I'll be visiting Seattle this coming August and plan to go as far east as the St.Pauls Pass, biking down from Taft Tunnel to Avery. I'll bring my family with me, and that means only 50% of family members have any interest in TMR. So my questions to all you fellow Milwaukee Road fans: What are the must-sees between Seattle and East Portal which any self-respecting fan has to visit? Are there any tips you have for me? thanks Michael
There are many landmarks and artifacts. I'd suppose seeing them will depend upon the amount of time you have available. If sticking with the interstate highway- Bridges on the west slope of Snoqualmie Pass, Hyak, South Cle Elum, Renslow Bridge. And easy drive off 90- Beverly Bridge. If wandering off the highway here and there, much more is possible. Such as the old right of way through the Yakima River canyon, between SCE and Ellensburg. St.Maries, Avery, branch remnants, depots here and there... Boxcab E50
Why stop at Tunnel 20? So much is still around east of St Paul Pass tunnel #20. Like the other 19 tunnels! And 3 electric substations (Gold Creek #8, Ravenna #9, Primrose #10) Tarkio and others are foundations-only. Trestles? Plenty between East Portal and Missoula. East of Missoula is plenty of scenic territory. Deer Lodge has a depot, a Little Joe, and other stuff remaining. Pipestone Pass has some neat places yet to view. East of Butte, there's another substation, and some more depots. Missoula, Butte, Great Falls, Lewistown and Miles City, MT had grand brick depots. For anyone wishing to visit these remnants, this book is invaluable. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Milwaukee-Montana-Steve-McCarter/dp/0917298276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234313919&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Guide to the Milwaukee Road in Montana: Steve McCarter, Dale Martin: Books[/ame] It does have its limitations, but I have one, and would heartily recommend you pick one up. If you're really bored, you can check out my Rail Images page on the Rocky Mountain Div. in Montana: http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/842
Thanks... it wets my appetite, alas it will not be possible to get that far, considering that we will be flying into Los Angeles and will be going north by car and then back to LA, all within 3 weeks. So, Montana will be next time I can travel to the US. But thanks for the gorgeous tour! Michael
Michael, I didn't realize you weren't from Seattle. Somewhere, the connection in my brain didn't happen... At any rate, the dramatic scenery in western MT is incredible, and plenty of ghost chasing is available for MILW nuts like us! Also, for your Loop Creek adventure, you should pick up this book as well. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Road-Idaho-Locations-Expanded/dp/0972335609/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234449522&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Milwaukee Road in Idaho: A Guide to Sites and Locations Revised and Expanded Second Edition: Stanley W. Johnson: Books[/ame]
Yes, this book is my primary source and I'll use it... ..as I wrote: I have to satisfy the non-nuts, too ;-) thx Michael
Day 1: Seattle - Loop Creek Day 2: Loop Creek Area and west of there Day 3: Return, going via the Columbia area Too ambitious? Michael
Your first hurdle will be merely getting out of the SeaTac area. No matter what direction is chosen, there may be traffic congestion. And that could be due to dullards in cars, accidents and the ever present construction/repairs of roads. If you are lucky enough to miss the above, great. But you could lose a bunch of time otherwise, getting to the east side of King County. You may find the vehicle radio somewhat helpful for monitoring traffic conditions, but often the reports are late, and simply inaccurate. Also, your computer might help. Check the DOT site for some vague information: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/ Boxcab E50
I will say this: when my buddy Gary and I made a trip to Spokane last May, we went from Great Falls-Helena, and from there west to Missoula, and west to Spokane, stopping to photo MRL and MILW items of interest. The trip from Great Falls to Helena was quick, but once we got to Bonner, just east of Missoula, we made tons of stops. It took almost 10 hours to reach Spokane! Should have only taken 5.5 hrs. From Missoula to East Portal, we stopped for hikes, and photos every 5 miles, it seemed. And it was worth it. Moral of the story: don't expect to cover too much territory in one day.
I'm still in doubt if it could be made in the time I have. It seems not to be realistic to get from Seattle to Avery in a day and make a few sidetrips on the way (Beverly, Plummer, Cle Elum, St.Maries,...) - but if we leave Seattle on a Sunday morning, traffic will hopefully not be of a concern. (Although I experienced traffic congestion in California even in the wee hours of the night....) Since there is lodging available in Avery and a place where to rent bicycles I'd have to plan a whole day for the Avery area and more than one day to go to Portland, where we'll board the Coast Starlight to get back to L.A. That makes 4-5 days and not 3 as I had planned, which is OK with me. Thnaks for your help so far, I'll be back with questions as soon as I get the flights confirmed. Michael
If you happened to drive to Lookout Pass via Interstate Highway 90, you'd pass through Wallace, Idaho. Not Milw related, but a very historic place. With a unique preserved Northern Pacific depot. http://wallace-id.com/ I'm sure you'd want to stop there for a while. Boxcab E50
