Index, WA

Index is one of my favorite places in WA.  The town is maybe 1 mile off of Route 2 between Gold Bar and Skykomish, snuggled up to the North Fork Skykomish river.  I first visited because of the interesting name, quickly to find that the town is named after the towering peak just south of the town & Route 2.  Mt. Index is really impressive because it is so steep, so there aren't many trees along it's steep, solid, rocky slopes.  I spoke to a few people who mentioned the frequent winter sound of small avalanches crumbling down the mountainside.  Apparently the steep slopes don't allow enough snow to accumulate into dangerous avalanches.

The town itself is mainly a bridge from the access road (which used to go to mining encampments Mineral, WA and Galena, WA, but is now washed out by the river) and a smattering of old homes and a few businesses: a small post office-convenience store, a fire station, tiny elementary school, town museum, and outdoors shop with summer and winter rentals, a restaurant and cafe.  There is a very old, dilapidated hotel along the sheer rock wall to the west of the town which was condemned after the most recent minor earthquake the region experienced.  A local dude said the owners are planning to rebuild it like the original, including a restaurant on the first floor which was quite popular right up until the earthquake.

The 'Bush House' Inn.  Town Wall in the background.

There is a large swath of state-owned land to the southwest and northeast of town, which will eventually become a state park.  "Forks of the Sky State Park" is the name...and if you were thinking there are only mountains and trees in the sky around here--no forks, you are not alone.  I was perplexed about what local feature looked like forks poking into the sky, until a very friendly local dude named Scott politely informed me the Skykomish river is locally referred to as 'Sky' and the North and South Forks branch off just down-river from Index.  Now the name makes sense!

As for the town of Index, it seems mostly local people hang out in the area, which explains why it isn't overrun with touristy visitors, trash, commercial development and developed trails.  The Index Town Wall is a rock face rising up above the town and is apparently well-known to regional climbers.  Under the wall and through town, the Skykomish river is fairly narrow and fast-flowing.  Upriver, north of Index the North Fork Sky spreads out into a wide, shallow, bubbly, bouldery horizontal cascade of water.  During dry times the banks are wide with rocks, boulders and gravel sized stones, but in wet times the river consumes the banks and trees float down the river.  I found a perfect place along the river which is definitely in my top 5 places to be in Washington, maybe on the earth!  The access to the river, along with the sound, smell and solitude provide a sense of contemplative energy which invigorates my mind and body.