10:37 am today marks the 10 year anniversary of the Oso slide disaster... I still shudder thinking about it.
My Son and I had been waiting and watching for a weather and calendar opening to get in an early season overnight backpack trip to Ross Lake. The yearly reservoir draw down enables a hike to some campsites usually only accessible by boat.
We had been experiencing non stop rain for days prior, to our delight March 22 and 23rd looked great- lets go!
All packed up and driving toward the trail head by 8:30 am and since the Oso area is only 30 minutes away we were through that spot by a little after 9 am.
Got to the trail head and took a couple photos of us getting started down the trail- timestamp shows 10:42- 5 minutes after nearly a mile of the road we drove was gone and buried.
We had a great trip, cold but good gear and a warm fire kept us comfortable, we were completely oblivious to the disaster, we were well beyond any cell service.
Our first clue that something was amiss was on our way home turning off the North Cascades highway towards Darrington there was a big new sign warning that 530 was closed beyond Darrington- that seemed odd, so we got back on highway 20 towards Sedro Wooley.
We started getting cell service so I had my Son give his mom a call to let her now all is well and we are headed home... she was very relieved to know we were not buried in mud. She did not hear about the slide until the evening hours and was pretty sure we had cleared the area before the slide hit, but she kept thinking what if?
What if they forgot something and turned around, what if they stopped on the way...
Here's the memorial that has been built- opens to the public today
The scope of the disaster sank in after we were home. We live a few blocks from the largest airport in the vicinity and for months afterward the sounds of helicopters going back and forth retrieving remains put a dark cloud over me... even though my Son and I were so fortunate, my heart went out to the local families impacted.
I do go by there often on my way to outdoor activities and still turn the music or news program im listening to off when I drive past the site