Sandy Breckenridge

Traveling The Scenic North Cascades Highway

May 17, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 1 Comment

Liberty Bell Mountain on the North Cascade Highway in Washington State

“Sometimes you just need to change your altitude.” — Unknown

In our last photography post, we traveled from Oso to Rockport, WA.

This exploration continues from Rockport on Highway 530 onto the North Cascades Highway 20 and over one of Washington state’s most beautiful and dramatic mountain passes.

Google Maps calculates the drive as almost two and one-half hours from Rockport, to Marblemount, through the Newhalem dam region, onto Washington Pass Lookout in the N. Stehekin region, and then to the three small towns in the Methow Valley.

There are frequent points of interest along the way. Be sure to schedule most of the day so you can leisurely explore the highlights.

After driving over the pass, you will enter the Methow Valley corridor. The first town to visit is Mazama. This area is the hub of a vast hiking trail system. Twisp and Winthrop are the next stops on our journey.

We stop for the night in the small community of Carlton to spend the night. We stay at a friend’s Straw Bale home that sits on a ridge with an expansive view of the area.

Points of Interest Along the Way

Marblemount

The town of Marblemount is your last chance to grab a snack or meal and refuel your vehicle before heading over the scenic pass. Here you’ll find a Wilderness Information Center that is the main backcountry permit office for North Cascades National Park and the adjacent Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas.

Learn more, click > Marblemount

Thornton Lakes Road & Hikes

The turn-off to Thornton Lake Road is eleven miles east of Rockport. There is a five-mile drive to get to the trailhead leading to the lakeside. It is best to drive the route in a high clearance or a 4-wheel drive vehicle. The dirt road is steep and rugged in quite a few places.

The hike is another five miles once you arrive at the trailhead. The first two miles are along an old logging road system built in the 1960s, and this part of the trail is easy to navigate. After that, the hike is strenuous and not recommended for the faint of heart.

To learn more, click > Thornton Lake and Ridge and Meadow Trails

Newhalem

The North Cascades Visitor Center is in Newhalem. You can attend their multimedia exhibit to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the Ross Lake Recreational area. A theatre offers large format slide shows and video presentations. Their store has maps, books, literature, trail interpretations, and historical information. Schools and other interested groups can schedule to see various presentations describing the region and its history.

Exploring the vast Ross Lake Recreation trail system that surrounds Newhalem is a photographer and hiker’s dream.

A few of the most popular trails include:

The Sterling Munro Trail
River Loop Trail
“To Know a Tree” Trail
Rock Shelter Trail
“Trail of the Cedars” Nature Walk

You can also book camping time for future trips at the Newhalem Creek and Goodell Creek campgrounds.

Newhalem is a company town owned by Seattle City Light. The three hydroelectric dams in the region are Gorge Dam, Ross Dam, and Diablo Dam.

Seattle City Light also offers tours of all three Hydroelectric dams.

To view some great pictures and see the entire region, click > The Skagit Tours.

Gorge Dam and Falls

At the Gorge Falls Overlook enjoy a walk on a leisurely trail to a footbridge where you can take in views of the falls. After parking, the paved trail leads to an unpaved path. Here it makes a loop offering views of the dam and lake. In the summer the waterfalls are not very spectacular, but this scenic stop is an opportunity to stop, stretch, and breathe in the fresh air.

For a view, click > Gorge Creek Falls Overlook

Diablo Dam and Lake Overlook

Be sure to schedule a stop at the Diablo Overlook. A short walk from the parking area along the wide-open paths has stunning views on clear or even semi-cloudy days. Diablo Lake’s blue waters sparkle and various North Cascades mountain peaks tower above.

For insight on hiking into the lake, click > Diablo Lake Hike

Ross Dam and Lake Overlook

Ross Lake is a large reservoir created by Ross Dam. The lake spans twenty-three miles in length and up to one and a half miles in width in some areas. It also extends into British Columbia, Canada. This man-made lake sits at 1,604 feet above sea level and is a breathtaking wilderness wonderland.

From the Ross Lake Overlook, you have expansive views to capture the region’s natural beauty. To experience the available wilderness activities, turn off the highway and visit the Ross Lake Resort.

Our Stop at Washington Pass Summit Overlook

North Cascades Highway Lookout at Washington Pass Summit

The Washington Pass Overlook is your first picture-perfect stop and where we stopped to take in the view. It is perched at 5,462 feet above sea level and offers a leisurely walk along several trails adjacent to the parking area.

You can see stunning views of the dramatic ridgeline, roadway below, and picturesque Liberty Bell Mountain (the first image in this post). The Gorge Dam is also visible from this scenic stop. The below pictures are a tutorial that is found at the area describing the formation of the terrain.

The North Cascade region provides some of the most rugged hikes and outdoor adventures available in Washington State’s mainly untouched wilderness. A million years of erosion created by the glacier’s movement over several creek valleys and the Skagit River are visible from this location.

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Watch a short video of a 360 degree view when standing at the Washington Pass Overlook

Stehekin Region and Valley

You can only access the Stehekin Valley by hiking, flying in a plane, or by boat. For those who are adventurous and physically fit, an overnight backpacking trail leads into the valley. The beginning of the 19-mile hike is off Highway 20 on the Bridge Creek-McAlester Pass Trail. Most adventurers prefer the more relaxing route taken by boat from Lake Chelan. You can catch this ride with the Lady of the Lake from the Chelan lakeside just south of the Methow Valley.

Stehekin resort is a destination getaway. It is a unique community nestled along the water’s edge. Since it is only accessible by hiking, boating, or arriving by plane you can experience one of Washington state’s unique northern wildernesses. This area is also a nature photographer’s dream.

To learn more, click > Stehekin Resort Community

Dropping Into the Methow Valley

The Methow Valley is a mix of the Wild West with artistic and cultural experiences. Experience abundant outdoor activities and lodging options from rustic to fully inclusive resorts and lodges.

Mazama

The small town of Mazama is located right off Highway 20 and 17 miles east of the Washington Overlook summit. It is also 14 miles northwest of Winthrop. The elevation is 2106 feet and, the 2019 population was only 963 people.

Mazama is a fun community fully embracing the best of what mountain culture can offer. Its residents are said to be adventurous, open-minded, and good-natured.

Those who pass through can experience a “green” climate-friendly attitude and vast opportunities to explore human-powered recreation. Here you can enjoy a wonderful mix of organic foods and a love of art and music.

Because Mazama is east of the Cascade Mountain range, the weather is much drier than in western Washington. The better weather permits outdoor activities most of the year.

One of the desired features of Mazama is the connection to the Methow Valley Sports Trails (https://www.methowtrails.org) and the activities available on the Methow River.

To learn more about, click > Mazama

Winthrop

Now we drop to an elevation of 1,768 feet. The small town of Winthrop (population 400) resembles an 1850’s western town from our past. Old-style building fronts, antique boardwalks, an emporium, and saloon take you back in time.

Like any good ole western town, the community offers a yearly rodeo on Labor Day weekend!

Winthrop is known for one of the best yearly Rhythm and Blues Festivals in WA state. This music event is well attended and has drawn over eighty thousand people during the past twenty-nine years.

The Winthrop area also offers year-round outdoor activities and some of the best cross country skiing in all of North America over the 120 miles of groomed trails.

Twisp

Traveling a few more miles brings you to the town of Twisp. The elevation drops to 1,637 feet and the population is similar to Mazama (982 in 2019). Twisp is another creative town supporting great food, microbreweries, arts, crafts, and everything homegrown. During the growing season, you can frequent the well-known Methow Valley Farmer’s Market. Across the street, be sure and take time to explore TwispWorks, a 6-acre campus, and a fun and active creative hub for the artistic community.

To learn more about the town, click > Town of Twisp and Twisp, WA

Carlton

After our day’s journey, we dropped another 200 feet in elevation to the next small town of Carlton (population 396). We arrived at the location of our dear friend’s Straw Bale home which is the subject of our next scenic and pictorial post.

In the meantime, here are some additional references about the Northern Cascade region and what this breathtaking wilderness has to offer.

Explore the North Cascades

If you missed the previous post where our journey began, click > Oso to Rockport, WA.

Modern Four Flight Stair Remodel

May 3, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 2 Comments

“No amount of smiling at a flight of stairs has ever made it turn into a ramp.”—Stella Young

The staircase in our home was a real eyesore. Since we purchased a cosmetic fixer, our priorities drove the remodeling process. For obvious reasons, the top floor bedrooms and the main bathroom had to be first on our list. A few months in, it was time to tackle the entryway and staircase.

Four Flights & Two Landings

1984 Stair Case Design — The entry and staircase badly needed updating. Old carpeting on the stairs, clunky handrail and wooden 2×2 balustrades made the staircase feel like a jail.

I felt overwhelmed when it came to the two-story staircase to the right of the entry door. The handrail and balustrades looked like what you might find in a jailhouse. The dark, drab, and massive two-by-two, 4-level vertical wooden bars may have been popular and easy to construct in the ’80s, but now they needed updating.

I wanted to do something to enhance our 1984, modern-contemporary home that would add more light while also drawing the eye to our new handrail as a work of art. I needed to create within a budget and I wanted the entry to look elegant by incorporating a higher-end design.

Design Challenges

It was time to illustrate a few ideas. I had completed the extensive demo of parts of the stair steps, handrails, and the two-story wooden balustrades.

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In my opinion, modern industrial features can feel stark and cold or warm and visually inviting. I wanted to incorporate some of the existing materials to maintain the integrity and structure of the staircase. I also wanted to create an unusual and unique design that would make the entryway one of our home’s outstanding features. The question was, how do I blend the old with the new and achieve this goal?

I went ahead and priced traditional handrails and balustrades in hopes of finding some creative ideas. Most were too traditional for my taste. Many of the designs I discovered were made out of dark metal and felt cold. Plus, wrapping a railing up four flights of stairs left some structural problems. I needed another industrial type of material that I could adapt to a modern and inviting design.

I stopped to view the industrial metal materials at Lowe’s and Home Depot. After finding some options, the next stop was one of my favorite builder’s supply stores, Tacoma Screw. This store is where the metal, all steel rods, completely captured my attention.

One Step at a Time

The stair steps were another element of the staircase that needed a makeover. The thick, shaggy, worn grey carpet covering the treads and stair risers had to go.

I needed to trim off the wooden sides of each tread to incorporate a new balustrade design. Now was the time to decide what to do with the risers and treads. Do I re-carpet? Do I make new stair risers? What about replacing the stair treads? So many decisions.

Rebuilding the Stair Treads and Risers

I had to do the dirty work before advancing to the fun part of the staircase redesign. I used my jigsaw to rip both sides of each stair tread to make them all flush. White, easy to clean masonite was a perfect solution to cut to size for the stair risers. I found a lovely gray and slightly textured carpet for the treads.

It took a while to assemble all twenty-eight steps—seven on each flight with two landings in the middle.

Some drywall repair and finishing of the ends of each stair tread was another remodeling task. To finish the ends, I chose to rip on my table saw the leftover 2×2’s from the dismantled materials to the desired size.

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Incorporating Modern Handrails and a New Balustrade Design

I came up with a railing design that would stretch my installation abilities. I chose all steel rods as the main feature. Their spacing had to be correctly implemented to current building codes.

I also had to learn how to build a jig that would assist in drilling angled holes in the aluminum plates and the three-quarter wood ends of the thirty-two rods, keeping in mind how they overlap at the end of each stair flight.

In total, I precisely drilled 264 angled holes, first drilling through the wood and then the aluminum plates. Now the rods were safely spaced and secured.

Phew…I was thrilled when I completed installing all of the stairway components. I moved through all of the fears I had and completed my design vision while learning all along the way.

The modern staircase redesign and construction were one of my most challenging projects to date and we still love it!

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After completing the staircase redesign it was time to move onto the next > Remodeling Project!

The 8 Compositional Devices

April 24, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 2 Comments

Catching the current — One Dominant is primary device, Frame is the secondary device.

The Eight Compositional Devices are the foundation of graphic design. You can train your eye to notice how each one is composed and how one of the eight devices becomes the foundation of the design.

The graphic image above has a primary device of One Dominant which contains the eagles in the sky who are catching the air currents. A One Dominant device does not touch the edges but lies within the image. The artwork also contains other design relationships including a secondary compositional device. The elements in the pattern flowing around the One Dominant device are described in the Graphic Design Element Series.

Identify the Primary Device First

Essentially, each of the devices contains a primary and may also include a secondary. The next several posts in this series will explore all sixty-four device combinations! This is a fun series and explains how designs are composed.

Here is a list of the primary eight devices:

One Dominant
Two Dominant
Pattern
Negative Positive
Structure
Movement
Frame
Perspective

A downloadable image illustrates each of these compositions.

Here is a slide show of examples of each so you can examine them in greater detail. Take the time to memorize each. They can become your foundation as you create.

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Exercise Ideas:

Look through old magazines that you don’t mind ripping out the pages. Identify at least three examples of each of the eight devices. Start a slush file which is a term used by artists. It’s a folder containing examples of ideas that you categorize of examples. The contents of the file serve as references for stimulating your imagination when you begin a new creative project.
Play with your favorite art medium and illustrate an example of each of the eight. In this creative exercise, remember to keep it simple like the examples in the slide show.

In case you are viewing a post in the middle of a series, click to view > Art & Illustration Series Table of Contents

Caulk A Doodle Do, Two

April 18, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 2 Comments

Painter’s Caulking — Inexpensive white paintable caulking.

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Repetition creates additional opportunities to learn.

After I completed the first experiment using painter’s construction caulking as an art medium I decided to try another smaller painting. As my first attempt, I started without a plan other than knowing I wanted to build up the medium.

I had my canvas ready and began to smear the first layer of caulking. I used a palette blade to smooth the caulk into a third-inch thick layer. This time, I wanted to expand on the previous technique to see what would happen if I added additional medium layers. I also wanted to add depth by carving into the first layer.

I used a palette knife and carved a playful pattern into the wet caulking. I liked the appearance, and this process felt just right for today’s experiment. The art session felt complete. It was time to let it dry overnight.

Imagination From the Garden

Black, white and purple pin cushions, Zinnia, and Queen’s Anne Lace against the wildfire smoky skies of late summer.

It was the middle of summer. I found inspiration from the flowers in the yard and those growing in my newly built raised flower bed.

The next day a pattern emerged after both layers of caulk on the canvas were dry. It was time to add another layer. I playfully doodled a few flower and leaf shapes while further building up the medium. Not sure what to think, but the appearance was 🤔 interesting, not exciting, but I liked the potential.

I knew that I was gaining experience trying something new. I was having fun. In the end, if this mysterious art piece was a failed experiment, so be it. It was time to stop, let this next layer dry.

Applying Acrylic Paint

The garden flowers were mostly germinated from seed this year.

Covid restrictions shut down garden centers making my choices the seed packets I could buy online.

The assortment I planted displayed such a beautiful variety of bright and vibrant blossoms.

The combination of orange, fuchsia, and purples popped with harmony. I choose to adopt these colors for the project’s palette.

The Finished Painting

First, I painted a varied thin watercolor wash. Following, green detail was added as a complement to give the impression of the stems. In the last two painting sessions, the painting felt complete.

I created a frame and hung the finished piece on the wall. Standing back and viewing from a short distance, the texture appeared somewhat like a plush fabric tapestry.

Caulking used as an art medium adds dimension.

I will let you be the judge as to your preference. I feel the lesson from my second Caulk a Doodle Do painting leaves me eager to try another one!

If you want to read about my first experiment using painter’s construction caulking as an art medium, click, Caulk A Doodle Do.