Diversion Dam Rd. is now open! Woohoo! Don't ask why this is a big deal, 'cause I have no idea - it's not that great of a hike anyway. But it's been closed since last fall, so I thought I would take a break from hunting for toilet paper and check it out. (which begs the question - why toilet paper of all things? That's the first thing you think of when faced with a looming calamity? Toilet paper? Oh yeah - and Top Ramen... Hmmm...) Anyway, I've never actually been all the way down to the end of the road, so I'll save you the trouble with this report.
Yeah, don't bother. The road follows the Sultan River upstream for a couple miles, then drops down to the diversion dam. I believe it feeds Lk. Chaplain through an underground aqueduct or something, but you can't get close to it. 400 ft. is close enough. This is PUD property, and they don't mess around! They did give the "public" a nod and crafted some very nice steps that end in the river - but then again, you can't get down to the river anywhere else...so there's that. Take what you can get, I guess.
So anyhows. The Sultan River has carved a deep, narrow canyon through here, and the road follows high above, with only partial glimpses through the trees down to the river. (unless you want to do a little 'shwhacking. Be cautious - the edge hangs out on a 150ft. drop to the rocks.) There aren't any trails to speak of other than an occasional bootpath that just peters out. It's a handy hike for the locals, but not worth driving far for. Nothing to see here...
( WTA has been changing the title to "New Trip Report". This is not "new"- geezerhiker had a report for this area back in June 2011. This is PUD property - same as Spada Lk. The public is allowed. Fill out the form at the kiosk, and watch the time. The gate closes at 6p.m.)
Comments
George & Sally on Sultan River Canyon / Diversion Dam Rd.
mato, Back in my running days I lived in the Sultan, and Lake Roesiger areas and ran on the old gravel City of Everett pipeline road to Lake Chaplain and the side road down to the diversion dam. This was in the 80's and 90's. Back then you go go down by the dam. It was built by the City Of Everett Water Dept. and had a pipeline going over to Lake Chaplain, this is the cities drinking water storage. They have two water pipelines coming out of the lake going to Everett. You can see them along the Highway 2 trestle near Everett. One of the old pipelines to Everett ran thru my property and was replaced in the early 90's. It was an old wooden one. The new metal/concrete pipe cost million dollars a mile. It is a big pipe, I could have driven my Outback thru it. George
Posted by:
George & Sally on Mar 16, 2020 02:34 PM
mato on Sultan River Canyon / Diversion Dam Rd.
Thanks, George. The diversion dam road is still gravel, but the pipeline road is nicely paved now. I've also seen some old wooden pipes here and there - one that comes to mind is a remnant above Olney Falls that supplied Goldbar. (I was stupid and walked across it to the dam - a fall would have been deadly.)
Posted by:
mato on Mar 16, 2020 05:20 PM