Robe Canyon

My wife was was on-call last Tuesday at the hospital and by 2:00 we figured she was staying home. I had already made dinner for the family to reheat so I grabbed my camera gear and went out for the evening. Robe Canyon has been on my list of to-do spots for awhile now. It is nearby and the hike is easy but the warnings in the guidebooks about the speed of the water made me leery about bringing my son along. All alone on Tuesday night, it was the perfect opportunity.

Robe Canyon is spectacular. The entire Stillaguamish River is squeezed into a narrow chasm with heavily forested cliffs. Years ago, a narrow gauge train ran alongside from Granite Falls to the now deserted mining town of Monte Cristo. The trail follows the old railroad grade blasted into the canyon walls Old wood ties still attached to the rock walls and perennially slick rocky surfaces make you pay constant attention to where you are putting your feet but the views are worth it. Less than a mile from the road, it feels like you are days from civilization.