The Bellingham Herald from Bellingham, Washington • 32

I Day trips museum The museum is among a small group of historic buildings gathered at the foot of the bridge on First Street I saw photos on the museum walls reliving the life of miners and loggers mountain climbers train passengers and tourists as well as the cable cars footbridges and car bridges that have crossed the Skykomish River into town Locals watched cranes lift their steel bridge upstream a few feet last year so that a new one can be built this year on the same spot If you come in winter find Index possibly under a light coat of snow with quiet streets and maybe a wake going on in the Bush House Come in summer and you can raft the Skykomish revel on the tavern grass climb the climbing wall or the mountains nearby or photograph the kids in the park Iris Jones writes a weekly column for Take five with slanted roof-shaped walls a king bed a wardrobe and four big chairs The rooms are comfortable and nicely decorated popular among travelers who don't need television in-room toilet or a full-length mirrors Rooms prices range from $59 to $80 a night and include a continental breakfast There are about 160 permanent residents in Index about 500 in summer when they come to raft hike and climb mountains One of them is Louise Lindgren who came here 23 years ago to climb mountains and sew mountain-climbing clothes for a living She is now the Senior Planner for Historic Preservation in Snohomish County Over the years Lindgren became a close friend of Lee widow Dorothy Dorothy Linda and the historical society converted the small red clapboard Pickett house into a tiny INDEX Bush House (360) 793-2312 Snohomish County Tourism Bureau (888) 338-0976 drove into the same deep valley that lured those early travelers with mountains rising splendidly on all sides People still climb Mount Index Mount Baring the Gunn Mountains and the wall" a sheer rock face left behind after granite was mined for the steps of the capitol building in Olympia and the base of the Smith Tower in Seattle The village is much smaller than it was in day: two blocks long two blocks wide with a tavern general store a tiny museum and this one historic inn the Bush House still standing The long white clapboard inn looks much the same now as it did when Pickett photographed it early in the century The lounge and bar is to the left the registration desk and dining room to the right the stairs to I SNOWSHOES TRAK KARHU HSCHH IHt 1040 The faster way of getting your income tax refund Rapid Refund electronic filing from Block You worked for it so why wait longer than you need to? You owe it WINTER CLEARANCE SALE on Selected Skis Boots Clothing Hats Gloves 515 OFF starting lOAM Th Jan 28 10-3056 OFF starting lOAM Th Feb- 4 20-60 OFF from lOAM Th Feb 11 through Feb Snowshoes and Rental Sale starts 6rM Th Feb 11 Sorry no holds no phone sales no returns and no layaways on sale items No pre-sales on rental items A A A 17 to yourself to get the highest refund possible as quickly as possible So ask about Rapid Refund at a convenient location near you Feb 5-7: Dino Days Pacific Science Center Seattle (206) 443-2001 Feb 6-7: Northwest Trek Winter Folksmarch Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Eatonville (360) 832-6117 Feb 13: Taste of the North Beach Food Festival Ocean Shores (800) 874-6737 the second floor straight ahead We found Chef Jim Frey behind the desk planning 10-ounce steaks with pepper sauce or sauteed oysters in wine sauce for dinner As we climbed the stairs to our room we heard voices and a thunder of music from the bar below It was a wake celebrating the life and death of a local resident and it sounded like everybody in town was in attendance The Bush House has 11 rooms: 10 small rooms with queen-sized beds and one 12-by-24-foot room NORTH FACE MOUNTAIN HAROWEAR SQ1STICE COATS ACORN SURFERS ALACK DIAMOND GET IN SHAPE IN 1999! Four Indoor Tennis Courts Reasonable Rates Low Impact Aerobic Gasses Small Fitness Center Terms Offered on Entry Fee wNo Interest Fairhaven Tennis 733-5050 ftorim rrt? ftajjH INDEX We are in a cozy lounge at Bush House enjoying a brief winter getaway among the skiers and passers-by traveling to and from Stevens Pass When we come here in the summer we see rafters on the river beer drinkers on the grassy bank behind the town tavern and kids playing around the giant circular saw in the town park In winter we slip into this popular country inn walk the streets and listen to the trains roar by at what seems like the foot of our beds Today I am looking at Index as photographer Lee Pickett saw it through his camera lens nearly a century ago Pickett lived in Index while photographing the life of the valley His black-and-white pictures taken on 8-by-10 inch glass negatives show miners on a pack train of horses Mrs Bush luring transcontinental train passengers into her inn for dinner and a town so big it stretched down both sides of the river and needed four hotels The scenery hasn't changed much since then When we turned off Highway 2 and followed the North Fork to the bridge that crosses the river into Index we ESBrenthaverv Bags For: Business School Town Travel 1059 State St 360-733-5608 NEW ADVENTURES Travels fir Tours for All Ages! Feb 6 SlugitRafting Eagle Watch Bus guides lunch Feb 9 Rikkft Mystery wlunch $38 Feb 13 Valentine Dinner Cruise $54 Luxury Yacht Champagne Buffet Mar 1-4 Three Casino $234 Kamloops Vernon Kelowna BC Mar 23-24 Amtiak to CentraliaL $105 Call for the 99 Adventure Guide 3607587630 or 8777587630 3776 Blizard Lumrai Is WA 98262 Seller or Tmvd License 601917099 Main Office-2512 Meridan St B'hamWa 98225 (360)733-2327 Lakeway Office -1333 King St Unit ffham Wa 98226 (360) 733-7117 Sears Office 20 Belis Fair Partway Blum Wa 98226 (360) 650-1218 Lynden Office -521B Front St Lynden Wa 98264 (360)354-1305 201 Chestnut 671-4615 SHOP EARLY FOR BEST SELECTION! TheBreakwater ASAP SamaI SUft MU 9M tU 7(atexfaMt Abort tbeBeQiafhja Tad Cbb This Fri Sat Steamboat Willie SKI EQUIRMENT GIFT CERTIFICATES GORE TEK Bay Hat Canvas Co AfclntCip- temuTowtCip- Great selection of technical and wax doth winter hats Uniquely designed cozy fleece pullovers 6 Fullsize Potartec 300 blankets Wide selection of fabrics project supplies 210 East Maple Street (Powintslrs from Brtnthavsn) Open for Lunch Tuesday through Saturday Available wedding tecepliond and banquet pumt 50 to- 250 ILVRBOR LOOP BEUlNGRtfirajOl.