Goodell Cr Landslide

[kThurner]

For those of you interested in geology, or simply appreciative of the magnitude of such events, the geomorphology of lower Goodell Cr has been significantly changed by a very large landslide. I haven't seen the slide in Skagit Gorge that hit Hwy 20, but I did see a picture of it in the Seattle Times and this slide in Goodell Cr dwarfs it. Significant parts of both sides of the valley let loose, but much more so on the west side from a high elevation. The new riverbed is much elevated and in time, will form a new terrace in the valley bottom. The old logging road is relatively unaffected, though all streambeds along it have been scoured. At one point along the road though, right at the place where this slide occured, you can now look right down at the river (exceptional view), where previously there had existed a substantial area of dense forest. This thing made a big noise for sure.

[klenke]

Tantalizing post, no pictures.

[Toast]

If this is where I think it is, my favorite swimin' hole just got wiped out. Bummer

[JoshK]

MORE INFO:

 

"October rains brought flooding, avalanches, and debris flows to the park, damaging roads, bridges, trails, and buildings. As much as 10 inches of rain fell in 48 hours in some areas. The natural processes which damaged infrastructure also added another to the park’s count of 245 natural lakes. Sometime in the latter half of October, a very large landslide occurred on the east slope of Trappers Peak, falling into Goodell Creek, which meets the North Cascades Highway just west of the town of Newhalem. The avalanche dammed the creek, and a subsequent outburst flood distributed rock and large woody debris a quarter mile or more downstream. The remaining lake occupies about five acres. A few weeks later, several million cubic yards of rock descended Afternoon and Falls Creeks just east of Newhalem, damaging the North Cascades Highway and cutting off the town of Diablo. Another large quantity of rock remains poised above the highway and the adjacent Skagit River. There is the potential for the next rockfall to dam the river and, in combination with predicted heavy rains, threaten the town of Newhalem. Most of the 40 residents have left the town, which is owned by Seattle City Light, the public utility which operates three dams further up the Skagit River. The National Park Service is cooperating with Seattle City Light, the Washington State Department of Transportation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Skagit and Whatcom Counties in assessing the situation and planning the response to future events."

 

from:

 

http://data2.itc.nps.gov/morningreport/morningreportold.cfm?date=11%2F20%2F2003

[glassgowkiss]

ok according to someone who sub-contracts for seattle city light the road past newhalem will not be open before february. there is a chance this road will remain closed up to a year, depends on the slope stability. if the material was pushed into the river bed it would level it completly, so they have to truck it out and it will take a few months. on the top of that, there is a chance they will have to blast the whole side of the mountain to prevent further slides. aperently they will also build a retaining wall, but not untill the whole issue if slope stability is resolved.

this sucks, since there is no chance of climbing around colonial/pyramid this winter.

[Lowell_Skoog]

I'm disappointed that the Skagit gorge slides may keep the North Cascades highway closed for a while. Still, the problems in the gorge are interesting from a historical perspective.

 

In JoAnn Roe's "North Cascadians" and Fred Beckey's "Range of Glaciers" the authors write that in the 1890s road planners concluded that the Skagit gorge was not a feasible route through the mountains. In the 1880s, after gold was discovered near Ruby Creek, prospectors built what was called "the Goat Trail" up the canyon, using a boardwalk secured to iron spikes drilled into the rock. Austin Pass and Hannegan Pass, near the Mt Baker ski area, were discovered in the late 1800s by Bellingham men looking for a better route to the Ruby mines. Cascade Pass was for many years considered a more suitable route for a road across the mountains than the Skagit gorge. The Harts Pass road was built from the Methow Valley to the Slate Creek mining district because prospectors concluded it would be easier to get there from the east than from the west, up the Skagit gorge.

 

It looks like those old-timers knew a thing or two.

[Chockstone]

It not take genius to see mountain fall on you to decide not go that direktion.

 

Bring back road. Thought this was free countrie?

[klenke]

Or go the long way around.

 

It does make planning for next year a little more irksome though.

[Necronomicon]

Chockstone said:

It not take genius to see mountain fall on you to decide not go that direktion.

 

Bring back road. Thought this was free countrie?

 

Me no understand.

[Stefan]

I have seen pictures of the new lake from some people who have been up Goodell.....

 

I am sure that person who sent me the pictures is lurking......

[Bronco]

Necronomicon said:

Chockstone said:

It not take genius to see mountain fall on you to decide not go that direktion.

 

Bring back road. Thought this was free countrie?

 

Me no understand.

 

He think he post under "Harry Pi" avatar, no?

[catbirdseat]

Chockstone, Harry_Pi, Joe_Retard. He never writes more than three lines.

 

[Chockstone]

Catturdeater you so smart you figger me out

 

I not harry pi or joe rettard smarty pant.

 

What wrong with state obvious when people afraid to?

 

Maybe catturdeat better off being hiker instead climb.

[klenke]

And, hey, that's FOUR lines, Chockstone Pie.

[Chockstone]

Lucky nobody get brain smack in slide.

 

Where photo people?

[troubleski]

Toast said:

If this is where I think it is, my favorite swimin' hole just got wiped out. Bummer

 

with the rope swing? Damn... I have some good memories of that place.....

 

 

[j_b]

Lowell_Skoog said:

In JoAnn Roe's "North Cascadians" and Fred Beckey's "Range of Glaciers" the authors write that in the 1890s road planners concluded that the Skagit gorge was not a feasible route through the mountains. In the 1880s, after gold was discovered near Ruby Creek, prospectors built what was called "the Goat Trail" up the canyon, using a boardwalk secured to iron spikes drilled into the rock. Austin Pass and Hannegan Pass, near the Mt Baker ski area, were discovered in the late 1800s by Bellingham men looking for a better route to the Ruby mines. Cascade Pass was for many years considered a more suitable route for a road across the mountains than the Skagit gorge. The Harts Pass road was built from the Methow Valley to the Slate Creek mining district because prospectors concluded it would be easier to get there from the east than from the west, up the Skagit gorge.

 

It looks like those old-timers knew a thing or two.

 

so why was the skagit gorge selected? hydro-power politics? what were the arguments against cascade pass?

[JoshK]

Stefan said:

I have seen pictures of the new lake from some people who have been up Goodell.....

 

I am sure that person who sent me the pictures is lurking......

 

Whoever it is with these pics...plesae post them...

[ScottP]

j_b said:

so why was the skagit gorge selected? hydro-power politics? what were the arguments against cascade pass?

 

"The (Cascade River) road and river valley were also at the center of controversy over access to the new park. During the park campaign, preservationists had argued for including the Cascade River Valley in the park to protect its scenic and wilderness qualities from destructive forest management practices. Based on Forest Service plans to manage the area for its natural beauty, politicians left the valley out of the park. After the park was established, however, the main point of contention became the protection of the sensitive, subalpine environment of Cascade Pass and nearby lakes."

 

More to the story here...

[Cpt.Caveman]

so why was the skagit gorge selected? hydro-power politics? what were the arguments against cascade pass?

 

Cascade Pass the land of avalanches and hard to maintain year round terrain.

 

Skagit gorge was well known to be more forbdoding at this late stage in exploration as far as I read.I think if you actually read what Lowell has presented it states it all.

 

 

[proper]

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northwest/SR20_Rockslide/currentphotos.htm

[Toast]

troubleski said:

Toast said:

If this is where I think it is, my favorite swimin' hole just got wiped out. Bummer

 

with the rope swing? Damn... I have some good memories of that place.....

 

 

Did you ever dive off the mini-canyon walls? Nice deep water, a bit fast moving, but I'd have ranked it best swimming hole in the state.

[catbirdseat]

They need some way to take down the remaining unstable rock high on the hillside so they can safely get to work on repairs. I wonder if they have considered howitzers? It might take a few shots to get the job done. Another way might be to lower charges on ropes from above. They could use telescopes or helicopters to aid in locating the charges where they are needed.

[David_Parker]

j_b said:

Lowell_Skoog said:

In JoAnn Roe's "North Cascadians" and Fred Beckey's "Range of Glaciers" the authors write that in the 1890s road planners concluded that the Skagit gorge was not a feasible route through the mountains. In the 1880s, after gold was discovered near Ruby Creek, prospectors built what was called "the Goat Trail" up the canyon, using a boardwalk secured to iron spikes drilled into the rock. Austin Pass and Hannegan Pass, near the Mt Baker ski area, were discovered in the late 1800s by Bellingham men looking for a better route to the Ruby mines. Cascade Pass was for many years considered a more suitable route for a road across the mountains than the Skagit gorge. The Harts Pass road was built from the Methow Valley to the Slate Creek mining district because prospectors concluded it would be easier to get there from the east than from the west, up the Skagit gorge.

 

It looks like those old-timers knew a thing or two.

 

so why was the skagit gorge selected? hydro-power politics? what were the arguments against cascade pass?

 

Cascade Pass was actually a better way through the mountains. Unfortunately it was the shores of Lake Chelan that killed it.

[Dru]

catbirdseat said:

They need some way to take down the remaining unstable rock high on the hillside so they can safely get to work on repairs. I wonder if they have considered howitzers? It might take a few shots to get the job done. Another way might be to lower charges on ropes from above. They could use telescopes or helicopters to aid in locating the charges where they are needed.

 

Hey genius howitzers aren't gonna have much effect, do you see the size of the rock? Maybe if they used a spare tac. nuke....