![]() Here is a great map to give you an idea of the hike, which is about a 5.5-mile loop located near Skymosish. It is this abandoned stretch that comprises the Iron Goat Trail today. The opening of the new tunnel made the old grade obsolete and it was abandoned completely. This eight-mile tunnel is still in use today by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. As rail traffic increased, a “new” Cascade Tunnel was completed in 1929. This prompted more improvements to avoid such tragedy striking again. This single event made Wellington the site of one of the worst railroad disasters in the nation’s history and also the most tragic snow avalanche. All that remained after the town of Tye (formerly Wellington) closed were the rail depot building and the snow sheds in the background at the site of the avalanche of 1910. Rescue efforts were quickly organized, but nearly one hundred lives were lost. A vast section of snow on Windy Mountain broke loose and crashed down, sweeping both trains off the tracks into Tye Creek below. In 1910, snowslides delayed two trains at the town of Wellington. The Wellington avalanche victims had to be taken out by sled as it took 12 days to dig out the tracks Trains were often stopped for days in winter storms. Several snowsheds were also added for safety, but winter conditions still presented serious hazards. The Cascade Tunnel, completed in 1900, bypassed the switchbacks. While the switchbacks were an engineering triumph, they had serious disadvantages. The original route over the pass consisted of an intricate set of switchbacks cut into the mountainside. The Great Northern route was the best engineered of the transcontinental railways. Stevens Pass at Wellington shortly after the avalanche of 1910 This feat was recognized by the establishment of the Stevens Pass Historic District in 1976. It marked the crossing of the Cascades at Stevens Pass which helped open the Pacific Northwest to settlement and trade with the rest of the world. The story of the Iron Goat began over 100 years ago when the last spike of the Great Northern Railway was driven, completing one of the most remarkable engineering feats of the nineteenth century. Where Is The Iron Gate Trailīefore we get to the hike, let’s get to the fascinating history of this place… The following is reprinted from Jon Hathaway / Flickr ![]() Personally, I have yet to hike Iron Goat Trail myself, but best believe I’m making this trail a priority! As you can see on the map, from Portland you’re looking at about a 4-hour drive, which in my opinion is absolutely worth a weekend road trip. ![]()
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