[a/s] The Cascades to Carnation, WA - July 24, 2000

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

Yesterday morning, after I conducted a quick tour of the trailer.... the 
owners of the general store wanted to see... I set out for the Cascades.

At first it was more of the farmland, just golden fields with the moountains 
off in the distance, and the railroad rocks.

The mountains kept getting closer and closer, I could see snow on the peaks.  

I went through a "Bavarian" town, which reminded me of Helen, Georgia.  
Leavenworth, WA.  Then I began to climb.  For some reason I always get a 
little gulpy when I see mountains ahead and know I'm going to go up and over 
them.  It's as if it's some sort of challenge.... it's not like I'm a pioneer 
challenged by no roads, getting horses and wagons through... 

I was driving through the Wenatachee National Forest... I love national 
forests... for one thing it seems I am always driving along a river in the 
forests.  It occurs to me they deliberately build roads along rivers because 
the terrain lends itself.  The rivers are rushing white waters at some points 
and then they look like a placid lake in other places.  At one point the 
water was rushing down so fast it was an actual waterfall. The mountain was 
rocky and craggy.  Trees growing straight up out of the rocks.  The sun was 
shining in a perfect blue sky.

I was told by some that it would be better to take the rig on I-90... pshaw.  
It was a two lane, but the slow vehicles had plenty of places to pull off and 
let the others go by.  I passed trailers and motorhomes, but pulled over 
myself to let cars by.  The drive was fabulous.  Once I came up over the top 
and started down I was again grateful that I had installed the exhaust brake. 
 This was a real up and down mountain. 

It was Sunday and there were quite a few other admirers on the road, but not 
so much that I felt like I was in traffic.  I did notice signs ... about it 
being illegal to have five cars or more behind you.... IOW, if you are going 
so slow that 5 vehicles back up behind you you need to pull over and let them 
by. 

The tops of the mountains on the western side were enveloped in clouds.  What 
a difference from the east side to the west side of the mountains.

The east side is just farmland, almost desert, unpopulated... sunny and hot.  
The west side was cool, cloudy, and a town every 3 miles.  It was as though I 
changed states.
It seems no ne has air conditioning here...well,  Bill Gates probably does... 
but most people don't see a need for it.  

I drove to a friend's new farm near Carnation.  My friend and her husband 
have 4 Border Collies.... my dogs are in heaven.  Not just 4 Borders but 2 
goats, 8 sheep and lots of land to play on.  It's very lush and green here, 
almost like a rain forest.  The hungry mosquitos showed up at dusk as we 
tried to eat in peace on the deck. )c:

Today I am off again... a quick drive up to Bellingham for two nights.  It 
seems I have a lot of internet friends in Washington...between my Border 
Collie list, my Longears list and of course my Airstream list.    I'm going 
to be zig zagging around visiting. (c:

Hunter