152. Snoqualmie Falls

 

As things ramp up again with the beginning of school there’s a part of me that feels a little regret that this summer went by without any of the big trips I usually take, without any camping trips, without any big hikes. But I did replace a great deal of that with reading, reminiscing, experimenting with recipes, and enjoying just what I have here. Still, the end of summer always leaves me, as a teacher with a few pangs of regret. This summer is no different, except, perhaps, the additional stress of starting a new school year with entirely new forms of teaching and new safety protocols, some of which leave me doubting how much actual safety there is and how much artifice is in the mix. So, after taking a moment to get myself centered and calm, I realized I needed to cash in on my retirement. All that brings a mix of emotions, so to stay centered and calm I usually look to water.

 So, while I continue to express my gratitude for things about America that I love, I want to reminisce about a beautiful waterfall. More often that not, my family travels to Seattle a few times a year for some medical reason. Lately it has simply been appointments, nothing traumatic. But we started taking time to appreciate things about the Seattle area to dissociate some of the trauma that we have also associated with the area. One place we knew about, but never went to, was a place called Snoqualmie Falls. I guess I thought it was probably some tourist trap just off the freeway that I wasn’t so certain I wanted to get stuck in (and I’m sure there are times when it is). But, like all the Northwest, there is intense beauty formed of the mountains and the rain that can’t be overlooked even near the intensely populated area of Seattle.

 If you go there on a weekday you won’t see a big crowd of people. You can eat at the restaurant that sits at the top of the falls and look over it. You’re going to see houses lining the banks of the river below, it seems isolated from the view almost as if you were in a hotel in a national park. And, yes, the restaurant is part of the hotel called Snoqualmie Falls Lodge. It’s easy to get to, just a short drive from interstate 90 less than an hour east of Seattle before you climb Snoqualmie Pass. It’s beautiful to walk along the terraced viewpoints at the top of the falls. While you’ll see the mist of the crashing waters with its accompanying rainbows—assuming you’ve come on a sunny day—you are far enough removed so you won’t need to worry about getting wet from the mist. It is still western Washington, so quite possibly you will be there on a day when mist is falling from the sky and in that case, you will need to wear some form of rain gear.

 I’ve said this before in other entries but there is great calm to see such turbulence of water and land that is perfectly outside of your individual realm of control. It could seem quite violent but the natural aspect of it creates intense beauty that I find mesmerizing and soothing. I find that sense of comfort in a crashing waterfall of an immense river or just a small stream. As I sit here contemplating the intensity of retirement, I find myself bolstered against uncertainties. Snoqualmie Falls is an American landmark that brings me solace during times of trouble and I’m thankful for it.