Ross Lake and Devils Creek Gorge
Last week I had the opportunity to lead one of aNew Outdoors premier trips; a four day multi-day trip on Ross Lake. This was my first time in this area of the North Cascades and despite this being a fresh water trip, I certainly wasn’t disappointed in the dramatic beauty of the area.
Pumpkin Mountain and its reflection on Ross Lake. Photograph by Steve Weileman
Ross Lake is formed by the impoundment of the Skagit River by Ross Dam, which is serviced and operated by Seattle City Light for hydroelectric power serving Seattle and surrounding areas.
Ross Dam, originally christened Ruby Dam, was built in three stages between 1937 and 1949, and currently stands 540 feet (165 m) tall. A fourth stage of construction was planned for the dam; however, in 1984 Seattle City Light made an electricity-purchasing agreement with British Columbia which delayed any further expansion of the Ross Lake Dam for 80 years. The lake and dam are named after James D. Ross, the superintendent of the Seattle City Light’s Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, which built the dam.
Jeff and Thea during our portage on the truck bed between lakes. Photograph by Steve Weileman
I met Jeff and Thea, who were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, at the boat ramp of Colonial Creek Campground located on the shore of Diablo Lake. Although the heavy rain of that morning had subsided, the surrounding hills and mountains where largely obscured by thick low clouds. It wasn’t until we made our way over to the Diablo Gorge that the clouds started to left and we could actually see the massive snow covered peaks that dominated the horizon.
Afternoon winds in this area are a daily occurrence, but on this day we had winds mid morning. However, they were to our backs and only helped us make our way to the damn itself. One of the unique aspects of this trip is that to continue on to Ross Lake, which sits 500’ above Diablo, you can call for a shuttle ride for the mile long portage around the damn. The truck is provided by Ross Lake Resort and you can find the call box just to the left of the hydro building at the top of the trail. Having once pulled my kayak up a hill for over a mile into Prince Rupert the $15 fee for each kayak was money well spent!
Jeff and Thea near the falls at the end of Devils Gorge. Photograph by Steve Weileman
From our base camp on the lake we’d paddle out and explore a different section of the lake each day. One memorable area is Devils Creek Gorge; an erosional slot surrounded by high cliffs which cut back to a small waterfall. After visiting the gorge we had lunch at the foot of a 100’ plus waterfall taking in the view of one of the glaciers which dominate the mountain tops.
It was a pleasure to paddle with Jeff and Thea, who were always game to explore just a bit further. It was an added bonus that Thea is a botanist by profession and gave me quite the education in plant identification. We’d try to get off the lake before the heavy winds started which was usually around mid-afternoon. While I got dinner organized they’d go for a hike around camp. Thea would return and classes would start.
I think we all felt a bit deflated when we had to return to ‘real life’.
