[Mike Collins]

This ridge lies in NCNP and separates the drainages of Stillwell and Gabriel Creeks. We slept Friday night at the East Bank Trail parking lot to allow an early start on Saturday. Our hike started on SR 20. Just past the Skagit/Whatcom county demarcation sign is a turnin on the right. We parked the car there and then went back up the road about 100 feet and started our upclimb just to the west of County Line Creek. We ascended WSW until atop a rounded ridge which we followed to access a highpoint at about 6800 feet. We then scrambled over to tag Pt. 7026 and were surprised to see Stefan's name from two years ago in a small register there. Then we had to lose 600 feet elevation to reach the east ridge of Elija Ridge. The east ridge had plenty of loose rock and we accidently trundled a few downslope. A bear had been there sometime before us as a few of the rocks had been overturned looking for delicious ant larvae. We also were treated to a golden eagle and a gyrfalcon flying at different times. We reached the summit and enjoyed views across the street to Crater and Jack which were visited last weekend. Gabriel across the valley was particularly striking with 3000 feet of vertical relief from Gabriel Creek about 1/2 mile away. Our descent was a little different. I had run out of water even though I brought one gallon in my pack. So we traversed all the way to the end of Elija Ridge near Pt. 6570 to allow us to drop toward an unnamed lake at the headwaters of County Line Creek. This was a spectacular hike with the glaciers of Ragged Ridge staring us in the face along the way. From the outflow of the lake over 3000 feet of forest to descend through. We dropped NE staying away from the creek as it develops into a canyon further down. Elevation gain; 6800 ft. Distance travelled; 11 miles. Car-to-car; 11 hrs.

[Mike Collins]

Continued interest in the origin of mountain names spurred me to review the legend of Elijah. It seems to have a connection with the colorful character of early Skagit Valley history, Tommy Rowland. Tommy Rowland was a Canadian who came down from British Columbia and established a homestead along the east bank of the upper Skagit River in the 1890's. He like many others thought of striking it rick by placer mining the gravel beds of Ruby Creek and named his claims "Nip" and "Tuck". He also sold hay and vegetables to prospectors as did John McMillan across the valley in Big Beaver Creek. Tommy Rowland though had the delusion that he was the prophet Elisha. Elisha was the disciple of Elijah and assisted Elijah at his greatest test, the competition between Baal and Yahweh. During that showdown Elijah called upon the sun to stand still in the sky. Toward the evening of that day a further miracle occured. Elisha was called upon to pour water over the hands of Elijah and the water began to flow from Elijah's fingers as if from a fountain. The northern slopes of Elija Ridge drain into Stillwell Creek. The headwaters have small rivulets coming from the basin which look like fingers of a hand. It is possible this is the connection with the name Elija Ridge although the origin might have died with Tommy Rowland. He was entered into Steilacoom (present day Western State) hospital as a psychiatric patient but escaped. He returned to his homestead (he called it New Jerusalem) where he was permanently returned to the Northern State Hospital (a mental facility) at Sedro Wooley where he remained until his death. Those interested can still visit the ruins of Tommy Rowland's cabin, barn, and root cellar. The collapsed bleached logs are ~1/4 mile to the NE of the campground at Roland (alternate spelling) Point on the east bank of Ross Lake. The waters draining the northern slopes of Elija Ridge eventually drain into Ruby Creek which were sluiced by Tommy Rowland through a chute as he looked for gold.