Trip Report - Peshastin to Fall City
February 23, 2016

After driving east over Steven's pass we met up with the Yellowstone Trail as it turns south toward Blewett pass near the town of Peshastin. This part of the trail was the 1925 route which followed the Sunset Highway. The weather was great with lots of blue sky and sunshine. It was just above freezing in the morning, but later it had warmed up to 55 degrees. The road was bare and dry so we were in for nice drive.

We first drove along Campbell Rd. which is a 2 mile section of the old route. After turning back onto the new highway, it was about 2 miles before we turned onto Old Blewett Road. This original section connects back to the new road in about a mile. Just a short half mile on the new road you will come to the Ingall's Creek Rd. which is the old highway. The route then follows Ingalls Creek Rd. for about a mile to the gate at the end of the road. Just a half mile south on Ingall's Creek Rd. is the old Brender's Service Station and Park. The gas station was built in 1926, and a few years later, a campsite was built. Today it is a private residence.

From the gate the original road continued up the hill toward the pass. From here, you can walk up this part of the road for about a mile and a half until you come to the place where the hillside slid down and buried the old road.

Back on the new highway we spotted one of the old bridge abutments. These abutments were all hand made using large bricks. There was still snow on the ground when was arrived at the ghost town of Blewett, so we weren't able to stop. Farther down the new highway you meet the old road again. In 1956 a new highway was built over Swauk Pass, which bypassed the old winding road, and in 1992 the State officially changed the name of Swauk Pass to Blewett Pass. The original pass is now called "Old Blewett Pass."

After crossing over Swauk pass we started down the road toward Cle Elum. At the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 970 is the site of a ghost town called Virden. Nothing remains of this town today. At this junction the old route turns right and follows Swauk Prairie road. This road is still unpaved, but the views were spectacular. As we continued toward Cle Elum we took a few more photos, and then at the bottom of the hill we stopped to see a large herd of deer grazing in a pasture.

Arriving in Cle Elum we stopped for some gas and refreshments. To make some time we hopped on the interstate to Easton. At Easton State Park we tried to drive on the old road up to the switchback but the snow prevented this. Looks like we will have to wait for springtime.

Back on the interstate we headed for Snoqualmie pass. The original road along the shoreline of Lake Keechelus was narrow and rough. The hillside was steep and the rock made grading extremely difficult. The state is in the process of widening the interstate along the lake and they have obliterated this stretch of the old road along with the hillside where the old Sunset Lodge used to be.

At the summit the snow was deep but the road was clear. We then took a quick drive down Yellowstone Rd., which was a section of the original highway, and after taking some more photos we began to drive down the old highway on the west side of the pass but the road was closed. The snow must have been over 10 feet deep. So we had to go back onto the interstate. At North Bend we took the old route down the hill into Fall City.

It was an excellent drive with no problems. Looking forward to more exploration when the snow melts.