The Skagit River made the national news last week when the interstate highway bridge across it in Mount Vernon collapsed after getting struck by an over-sized truck.

Draining a large swath of the western slopes of the North Cascades, the Skagit River winds through some of the most strikingly beautiful scenery in the US. From glaciated peaks to tulip fields the river winds its way west towards Puget Sound.

Settlements and towns dot the banks, interspersed with stretches free of any human signs.

Recently I went out look for such a spot and found this vantage point just before sunset.