Straddling the South Fork of the Skykomish River and US 2, and 16 miles west of Stevens Pass, the small (pop 127) community of Skykomish is nestled among the fir-covered hillsides that lead up to the snow peaks of the North Cascades. Built by Great Northern Railway to serve as a maintenance yard and construction headquarter to extend the tracks, BNSF freight trains still whistle through several times a day and the Amtrak passes twice a day without stopping. The name is a derivation of the Skai-whamish tribe who lived in the area, hunting, fishing, and trading, for centuries before the Europeans came. John Maloney, a guide for the GN survey crew, settled in the area in 1889. The town was incorporated in 1909. From 1893 until 1974, Skykomish...