Abernethy Cemetery

Just off Washington State Route 4, about 14 miles west of Longview, WA is a tiny cemetery, hidden in obscurity and overgrowth.

There are only a handful of graves at the diminutive site, but with family ties to local history that can make it an interesting stop.

THE OLDE DAYS

Alexander Abernethy headed to the Oregon Country to work with his brother, George, who had established a mill at Oak Point in the 1840s.

In 1867, Alexander, and his wife Eliza were granted 636 acres of the new Oregon Territory under the Oregon Donation act of 1850.

Alexander lived another twenty one years, passing away in 1888 at the age of 74, and was buried in the family plot; the Abernethy Cemetery.

BROTHER GEORGE

George Abernethy was an early entrepreneur in the budding Oregon Country. His water powered sawmill on ‘Mill Creek’, constructed in the 1840s, was an early industry in the region.

Abernethy was also active in Oregon Country politics, twice being elected as provisional governor until the post was dissolved in 1848, when President James Polk signed the Oregon Territory into law.

After his time as provisional governor, George continued to find success in business, but lost all of his assets in the Great Flood of 1862.

In March of 1877, George passed away at the age of 69, in Portland, OR.

However, even in death George remained active, so it would seem…

…he was first laid to rest in Vancouver, WA in 1877, but was later reinterred in Portland, OR in 1883.

NOWADAYS

As the State Route 4 passes through the Oak Point area, it crosses a pair of creeks. ‘Mill Creek’ was once the power source of George Abernethy’s 1840s mill.

Just east of Mill Creek, is Abernathy Creek, said to be where Alexander Abernethy settled and made a family.

While Abernethy’s mill is long gone, just across the Columbia River, the Beaver Power Plant could perhaps be imagined of as a sort of spiritual successor.

Let it’s droning industrial hum remind you of simpler times…

GETTING THERE

From Longview, WA: Take the State Route 4 west toward Illwaco. About 14 miles west of Longview, you’ll see Abernathy Creek Rd.

Don’t be compelled to turn here, and don’t be confused by the subtle change in spelling. Abernethy and Abernathy seem to be used interchangeably!

Instead, cross over the creek and turn north on the road immediately on the other side, that is the west side of Abernathy Creek.

Very soon a country road will appear on your left, this is the cemetery road.

At it’s end, next to a private home, is the tiny cemetery.

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More pics: Abernethy Dec 2018

Candy Point Trail

This short but steep hike in Coulee Dam, WA leads to some of the best views to be had of the most powerful hydroelectric generating station in North America.

THE SHORT VERSION

• 2mi +- (3.2km)
• 700′ elevation gain (213m)
• Steep trail, often hot sun, little shade
• Great views of Grand Coulee Dam
• Can be hiked the whole year round

IN TIMES PAST

Work began on the Grand Coulee Dam in 1933 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal”.

In 1937 the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, constructed the trail to the Candy Point Top to provide views of the massive dam, which was completed in 1942.

In 1991, the trail was rebuilt through the efforts of the Grand Coulee Dam Rotary Club.

Some 26 years later, in 2017, Washington Trail Association volunteers repaired sections of the trail, and cleared overgrowth from the 80 year old grade.

TRAILHEAD NOTES

I can’t think of many other trails that offer as much as the Candy Point Trail in such a short distance; Nature, history and some great views of a legitimate world wonder.

Access is via two odd trailheads; neither of which really seem like trailheads at all…

One of them is along North Columbia Ave, and appears as a sign in someone’s yard. From there you walk across their lawn (I know it sounds weird, but they’re cool with it) to gain access to the trail.

The other is behind city hall at the top of Douglas Ave. Initially I thought this boot path was going to lead me to a hobo encampment or a teenage pot smoking spot, but no, this is the trail…

…or the real one is a short distance away in the same parking lot, I dunno.

This is the way I hiked it.

RAMBLIN’ ON

From behind City Hall: Follow a bootpath dipping into a brushy draw behind the parking lot. A makeshift bridge of rock and debris sometimes span diminutive Fiddle Creek which lies at the bottom of the draw.

The path then begins to head up, passing by a fenced off railroad tunnel, which a plaque describes was abandoned before it was ever even used.

The trail continues up the Fiddle Creek draw, in many places up well constructed rock steps placed by the CCC so many years ago.

Looking back as you gain, the mammoth concrete impoundment creates a surreal backdrop over the picturesque Grand Coulee old town.

From here one can fully appreciate the town’s placement as more than just a show of trust, perhaps rather trust defined.

At what seems like the top, the trail begins snaking up the grassy backside of the 1765′ point. Oh, that reminds me…

This is rattlesnake country!

Keep an eye and ear out for snakes!

Around the Candy Point top is the remains of some sort of radio equipment, and an eyeful of views of the damn big dam.

A spur trail in this area also leads over to the parking area at the Crown Point overlook to the north.

The route then begins to travel down a draw sloping to the north east, steeply traveling downward upon the CCC’s well built grade.

At the bottom you’ll find yourself in someone’s yard; “I dunno man, you sure it’s cool to cross here? I ain’t trying to get shot after avoiding all the cliffs and snakes, I worked too hard for this!”

Prepare your best “but teh internetz sed it wuz k” face, then cross the grass to the road. You might even see the sign over there. (No really, they’re cool with it!”)

You’re now on North Columbia Ave, follow it south, past the bank and into Cole Park. There, a much better bridge spans Fiddle Creek and will put you on a long, diagonal sidewalk back up to City Hall where you parked.

…or turn around and do it the other way, the world is your oyster!

MOTORIN’

Step one is to get yourself to Coulee Dam, WA, which you’ll find in the north central part of the state.

Step two is to pick your trailhead. There’s some parking up at City Hall at the top of Douglas Ave, or street parking on North Columbia Ave.

If you’ve crossed the bridge to the north side of town, you’re on the wrong side of the river.

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Coulee City Pioneer Cemetery

Coulee City is not the same settlement that it was at it’s founding early in the twentieth century. A time traveler from our time would instantly notice at least one glaring difference: back then, the town wasn’t on the shores of a giant lake!

YEARS PAST…

The earliest interments at the site pre-date the town and are thought to date as far back as 1889, though burial records do not exist from that era.

Coulee City was founded in May of 1907, by that time the graveyard had been in use for close to two decades, yet had still not been recorded with county government.

Known burials took place over a 30 year period spanning 1895 to 1924, but after the 1920s the graveyard went disused. By some accounts it was an issue with the water table causing subsidence problems when graves would flood, others claim it was abandoned because the rocky soil was just too tough to dig.

Decades of neglect passed by until the 1970s, when a band of volunteers formed to bring the forgotten graveyard back from the brink. Their laudable efforts culminated in the official dedication of the cemetery on Memorial Day of 1976.

Almost 90 years after it’s unofficial founding, the graveyard was finally recorded with the county and given a name.

NOWADAYS

Since the great volunteer effort of ’76, maintenance at Coulee City Pioneer Cemetery has been sporadic.

Tumbleweeds pile up and the weeds and grasses grow tall enough to obscure many of the remaining markers.

The open spaciousness of the plot tells of the monuments that have vanished to time, while the stones that continue to weather-on might remind visitors of the grit and tenacity of those who settled these Scablands.

MOTORIN’

Coulee City is along the US-2, roughly in the center of Washington State, on the south shores of Banks Lake.

Just northeast of the tiny berg one can find the cemetery, though you might have to drive by a few times until you notice it.

Parking is limited to the roadside, but traffic is sparse.

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REFERENCES:

https://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/986

More pictures: Coulee City Pioneer Cemetery

Coulee City, Grant County, WA, USA

Kitanning Mine

Kitanning Cabin

The Kitanning Mine is located not far from the tiny hamlet of Index, WA, and can be found just off the long washed out Index-Galena Road.

GETTING THERE

(Disclaimer: These directions are for novelty purposes only)

Winter walk

The washout makes for two different ways to reach the Kitanning; either from Beckler Road, just past Skykomish or by driving to the washout at the end of Index-Galena Road and hoofing it along a rough hewn path through trees, mud and some post-apocalyptic looking sections of washed out roadway.

“Road Closed”

In the wintertime hiking is sometimes the only way, and makes for a nice winter walk anyway.

Either way you go you’ll wanna end up at the east side of the wash-out.

♪♫Ooh, ooh, ooh looking out my back door♪♫

Maybe ½-1 mile or so east of the washout shore exists a curve in the road from which a faint trail leads off into the woods. Follow it and you’ll start gently gaining elevation.

At this point mine finding experience is a good thing to have. (A copy of Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.1 really helps too)

To the best of my recollection I followed the little trail until it disappeared beneath thigh deep Oregon Grape.

Lonely miners…

I found an ephemeral stream bed to my right and followed it up, staying left when an obstacles came and eventually began reaching small cliffs, working my way around the them.

When I first went some years ago the sight of the old cabin meant you were there. However I’ve heard in recent years the old Kitanning cabin has collapsed, possibly making the mine more difficult to find, and sealing the hodge-podge of relics and ancient pornography within.

The upper adit

THE TUNNELS

The first adit is right around the corner from the remains of the cabin, literally. It’s right there.

The tunnel is a couple hundred feet long and is blasted into what seems like pretty stable rock. Turquoise colored mineral staining can be seen inside, as well as a couple scattered artifacts.

The upper adit is approximately 500ft above you, amongst steep and sometimes cliffy terrain. An old miner’s trail fades in an out, occasionally leading the way.

This tunnel is a couple hundred feet longer than the lower one and boasts more impressive mineral deposits.

Tessbo Biped deep in the Kitanning

An interesting side note is that this adit does not have a corresponding tailings pile. Strange, no?

According to DWHM#1, the entire tailings pile was hauled off to the smelter by the Twentieth Century Alaska Copper company in the early years of the 1900s.

THE MINERALS

Copper was what was sought after at the Kitanning and is found in the ores; chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite and pyrite.

Since there isn’t a tailings pile, specimens are mostly limited to what you can knock from the veins inside the tunnels.

As always, leave it the way you found it (aside from some mineral samples perhaps)

Good luck and happy trails!

Nuclear Patina

References:

Woodhouse, Phil; Jacobson, Daryl; Petersen, Bill; Cady,Greg; Pisoni, Victor, Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.1: The West Central Cascade Mountains. Oso Publishing Company, 1997