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Working through bacon and eggs at the Cascadia Inn and Cafe, it occurs to me that Henry, the guy who owns the place, has quite a challenge ahead of him.
It isn't just that he's alone in the kitchen with several orders, or that he also has some rooms to clean up, or that he'll have to handle any check-ins that arrive, or that his lone, teenage staffer doesn't seem to understand the cash register. No, even if he gets all that figured out, there's still the fact that he, and his hotel and cafe, are in Skykomish.
Never heard of Skykomish? Folks in Seattle have. They take Route 2 past it on their way up to the ski hill at Stevens Pass, and 99 percent of them don't stop. Just some old town along the road. "Sky," as they call it, is a Chevron and a deli along the highway, a rusty old bridge, a few buildings across the river, and some big construction project. There's good fishing in the river, but that's lower down.
We had been on the Pacific Crest Trail, and when we walked out of the woods up at Stevens, we'd hiked 75 miles in six days, without a shower or a bed. We knew all about Skykomish because it was the closest place we could get clean and fed, and there were a couple of cheap places: one that lets you pitch a tent in the yard and the Cascadia, Henry's place, where two people can share a room with bunk beds and a bathroom down the hall for $20 each. For another $5, Henry does your laundry, and there's a TV room with cable. The only table-served food in town is just off the lobby.
Across the road from the cafe was evidence of all that Skykomish once was, for good or ill: the rail yard. The Great Northern built the town back in the 1890s, when giants hacked the line over Stevens Pass and then dug an eight-mile tunnel under it. They needed Skykomish to hold coal and water and extra engines for the long haul over the pass, and the town boomed.
Then came the diesel engine, and now the trains hardly stop in Skykomish. Amtrak hasn't even slowed down in Sky for 30 years, and the cargo trains might stop to exchange a car here and there. Timber played out years ago.
Now the railroad's mess supplies most of the work. Seems that for several decades, when they had oil to get rid of, they just dug a hole and poured it in -- so much of it that Skykomish septic tanks were said to float on it sometimes. When it finally leached into the river and started killing fish a few years back, about 435 government agencies got involved, and now the whole town is a cleanup zone. They pick up buildings, some of them over 100 years old, and move them so they can dig up the soil underneath. They had moved the river when we were there. Of course, the construction guys are all from out of town, but some of them share rooms at the other hotel, and they keep the Cascadia busy at lunch.
So I guess the town is on the move again -- in a sense. My friend pointed out that they could put the buildings back wherever they want, sort of re-create a town. Maybe they could run a scenic train through the valley. The trees are growing back now, the old railroad grade is a trail, and there's some fish in the river. Of course, that's a little lower down.
Finishing up a Wednesday breakfast and about to hit the road myself, I felt like the town felt: waking up from a long sleep, comfortable, clean, rested, feeling good ... just not sure where I'm headed today.
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For the past 25 years I have been skiing at Stevens' Pass and have stopped many, many times at your towns' Chevron station just off the highway. On 12/8/07 I stopped there with my family to purchase sodas and use the restroom on our way to a 1 day retreat. When I approched the elderly man behind the counter for a restroom key I was read the riot act and he called me names. Taken aback by his tirade I was speechless. Having no idea where this obtuse individual was going with his soapbox, I had not a uttered a sound. He then asked if I understood English. Lucky for me that I teach secondary Language Arts class thus I responded,"I do indeed understand English and you are rude." As I left the building his words continued to berate me as I reached the door. I did not do or say anything to provoke such behavior. I believe this old man to be bipolar and is off his meds. My husband suggests that his wife ran off with his best friend and that his dog just plain ran off. My family of 6 will not be back to the small town of Skykomish again whether to stay at the local hotel, B&B, or purchase deli sandwiches next door, nor will many of our friends and other family members. I will certainly use that old man as the butt of many holiday jokes to come.
I just wanted to comment to "Princess" that the Chevron station of Hwy 2 is really not Skykomish. The town is over the bridge. The people in that town are very hospitable as I have stayed in Sykomish on multiple occasions. And I don't think you should hold such a grudge on a person, just forget it and get on with your life.
Dmcint, nobody is holding a grudge, just stating a fact. I was verbally attacked by this same clown yesterday.
We needed gas before going over the pass so we were filling up when my 6 year old said he needed to pee. So we went in and I asked "Do you have a restroom?" and the attack began. He immediately said "your tax dollars DO NOT pay for my bathroom, go to one your tax dollars pay for!" and continued his rude tirade about how he tells 700 people a day the same thing and that I can get my ass off his premises, all in front of my little boy. this guy is an absolute crazy idiot who needs a new line of work. I will NEVER visit Skykomish again.
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