“Welcome to Paradise,” said Dan Rankin, mayor of Darrington, addressing about 60 people crowded in front of a red ribbon stretched across a two-lane road.
His opening line earned a laugh as a heavy rain pelted parkas and umbrellas. But Rankin was being sincere; the road to paradise, after a long 11-year wait, is open again.
Saturday’s ceremony marked the reopening of the last 11 miles of the 23-mile Suiattle River Road, which was closed in 2003 after flooding washed out sections of the road and bridges. A second big flood in 2006 only made it worse.
It took several years for the federal government to find funding — $2.7 million from the Federal Highway Administration and another $1.1 million from the U.S. Forest Service — but the work was put on hold in 2011 when Pilchuck Audubon and other environment groups sued to stop the repairs out of concern that rerouting the road around washouts would remove too many old-growth trees and habitat. Pilchuck Audubon dropped its challenge in early 2013, satisfied that changes to the repairs limited the impact.
Again open, the Suiattle River Road is the gateway to the Glacier Peak Wilderness’ western reaches and the mountain itself, the county’s tallest peak, as well as the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650-mile trail that stretches from Canada to Mexico. The road also leads to two campgrounds and the trailhead for the historic Green Mountain Lookout. In all there are about 120 miles of hiking trails within the river’s watershed to lakes, falls, old-growth forest and mountain peaks and passes.
Until Saturday, all of that was locked up behind a gate that blocked vehicle access, adding as much as 11 miles on foot, bike or horseback before getting to a trailhead, not to mention the return trip. Day hikes were out of the question. And trail advocates such as Washington Trails Association, Pacific Crest Trail Association and the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, working in partnership with the Forest Service, have been largely unable for those 11 years to get volunteers and tools in for badly needed trail maintenance. Work has started, particularly to rebuild foot bridges, but much work remains to clear trails and campgrounds of downed trees and brush.
The road’s reopening comes at a crucial time for Darrington. It has suffered economically since the 2003 flood, losing a large part of its back yard that brought outdoors enthusiasts through its town to patronize restaurants, stores and recreational businesses. It took another heavy blow in March when the Oso landslide devastated the larger Stillaguamish River Valley community and shut down Darrington’s main artery, Highway 530, for weeks.
The reopened road is a good investment that restores access to an important resource in our county, one that will help rebuild Darrington’s economy and one that represents a fair balance between preservation and recreation.
It poured Saturday morning, but things haven’t looked this bright to Rankin in years.
“This is a great destination,” the mayor said. “Darrington is open for business.”
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