Forum Index > Trip Reports > Silver Creek/Mineral City (Index-Galena Road) 11/20/06
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Hikesume
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PostTue Nov 28, 2006 6:13 am 
**CHECK OUT NEWLY UPDATED PICS a Few Posts Below!!!** I'm surprised there hasn't been anything about Silver Creek on here yet! Here is an update on the area: Attempt #1 We attempted to make a dash for Silver Creek on Saturday, November 11th, 6 days after the Election Day Flood. We were stopped by the diaster of the Road. Attempt #2: We hiked up to Silver Creek two weeks after the Election Day Flood on Monday, November 20th (first people up there since the destruction) . As mentioned, the Index-Galena Road is completely washed out at the 6.4 mile, just past Trout Creek. We waded (hip-waders required) through the first washout, and climbed our way through the second (even more devastating) . At the 7.5 mile, the road regains some partial normalcy. We hiked on pavement until the Silver Creek bridge turnoff. The dirt road up the Silver Creek valley is still somewhat intact until two Dips (one is Olympic Gulch)in the road that are completely impassable (4 foot drops on each with water spewing through them). Just a side note: I have never seen this much water in either of these dips in the past! The Slide area has "slid" again for the first section (approx 1000ft) becoming completely unrecognizable that there was ever a path there. We had to drop into Silver Creek and come up the other side. Our Property (I own the "Bus" property aka Vandalia and BlueBird Prospects) was intact along with most of the rest of the trail up to the Third Log Bridge. That is where we stopped. Took 4 hours to hike to the Bus. For more Information: The Index-Galena Road Disaster is featured on the FRONT PAGE of Friday's Everett Herald. Also, you can check out www.skyko.org - a great website created by a resident of Skyko3 (Bruce-- who was actually trapped up at his cabin during the Election Day Flood). See you on the Trail! -Skip- Co-Founder, Straight Up Mining Explorations

"May your Mines be Deep and Dark." - Straight Up Mining Explorations (Dedicated to the Research and Preservation of the Silver Creek/Mineral City areas)
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Dogpatch
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PostTue Nov 28, 2006 9:24 am 
Vol wrote:
I'm surprised there hasn't been anything about Silver Creek on here yet!
That's because we've been waiting for your report. So the bridge across the Skykomish to Galena survived - that's good news. The slide area sounds like a major mess, though. Thanks a lot for checking in.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." – Groucho Marx
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Dayhike Mike
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PostTue Nov 28, 2006 9:26 am 
Hey Vol.... Great to have you. Thanks for the pictures on the linked page. Pretty impressive photographs of nature in action! wink.gif You might want to remove your e-mail from the body of your post and just put it in your profile. People will be able to e-mail you without having your address visible for any old spider to collect.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Sore Feet
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PostTue Nov 28, 2006 4:32 pm 
Ehm, this thread is worthless without pics? Come on Vol, you can't tell me you didn't take any. dizzy.gif

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H. Hound
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PostTue Nov 28, 2006 4:59 pm 
Tazz linked to this report on CC.com. It has some really good pics of the damage to Index Galena Road. Here is one of my favorites

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Damian
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PostTue Nov 28, 2006 5:15 pm 
Skip- I had been wondering about good ol Silver Ck. Thanks for the update. Can you guage whether the water passing throught the two dips are a temporary thing or is the traditional road route now history?

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Hikesume
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PostWed Nov 29, 2006 5:21 am 
Pics of the Slide and Such
Sorry Sore Feet.. yup.. I have some pics! A couple of them I took with my camera phone... so they're not the best quality.. but the rest are pretty good. Enjoy! -Skip
The most devastating Washout on the Index-Galena Road. At the 7.0mile marker approx.
The most devastating Washout on the Index-Galena Road. At the 7.0mile marker approx.
Another view of the 2nd Washout from the woods...
Another view of the 2nd Washout from the woods...
This Dip (Olympic Gulch) was passable 3 weeks ago. We thought about cutting the backside off a little, but when we hiked out the next morning, there was water gushing down the gulch.
This Dip (Olympic Gulch) was passable 3 weeks ago. We thought about cutting the backside off a little, but when we hiked out the next morning, there was water gushing down the gulch.
Going towards Mineral City. The "Slide Area" - completely wiped out!
Going towards Mineral City. The "Slide Area" - completely wiped out!
Coming back FROM Mineral City. No sign there was ever a trail here!
Coming back FROM Mineral City. No sign there was ever a trail here!

"May your Mines be Deep and Dark." - Straight Up Mining Explorations (Dedicated to the Research and Preservation of the Silver Creek/Mineral City areas)
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GeoHiker
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PostWed Nov 29, 2006 7:10 pm 
Thanks for the update and pics Skip. That's one of my fav areas to hike, so it's hard to see the damage done. It looks like the Index-Galena rd. might be unpassable for quite some time. I was up that way a few weeks ago, but didn't have the time to go all the way up the road. If you need any help with repairs give me a PM and I'd be happy to help out.

You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye......Eagles
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Sore Feet
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PostWed Nov 29, 2006 10:59 pm 
Yuck. That'll take some time to re-grade.

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MtnGoat
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PostWed Nov 29, 2006 11:36 pm 
those pics of The Slide are pretty wild. After many years of going around the big log across the middle, it looks bare without it. I wonder if it's down below, or if the torrent just took it away. Can't even imagine what some of the falls in the slot canyon a bit farther back must have looked like. What a sight that must have been.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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Hikesume
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PostThu Nov 30, 2006 5:39 am 
MtnGoat wrote:
After many years of going around the big log across the middle, it looks bare without it. I wonder if it's down below, or if the torrent just took it away.
MtnGoat, The pics are from the 1st slide area before the Big Log (the one you have to dip underneath). And interestingly, the Big Log slid away into silver creek back in July or August. It was the weirdest thing to see that gone one day. -Skip

"May your Mines be Deep and Dark." - Straight Up Mining Explorations (Dedicated to the Research and Preservation of the Silver Creek/Mineral City areas)
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Hikesume
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PostThu Nov 30, 2006 5:44 am 
GeoHiker wrote:
That's one of my fav areas to hike, so it's hard to see the damage done. It looks like the Index-Galena rd. might be unpassable for quite some time.
Hi Geohiker, Yeah.. I know you've been up there a bunch of times! The latest speculation is that the county will lay down a interim dirt road (or food trail) constructed in the next year or so. But the rebuilding of the Index-Galena road could take as long as 4 or 5 years (if ever) and will be funded and built on a Federal level. Amazing! I appreciate the offer to help with the trail when the time comes!! -Skip

"May your Mines be Deep and Dark." - Straight Up Mining Explorations (Dedicated to the Research and Preservation of the Silver Creek/Mineral City areas)
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GeoHiker
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PostThu Nov 30, 2006 8:33 pm 
Vol wrote:
But the rebuilding of the Index-Galena road could take as long as 4 or 5 years (if ever) and will be funded and built on a Federal level. Amazing! -Skip
4-5 years!.....I suppose it has to be kicked to the Federal level with the expense, but that mires it in environmental impact statements, etc, etc. Give me a trac-ho, D-9 cat and a couple dump trucks and I'd have that road open in a couple days!.....smile.gif I bet it's so frustrating for the ones that own homes up river. Jack Pass is going to be a busy road. That would be cool to see that open all winter. I hope they don't gate the road on the Beckler side and shut that whole area down. Did you hear anything about the Garland Mineral Springs area? Couple of those riverside cabins were very close to going downriver last summer. I hope they weathered the storm.

You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye......Eagles
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Hikesume
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PostFri Dec 01, 2006 8:51 am 
There's an interesting article in Tuesday's Everett Herald regarding Flood Road damage. (here: Tuesday Herald: Index Flood Damage ) They're now saying that the repairs could cost as much as 9-12 million dollars just the Index-Galena Road alone! It sounds like the county MAY maintain Jack's pass for us property owners - they're talking about still shutting the gate, but issuing out keys (Monte Cristo all over again??). Atleast that's one alternative but still extremely difficult in the winter time to get there. I may just hike the lower route for a while. Geohiker, I haven't heard anything about the Garland HotSprings area cabins. I know there were some cabins destroyed in the Skyko2 area (where the Index-Galena Road is closed off). Hopefully the Garland cabins didn't experience the same fate. -Skip

"May your Mines be Deep and Dark." - Straight Up Mining Explorations (Dedicated to the Research and Preservation of the Silver Creek/Mineral City areas)
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Dogpatch
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PostMon Oct 12, 2009 8:06 pm 
Yuri, I'm pretty sure the bridge in your photo is at the first washout after the slide area on the old road up Silver Creek to Mineral City. I recognize the makeshift ladder. I haven't been up there since the Index-Galena Road washed out, though. Very sorry to hear about your uncle. Peace to him and to your family.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." – Groucho Marx
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