Gorge Dam

May 16th

It was a day with clear blue skies, but cloud rolling in later with rain. The North Cascades Highway was opened after the winter snow falls just a week earlier. So time to ride the highway.

The Gorge Dam

Not long after Marblemount, the road starts to climb into the mountains. It is this area which has 3 hydroelectric dams, operated by the City of Seattle. The first of these (in terms of approaching by road, the last in terms of water flow) is the Gorge Dam. See also the history of Skagit River Dams.

Gorge Dam, last of Skagit River hydroelectric dams

The Gorge Dam was the last piece of construction in this project. It was also the first, but that was a wooden structure used to feed water into the power station located a Newhalem, a mile or so downstream.

The R11S near the Gorge Dam, Skagit River/Nth. Cascades Highway

Have bike, will travel. Especially when it's sunny.

Waterfall on Gorge Creek (at Gorge Dam, Skagit River)

This is Gorge Creek, which here is a waterfall, although not all that obvious. The view is from the road and foot bridge across Gorge Creek.

Gorge Creek at Gorge Dam, Skagit River

The bridge is made of a mesh material - not good if you don't like heights. It's a bit hard to tell, but a little above my boot is the water bubbling down the stream.

Gorge Lake, behind Gorge Dam, Skagit River

Looking across Gorge Lake from the bridge. The white bar across the bottom is the bridge railing.

Diablo Lake right arrow