Oh man, I was awake in the wee hours of the morning (time change). So, let me tell you about my wild airport adventure yesterday!
We left at the crack of dawn—4:15 a.m.—and it felt like the entire city was on the road too. Traffic was a total nightmare! We finally made it to the airport, just to have some fun with the self-service kiosk. My bag tag wouldn’t print because my confirmation number was being all stubborn. Thank goodness I found my Southwest ID number! Plugged that in, and bingo!
Then came security, which looked like a scene from a school trip gone wrong. Seriously, there was this huge pack of high schoolers all lined up, each one dragging around massive carry-ons and backpacks like they were going on a month-long safari. I managed to wiggle my way through the chaos, made a dash for the restroom, and got to the gate with just 5 minutes to spare. Talk about a close call!
And then, picture this: a massive family of 12 or more showed up trying to board all at once. It was like a herd of elephants stampeding onto the plane! Most of them were in a different boarding group, and some had way too many carry-ons. The gate attendant was working hard to check some bags, but then they decided to start redistributing luggage like it was some kind of game. Ugh, so much for smooth boarding!
Luckily, the flight wasn’t packed, so I scored a row with an empty middle seat. Fantastic! But then we ended up taking off late and landing late in Denver. It was on one of those shiny new 737-MAX8s, though, which was a total upgrade. More legroom, a middle seat that was actually wider than the other seats, and USB and wireless USB-C charging ports! Major win!
On the next leg of the journey, I sat across from a mom and her two little kiddos. And wouldn't you know it? Five seconds into giving one of them apple juice, he spills it everywhere! The next 15 minutes were a circus act—mom trying to clean up the mess while juggling a hot cup of tea and the poor little guy changing out of his wet pants. It was chaos central over there, but at least I had a front-row seat to the chaos! What a flight!
Moving on to today, we kicked off the morning with a meal on the back porch courtesy of our host. Thank you, Cathie!
Once we finished cleaning up after breakfast, we swiftly packed our belongings, loaded the car, and set off on our road trip to Hayden, Idaho.
We drove along thoroughly enjoying the scenery and just taking it all in.
First stop Oso.
This is the site of the SR 530 ("Oso") landslide that killed 43 people and destroyed an entire neighborhood.
It's quite a lengthy tale, but it's definitely worth your time to read. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming simultaneously.
The slide devastated the valley but rescue and recovery efforts began almost immediately.
Neighbors and first responders waded into the mud minutes after the slide and pulled out 11 survivors that first day. Community members and emergency responders returned to the site every day for another four months until they recovered every victim. The state, the nation, and the world sent assistance, donations, and messages of sympathy and solace.
This is a story of tragedy, but also a story of hope, community, and resilience.
Corten steel, bronze inlay, concrete foundation
The distinct architectural lines of this 26-foot-tall monument incorporate deep spiritual philosophical symbols within a dramatic silhouette. Visible from different perspectives throughout the memorial, it is always surrounded by its spectacular mountain vista.
The sculpture is placed so that on March 22 at 10:37am, the shadow will point towards the carved memorial stone, swaddling the stone in shadow but illuminating the words with its focal point.
“Hope is seeing the light despite the darkness”
At the base, the bronze inlay resembles a four-pointed star. The monument comes alive when a person stands in the missing point, completing the star with their presence, memories and prayers.
Looking up, 43 butterflies soar upwards, representing the victims of the slide. The butterflies symbolize rebirth and resurrection of the souls.
"Heart has its own memory and I have forgotten nothing."
- ALBERT CAMUS
EVERY LAST ONE
A Grim Chapter Ends
On April 28, the official search for victims ended, with 41 bodies reclaimed. However, two people were still missing, so local agencies and volunteers persevered. On May 22, they found the remains of Steven Hadaway, who had been installing a satellite TV dish outdoors when the slide struck. And finally, on July 22, they discovered Kris Regelbrugge in what used to be her garage buried under more than 18 feet of debris. With 43 total fatalities, the catastrophe became the deadliest landslide in U.S. history.
The slide response was unusual in that it brought together both emergency professionals and community volunteers. In 2015, the State of Washington awarded these volunteers the Medal of Valor, observing that they "worked tirelessly and selflessly to help friends and neighbors in their hour of peril and helped their communities come together and heal."
"We've changed how we see community involvement in disasters. You can't worry about whether somebody's got a uniform on or not; you take the help and you go forward."
TY TRENARY
Snohomish County Sheriff
RAISING THE FLAG
Walking a Little Taller
Two weeks into recovery efforts, the stress of wading through never-ending mud in search of victims was taking its toll. The discovery of an American flag, buried in the muck, came at the right moment. Volunteer responders, who were also local loggers, selected a nearby cedar tree to be a flagpole. After hanging the flag, the group held an impromptu ceremony—a pause that filled the workers with renewed strength and focus.
The flagpole standing south of SR 530 from the memorial, was made from that original cedar trunk, preserved and reinstalled in 2021. The flag and pole have come to symbolize both the slide event and the dedication of those who participated in the recovery.
The flag ceremony reflected the solemnity, thoughtfulness, and respect that characterized the entire recovery effort. when searchers found a victim, they sounded a horn.
Work stopped for a moment of silence and victims' bodies were gently carried from the site on stretchers.
When the last victim was finally found, rescue crews returned to the flag on the cedar tree trunk. It had been at half-staff for four months. The assembled group lowered the flag to the ground and raised it clear to the top.
"We were all walking a little taller after the flag went out."
FEDERAL HELP
FEMA was one of the 200-plus public agencies and private organizations that took part in rescue and recovery operations.
At the heart of it all were volunteers from Oso, Darrington, Arlington, and the Sauk-Suiattle and Stillaguamish Tribes-locals who knew shortcuts like logging roads and were committed to helping their families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
This partnership between locals and governmental organizations was unprecedented. It was also invaluable, as local volunteers maintained unwavering focus on the response efforts.
Responders included more than 80 search and rescue dogs, including 20 from FEMA. Lighter weight than humans, the dogs had an advantage in navigating the mud. It was still tough going for them with dogs experiencing dehydration or receiving cuts. Human rescuers took inspiration from their perseverance.
Help in Many Forms
Within hours of the slide, the extended local community had sprung into action, aiding responders and survivors, as well as anxious family, friends, and neighbors of the missing. Some served up meals at the Darrington Community Center or Smokey Point Community Church. Others provided transportation, water, fuel, supplies, search dogs, and even counseling.
As response operations continued, so did the support. High school students packed lunches for searchers, adding a handwritten note of thanks or encouragement. The United Way of Snohomish County, Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation, and the American Red Cross raised several million dollars to aid survivors and their communities. Donations of money and goods came from across the U.S. and even abroad.
The nearby City of Arlington held a candlelight vigil for mudslide victims on March 25.
"We did the jobs that we knew how to do."
- DAN RANKIN
Mayor of Darrington
"Here, we help people out."
- BILLIE MOORE
Darrington resident
The Oso Fire Station received donated goods from across the U.S. People sent diapers, sleeping bags, dog food, hay, shovels, rakes, boots, rain gear, food, water, and even shelves for storing the donations. A request for duct tape-used by searchers to protect footear and clothing against mud-resulted in the delivery of an entire truck's worth of tape.
TWO SIDES, ONE GOAL
Uniting the Rescue Effort
As first responders arrived, they encountered a major hurdle: the debris from the slide covered a mile of SR 530, up to 20-feet deep. Rescuers on one side could not see rescuers on the other.
The landslide cut communications to the east when it severed the fiber cable line which serves communities all the way to the Town of Darrington.
Reestablishing connection through the valley was essential.
In just three days, local crews transformed a gravel utility road into a route for emergency workers. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and County Public Works cleared and opened the seasonal Mountain Loop Highway.
Fully repairing SR 530 required clearing 90,000 cubic yards of debris and rebuilding the highway 10 to 20 feet higher in some places. This enormous effort took six months.
By May 31, 2014, WSDOT, FEMA, and Snohomish County had removed enough mud and debris from SR 530 to open one lane. And by the end of that September, the newly reconstructed road permanently reopened.
INTO THE MUD
The Search
Local firefighters, community members, and volunteers from all over began a search for victims almost immediately after the slide. They were joined by a quickly expanding group of formal response agencies from near and far. Altogether, the search team totaled some 900 people. They ultimately rescued 11 survivors and located the bodies of all 43 victims.
The search was physically demanding and hazardous. The mud was as deep as 40 feet and had a quicksand-like quality. It contained power lines, jagged metal, sewage, toxic substances, and other dangers. Bad weather made the effort even more difficult, with 19 inches of rain over the following three weeks.
Small boats were essential in the early days of the search. Eventually. workers were able to clear a section of the debris blocking the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, and the flood waters receded.
Many of the volunteers were loggers, who brought chainsaws and other equipment critical for clearing downed trees.
"There was this one time when I just stepped off, and then I was just soaked up to my rib cage, right here, and I could barely move. And that's the time I was like, “this could be a bad idea”. All I wanted was hard dry land!"
- KRISTOPHER LANGTON
911 CALLS
Coming to Terms with the Unthinkable
Within seconds of the slide, people began calling 911. Each call only told a fragment of the story: a displaced house on the west side, a collapsed house on the east, or rising floodwaters.
"There's a mudslide and everything's gone.
The houses are gone...
We watched hundreds of trees come falling...
There are people yelling for help."
911 CALLERS
It took several hours before authorities grasped the full magnitude of the disaster. Having engulfed everything in its path, the mudslide resulted in one half square mile of debris that dammed the North Fork Stillaguamish River, creating a temporary lake. And, horrifyingly, an entire neighborhood had been obliterated.
The rescue effort would be a massive undertaking. Operations centers were quickly established, and that evening, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee proclaimed a state of emergency.
Flooding threatened buildings upstream, as the blocked river overflowed, searching for a new path.
A volunteer search and rescue helicopter team were training nearby and arrived within 30 min.
Emergency responders initially thought the scope of the disaster was limited to one or two damaged homes.
"We're not waiting for anybody. This is for the people who are under the ground that we are looking for, and this is for the people on top of the ground right here, right now."
- ALBY WESSON
Local Logger, Slide Responder
This Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) symbolizes hope and resilience. It was given to the SR 530 landslide response community in 2014 to be planted as part of the Survivor Tree Seedling Program. Operated by the 9/11 Memorial in New York, the program sends seedlings each year to three communities that have endured tragedy.
The seedlings come from the Survivor Tree, a solitary Callery pear found damaged but alive after the terrorist attacks on New York City on September 11, 2001. Nursed back to health by the New York City Parks Department, the Survivor Tree stands today at the 9/11 Memorial.
RESPONDERS SCULPTURE
Tsovinar Muradyan, 2023
Stone, bronze, donated challenge coins, concrete foundation.
The sculpture celebrates the courage and dedication of First Responders, embodying the spirit of unity and resilience in the face of adversity.
A massive, natural stone evokes the appearance of the landslide that tragically struck this community.
The central focus of the composition is the Memorial Coin carefully placed within the rock's uniquely angled surface surrounded by the coins of First Responders, forming a symbolic representation of unity and tribute within the sculpture.
The inclusion of bronze items pays homage to the iconic symbols shared among first responders.
THE LANDSLIDE
FIRST PHASE
1. Groundwater saturated the soil in the lower part of the slope, a mixture of clay, sand, gravel and silt. The soil collapsed and slid as a liquefied debris flow.
2. The debris flow hit the Stillaguamish River, shoving the water ahead of it.
3. Everything in front of the flow was smashed and swept forward as the flow traveled 0.7 miles.
SECOND PHASE
After the lower slope slid away, the upper slope failed and collapsed in a second massive slide that did not travel as far.
THE STORY OF SURVIVORS
The slide occurred on a sunny Saturday morning. Many people were at home, enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee or planning their day. In an instant, everything changed. Of the people caught in the slide that day, 11 were plucked from the mud and survived. The survivors' stories, while devastating, provided encouragement to the rescue teams and inspired them to keep going during the recovery efforts. Here are some of the miraculous rescue stories.
BOB AND BOBBI AYLESWORTH AND LARRY GULLICKSON
Bob and Bobbi were on the second floor of their house when they experienced what they thought was an earthquake. Everything went dark. When they woke, they were unable to move, their house was destroyed around them. After three long hours, they heard the voice of a family friend. Bob yelled for help so the friend and other rescuers could pinpoint their location. Responders cut a giant hole in the roof to lift out Bob and Bobbi.
When they emerged, they learned that Larry, Bobbi's father, had been in the yard of his own house next door when the disaster unfolded. Rescuers had found him in the mud and airlifted him to the hospital.
JACOB SPILLERS
Four-year-old Jacob was playing on the second floor of his house when the slide hit. His father, two sisters, and brother were all on the first floor and tragically did not survive. Jacob was found by two community members, stuck in the mud and far away from where his home used to be. The rescuers carried Jacob through the mud until they were spotted by a helicopter. Footage of the dramatic helicopter rescue appeared on the news, viewed by millions around the world.
AMANDA AND DUKE SUDDARTH
Amanda and her five-month-old baby, Duke, were in their home when Amanda felt a rumble and glanced out the front door. She saw the roof of a neighbor's house rushing toward them. Throughout the violent confusion that followed, Amanda held on tight to Duke. When it was over, she had broken bones and was wedged among splintered furniture. Duke was still in her arms but turning blue. Amanda begged him to hang on, and finally, help arrived. They were airlifted separately to the hospital where they were reunited. Baby Duke was an inspiration to the community as he fought to survive a massive skull fracture and brain damage as a result of the slide impact, but he made it.
"He is a light in something that was so dark and sad in a lot of people's lives.... He's that little bit of hope that everybody had."
— AMANDA SUDDARTH
"We heard this God-awful sound, a roar like I've never heard before and never want to hear again."
- ROBIN YOUNGBLOOD
MARK LAMBERT
Rescuers Jeff and Jan McClelland and Shaylah Niemi found Mark on the east side of the slide. His left arm was severely damaged. The McClellands and Niemi worked to keep him conscious until a medical helicopter arrived. Mark endured many difficult surgeries to bring back functionality to his arm. As he said, related to his following challenges, "I'm putting up a fight for those who are no longer with us."
GARY "MAC" MCPHERSON
Gary and his wife, Linda, were enjoying a relaxed morning when a wall of mud pushed their house 200 feet off its foundation. Gary was buried in mud and debris, pinned by a wood beam. Gary grabbed a stick and poked it through the mud. Friends spotted it, and summoned responders. When they arrived, Gary begged them to leave him and find Linda. Sadly, she had already passed away.
ROBIN YOUNGBLOOD AND JETTY DOOPER
Robin was hosting Jetty, a friend visiting from the Netherlands, when they heard the roar of the slide bearing down and saw a wall of mud advancing on them. Both were thrown into the wet mud and clawed their way out and onto pieces of Robin's house. Robin was able to scream for a neighbor to call 911, which brought a rescue helicopter. When 4-year-old Jacob Spillers was pulled from the mud, Robin stayed with him and held him tight, telling him, "I'm a grandma and I will help you until we can figure all of this out."
TIM WARD
Tim Ward was getting ready to take a shower while his wife Brandy was feeding their German Shorthair Pointer dogs when the rumbling began. The next thing he knew, he was buried in debris, pelvis and right hip crushed. His calls for help were heard by Kris Langton, a neighbor who had been on an errand when the slide hit and was trying to cross the slide to get back to his family. Langton flagged a rescue helicopter that airlifted Tim to a hospital. Brandy was tragically lost in the landslide along with four of the couple's five dogs. Their fifth dog, Blue, was found three days later, providing Tim with companionship in his long recovery.
A COMMUNITY LOST
Memories of Local Connections
The area around Steelhead Drive, C-Post Road, and SR 530 was home to more than 100 people connected by a deep love for their natural surroundings and the river that flowed through it. While some residents lived here year-round, some visited for weekend getaways. Several families had roots in the area that went back generations.
Everyone here knew one another. They organized potlucks, made blankets for new babies, helped children with homework, exchanged gardening advice, and even shared keys to each other's homes. It was a community built on simple acts of kindness and strong relationships.
The response to the landslide was infused with the same spirit, notable for an outpouring of support and the cohesive teamwork between locals and professional rescue workers.
"Prideful and kind, this community exemplified the strengths of hardworking rural America... [along with a] love of the mountains, the community, and its way of life."
- ARMADEUS DAVIDSON
Sculpturist Tsovinar Muradyan - sculptured steel panels
“I truly believed that I could create personalized panels,” said Tsovinar Muradyan, “which would express and highlight the uniqueness of each of the victims and bring up bright memories and remembrance.”
Muradyan, who moved to the U.S. more than six years ago from the former Soviet republic of Armenia, has a master's degree in architecture and a doctorate in sustainable architecture.
She said she envisioned the park as a space where family members and all visitors could encounter peace and harmony amid its surroundings. She dedicated herself to creating an inspiring environment enriched with distinctive artworks.
“Following numerous discussions and meetings with committee and family members, we concluded that families should share inspirations and motives tied to their loved ones. This would enable me to integrate these unique aspects into the design, thereby personalizing it.
“Consequently, the heartfelt stories were transformed into works of art, highlighting the uniqueness of each victim.
The panels are arranged so that light shines through different panels at different times of the day.
There are engraved memories on each of the panels (difficult to read from the photos).
A Living Memorial
A Place to Go
Following the SR 530 Slide and recovery of the victims, the community needed a place to connect with others who were impacted by the disaster; a space dedicated to remembering everything that was lost. For the families of the victims, the strongest connection was with the place where their loved ones had died. The idea for a physical symbol was critical and a space was needed for them to gather, grieve, remember and celebrate those they had lost. While plans were being discussed for a long-term memorial, something was needed more immediately to provide a place that people could go.
On September 27, 2014, over 300 family and community members gathered to plant the trees before you, one tree for each life lost. The victims ranged in age from 4 months to 74 years.
These trees have become a living memorial for the victims and provide a place to mark special occasions, birthdays, holidays and simply be. Visiting this grove allows us to honor and remember their remarkable lives.
The trees are personalized by friends and families with special mementos, photographs, decorations and the occasional panini maker.
A butterfly made from horseshoes sits at the base of a farriers tree.
The memorial trees are Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens'), a variety of the native conifer trees found in this area. Western Red Cedars have been important to the Pacific Northwest regional ecology and cultures since pre-European settlement.
Around the world, cedar trees, which grow large and live for a long time, symbolize strength and eternity, especially through tumultuous periods in history. The placement of the trees at the entrance to the memorial mimics European cities that planted groves of trees at their town entrance to honor soldiers lost in battle.
A Seattle artist created a mailbox sculpture to memorialize those killed in the 2014 Oso landslide. Louise McDowell says the row of mailboxes is where neighbors would stop and chat every day.
"This was their spot.”
In painstaking detail, McDowell resurrected "the spot" that came to mean so much to the people of Steelhead Drive. The artist recreated the row of mailboxes belonging to the 43 people killed in the Oso landslide on March 22, 2014.
Throughout the memorial are beautiful wildflowers.
A winding rock path emulates the river that was moved and reshaped from the landslide.
Closeup of the rock “River” path
And one final photo from the memorial - beautiful stained glass supports.
As you can tell we spent a good bit of time at the memorial before getting back on the road to Idaho.
Next stop - North Cascades National Park
The trail skirts the rim of the gorge, with views of free-flowing cascades and Gorge Dam.
Through windows in the forest, the power of water appears in multiple guises: waterfalls of the Gorge Creek side canyon, deeply carved Skagit River gorge, impounded Gorge Lake; and on distant peaks the snowfields that feed the watershed. The same factors that created the dramatic wilderness scenery the steep terrain, and the force of falling water also made this gorge an ideal site for a hydroelectric dam.
Changing The Flow
When the dam turned this section of the Skagit River into Gorge Lake, it dramatically altered the life of the gorge. Most obviously, the rising waters drowned streamside habitat. Other impacts have been subtler: nutrient-rich sediments get trapped behind the dam instead of dispersed downstream to support life along the banks. By altering water temperatures and oxygen levels, the dam affects fish species and aquatic plants as well as the wildlife that depends on them.
After walking to the dam we walked across a grid bridge high above the river gorge.
Connie said we made the smart decision not to climb over the rail but walk back around to the crosswalk instead. Cathie and I simultaneously gave her the thumbs up.
Back on the North Cascades Scenic Highway
Stopped to let Connie walk in the snow.
Cathie and I stayed in the car. 😁
We stopped in the town of Winthrop for lunch and to stretch our legs.
I guess Connie thought I needed to wash my pants because she squirted the hand soap all down my leg.
Having a “not-so-good” but pricey burger for lunch.
We drove by to see the second home of some friends of Cathie’s.
There were several deer on the property.
He had gorgeous iris
And some bleeding heart
The deer weren’t the least bit concerned about us.
Crates waiting to be filled with cherries
It’s a few cherries.
We saw a sign for cherries and quickly turned in. They were $23 for 18 lbs and they are the biggest, juiciest, freshly picked cherries ever! Delish!!
There are miles and miles of orchards.
Grand Coulee Dam
Fields of wheat
And we finally make it to Idaho.
Giant hostas
We visited some friends of Cathie’s in Hayden, ID and she had a beautiful yard with lovely plants. These are just a few pics of some unusual ones.
Russian olive tree
Chocolate vine or Akebia Quinata
Geranium
Our final stop for the day is an apartment over a diesel shop owned by a friend of Cathie’s. It’s a very nice, new apartment with two bedrooms, bath and living area with small kitchenette. And best of all, it’s free.
It’s been a very long day of driving and sightseeing as you have likely surmised by the lengthy blog post. Not much in the way of steps today but MANY miles driven.
I must close with chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes. The words kept going through my mind as we walked through the Oso Memorial.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance…”
Life is cyclical and governed by God's design, where every event has a specific time and purpose. There are seasons and timing in life and a right time for everything, from birth to death, building to tearing down, and even loving to hating. God has ordained a time for every aspect of human existence, implying that life is not chaotic or meaningless.
This passage encourages us to accept God's timing, even when it's difficult or different from our expectations, emphasizing that God is in control and will provide what we need. By understanding the seasons of life, we are encouraged to live purposefully, make the most of each season, and trust in God's plan for our lives.
