbling remains of snow sheds built after the avalanche, and the west portal to the 1897 tunnel. The Tye Ravine is nearby, but steep enough to be potentially dangerous. It’s also
a bit eerie to realize that at least 96 people died in what is now a quiet, scenic place to visit. With a bit of imagination and the right wind blowing, you can almost hear the last breath of Ida Starrett’s infant son.
Ron Culpepper is a proud member of the TPCBA since 1977 and served as a Court Commissioner and Judge of Pierce County District Court and as a Judge
of Pierce County Superior Court. Since his retirement, he is a mediator and arbitrator and enjoys reading history and spending time with the cutest grandson in Washington State.
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18 PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER | July/August 2024