The Forgotten Iron Gorge of the Cascades
A survey of the remote Denny mining claims near Snoqualmie Pass reveals a rugged, dangerous 'wonder land' of hidden mineral wealth.
On August 4th, A. A. Denny, W. Denny, O. Jacobs, and J. P. M. Miller left the bustling precincts of the Queen City for a survey of the celebrated Denny iron and copper mines. We traveled through Newcastle and up through the Squak Valley, where we encountered a 'wall of fire'—fallen dry timber burning across the roadway. We managed to clear a path and proceeded to the Snoqualmie Prairie, the largest hop field in the world. The road eventually narrowed to a 'villainous trail' as we neared the Denny mining cabin. We ascended a gorge with rocky walls five hundred feet high, where we found a massive ledge of copper ore and inexhaustible magnetic iron. It is a wonder land of varied crystallization, where we had to cut footholds in the rocks just to reach the copper deposits. Despite the physical danger of the climb and the remote nature of the terrain, we returned to Seattle with specimens of the undeveloped wealth of that region.
“The trail ends, or did end that day, so far as I was concerned, on the brink of the gorge. It is about 175 feet from said brink to the bottom... If you are sure-footed, you can follow the gains after you let go of the rope; otherwise you can slide down, but it is hard on pants.”
While the 'wonder land' described by J.B. Thompson focuses on the prospect of mining riches, the route he highlights—the corridor through Snoqualmie Pass—remains the primary lifeline connecting Seattle to the interior of Washington. His vivid description of the 'fire fiend' clearing timber is an early, haunting testament to the wildfire cycles that still define the Cascades today.
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