| The old Snoqualmie train tunnel has beckoned to us for years, teasing us as we go up into the mountains with signs such as: Tunnel .4 miles. And we looked at it longingly and knew that we could do it once we got our Trike motor.
Well, we got our motor and we've hit the road to travel the country. We have all the states to explore but we wanted to do one last exploration close to home. In the drizzling rain in the true nature of the northwest, we headed out with our perspective bikes and puppies attached. They pranced regally beside us as we made our way to the old tunnel. A burned up train car sat at the entrance and the deep dark recesses of the mountain. One thing about these old train tunnels is that no matter how cold it is outside, the entrance, since it goes deep into the mountain, is much colder. A sign, overgrown with moss, read 1912-1914 when this tunnel was completed. We headed in and I hadn�t gotten my head lamp situated properly and I couldn�t see one foot in front of me! This is very unnerving when you are trying to ride a bike with a puppy attached to your side. Rain came splashing in from above us and drenched us because we couldn�t see how to get around it. Finally as we left the entrance and went into the pitch blackness, the cascade of water subsided. Kim helped me adjust my headlamp and I was able to see a few more feet ahead so that I felt safe pedaling. Pitch blackness with carved walls seemed unending. At one point we saw what looked like a small electrical light in the distance. I wondered if this was what it was like at death: Pitch blackness with a small light ahead showing you where to go. Small reflectors showed us where the curves were as we rode towards the light. I wasn�t sure for the longest time if the light ahead was electrical or if it was the actual exit to the other side. As we got closer, I could see that it was the other side of the mountain. Samantha dog started getting excited to see light and picked up her pace. Once again as we got closer to the end, cascades of water puddled down onto the floor. This time we were able to navigate around and get through without getting drenched. As we made our way once more into the daylight, a waterfall pushed its way down the mountain just on the other side of the tunnel. It was cloudy and drizzling but it was beautiful up in the mountains. You could just imagine the trains racing through here in this spot. What we thought was just a short .4 mile jaunt had turned into a 2.7 one way trip through a large mountain! As we made our way back through the tunnel, it was with less uncertainty. Ginger let us know that she was tired as we started the journey back. She always let us know when it is time to get in her doggy dock spot. She rode behind Kim in her little spot and I could only see red eyes reflected in my headlamp as we followed close behind. Soon we turned a bend and saw the tiny splotch of light in the distance. Now we knew that when we saw the light at the end of the tunnel: it was not false electricity. It was our destination. |
| 05/20/05: Snoqualmie Pass Train Tunnel |