07-MAY-2005
Downed Trees
In this shot I am standing on a huge tree trunk looking along the slope. You can see other downed trees that look to be from the 1910 avalanche.
07-MAY-2005
More Debris
Yet another tank, and what looks to be more steps to the left of the tank.
07-MAY-2005
Steam Pipes Wrapped Around a Tree Trunk
Next is another image showing the raw power of the avalanche. I believe that the picture below is at the same spot as the picture in the link.
http://home1.gte.net/mvmmvm/picts/lg/stump.jpg
07-MAY-2005
Back on the Old Right of Way
Snow shed continue for the next few miles down the mountain. Seen as a costly solution, the Great Northern made less expensive sheds out of 12 by 12 inch timbers which were reinforced by a concrete wall seen in the picture below. When the line was abandoned in 1929, the timbers were salvaged, but the concrete walls can still be seen today.
This combination snow shed was built in 1911, and extended in 1916 to a total length of 778 feet. By 1918, the railway had covered almost the entire length between Windy Ridge, and the west portal with snow sheds.
07-MAY-2005
Wooden Snowsheds
See here are the remains of an all-timber snow shed. Built in 1910, and was 256 feet long. The timbers in this section were too rotten to salvage, so the railroad left this section intact.
07-MAY-2005
Nature Reclaiming Again
We went as far as milepost 1713, and then turned around.
Here we got a view up the right-of-way showing how the forest is slowly reclaiming the line.
07-MAY-2005
Birds Eye View
A birds eye view of Scenic, where the relocated Great Northern line is still active (Now BNSF). A westbound Z train (which is the modern day equivalent in priority to the mail train stuck at Wellington) has just come out of the 7.8-mile long tunnel, and is passing under Highway 2, while an eastbound waits in the siding.
Solution; A 7.8 Mile Long Tunnel
A view from the ground as a westbound exists the tunnel that put the upper line out of business. Special Thanks to Martin Burwash who gave me a lot of help, direction, and answered a lot of my questions.