Washed-out road delays a dream

Not to be able to get to his toothbrush, favorite frying pan, income tax receipts and high school annual almost a year ago was bad enough.

Knowing he won’t be able to retrieve some of his possessions for another two years is enough to break a big, tough park ranger’s heart.

Snohomish County park ranger Joe Miller’s home along the Sauk River in Darrington was isolated Oct. 17 when a flood wiped out a chunk of the only road to his place. Snohomish County Public Works said it may be more than two years before it can rebuild the washed-out portion of N. Sauk River Road, which cut off about a dozen landowners from their properties.

Miller had almost finished building his dream retirement home. His motor home is stranded. His $10,000 backhoe sits idle. And most of his possessions are on the far side of a new path the Sauk cut during a horrific storm.

“I was in the process of moving in when the storm hit,” Miller said. “The next day, I was admitted to the hospital for surgery. My brother and sister-in-law hiked in several days later to rescue the animals. It took them two hours to hike to the property.”

Miller owns 9 acres next to his brother, whose property also is stranded.

“It’s built on a hill far from the river and in a safe area,” Miller said. “We have diesel generators, equipment of all kinds, tools, welding equipment and my brother’s new travel trailer that he lived in on weekends. The list goes on and on.”

Unfortunately, the county has a long list of places where it can spend its money. For the N. Sauk River Road project, expect two more years before it’s fixed, public works design manager Owen Carter said.

“We’ve prepared a feasibility study on potential different alignments for the roadway,” Carter said. “The main river channel is where the road used to be.”

A new road probably will be built hugging the river, Carter said. The county has requested 75 percent of the cost from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the permit process takes more than a year. If all is approved, the county would chip in 12.5 percent, and the state an equal amount for the $2 million project.

Carter said he doesn’t see construction starting until summer 2006. If federal money doesn’t come, the county would have to weigh the option of rebuilding the road against other priorities in the county, he said. Plans to rebuild have to be approved by environmental agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corp of Engineers.

That leaves Miller and the other property owners up the proverbial creek.

Just about ready to retire, Miller said he has cried about his predicament. Tears are unusual for him, said Miller, an Illinois native who served 17 years in the Army and earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Korean Victory Cross and two Combat Infantry badges.

“I’ve been very upset, and I’m a tough war boy,” Miller said. “I think about this every day, every day.”

After the service, Miller did security for famous folks in Hollywood. He bought the Sauk River land in 1973 when he worked for comedian Bob Hope.

The October storm ruined his retirement plans. In one 24-hour period, it dumped more than 6 inches of rain on Darrington. Officials said parts of the 500,000-acre Darrington Ranger District looked like the devastation caused by the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

My hike to the road break was discouraging. When we got to where the Sauk washed out the bank, the road disappeared down a steep bank into the river. You can see across the streaming water to where the old road connected..

But civilians, don’t think about going there. The washed-out road is behind a locked gate.

Just think, Miller is still paying rent on welding equipment stranded behind the drop-off, and paying for a recreational vehicle he can’t reach.

He invited me to visit the house and sign reading “Joe’s Place” if and when the road gets fixed. It used to be a retreat filled with friends pitching in to help with chores, family enjoying weekend getaways and a perfect spot for a retired park ranger to call it a day.

Miller is fears that when he finally gets back to his house, the backhoe will have deteriorated and rats and mice will have taken over the buildings.

“We bought this property from the county,” Miller said. “We pay taxes to the county. It’s their obligation to get us a road.”

Especially when the road leads to a well-deserved retirement.

Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.

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