I was fortunate enough to be invited along for a fall weekend boating and 
camping trip on Diablo Lake. Located on the upper Skagit River, Diablo Lake is the middle of a three reservoir hydroelectric project started by Seattle City Light in the 1920’s. History Link has a photo essay slide show of the Skagit River dam project. Diablo is well known for the water’s turquoise to emerald green hue, which is attributable to it’s glacial sources.
We camped at the Colonial Creek Campground on Friday evening. 
The fall colors were at their peak and the weather was absolutely gorgeous - clear skies with lows in the 30’s and mid-afternoon highs in the 50’s. Saturday morning we loaded the boats and struck out on the water for the Hidden Cove campsite, one of the three backcountry campsites on Diablo that are accessible by boat only. Each campsite has a floating dock, one or more tent pads, one or more picnic tables, and a pit toilet.
The calm morning made for fantastic rowing and the reflections of the North Cascades scenery on the smooth lake surface were spectacular. 
Saturday afternoon and Sunday were spent exploring the reservoir. The northern end of Diablo lake narrows to a gorge that is only 40 or 50 feet at one point. JP paddled, I rowed, up the gorge to the Ross Dam Powerhouse. We made a few feeble attempts to catch some fish since the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Despite having no luck with the fish, we did catch a lot of great scenery drifting in the breeze on the lake’s placid waters. Sunday morning we visited the North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center, which is located on the shores of Diablo Lake.
Tashbih Sayyed, Editor in Chief of Pakistan Today and The Muslim World Today, writes:
A number of recent apologies made to the Muslims by non-Muslim leaders clearly indicate that the world has grown increasingly fearful of the Muslim rage.
[…]
But I do not feel any happiness or see any victory in finding that the world fears the Muslims. IN FACT I AM SAD. I do not want to be feared. I want to be respected, accepted and loved. The very fact that the world is appearing to be afraid of Muslims concerns me a great deal. I am afraid that the Muslim extremism is pushing this world to a point from where its rescue will be almost impossible. I do not see anything good in the situation.
The fact that the world fears Muslims speaks volumes about the image of my co-religionists. The image is definitely not good. People do not fear GOOD. They fear EVIL. And Muslims have somehow have failed to convey to the world that they are good. And I am not surprised.
Indeed. Joe Katzman over at Winds of Change discusses Dr. Sayyed’s article at length and notes that a crucial question for Islam is whether or not it is a religion or a “politicist” ideology. In other words, can Islam acknowledged both private/civil spheres?
He concludes that, “if Islam is politicist at its core, a war of civilizations is more or less inevitable.”
I find it interesting to observe the various responses to the present state of the US economy: GDP growth is strong, productivity is up, unemployment is low, salaries and wages are up, personal incomes are rising, inflation is down, the stock market is up, federal tax receipts are up, and the federal deficit is down.
Half Empty
You have to search for this positive economic new because most MSM news outlets are either ignoring it or concealing it in an opaque glass of news labeled with misleading headlines.
Despite jobs report, Bush pleased with U.S. economy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush declared himself pleased on Friday with U.S. economic progress despite a Labor Department report that said U.S. employers added only 51,000 jobs in September.
How low can the Republicans go?
the Democrats now inspire more trust than the GOP on handling the economy (53 to 31)
Half Full
What idiot wrote the Reuters headline? Despite the jobs report? The U.S. unemployment rate matched a five-year low in September and job growth the prior month was stronger than previously estimated, easing concern the economy is faltering.
Investor’s Business Daily on Pelosinomics.
“Jump-start the economy”? That’s what President Bush did in 2003, when he pushed through bold, broad tax cuts to end a slump that began in 2000 under a Democratic administration.
Since the cuts took effect, the economy has added $1.26 trillion in real output, $14.4 trillion in net wealth and 5.8 million new jobs, while productivity has grown 10% and business investment 24%. Since 2000, total consumer spending has risen $1 trillion — nearly $8,000 per household — after adjusting for inflation. The Dow Jones industrial average is hitting new highs.
The DOW returns to record-setting terriroty.
Fall is in full swing above 5,000 ft. elevation in the North Cascades. I spent a recent weekend (9/30 - 10/1) 
with friends camping and hiking near Twin Lakes in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The area is very popular for both camping and hiking, including the popular trails on Yellow Aster Butte, Winchster Mountain, Mt. Larrabee, and Tomyhoi Lake.
Eric, Angela, Jon-Paul and I hiked the High Pass Trail on Saturday. The morning 
was nice and clear, but was squandered because we slept in pretty late, lounged around drinking espresso, and consumed mass quantities of bacon and eggs. Consequently, we didn’t break away from camp until mid-day. The cloudless skies were gone and a damp wind was blowing in from the west and northwest.
The High Pass trail is only 4 miles long. It wraps around and traverses 
the northeast slopes of Mt. Winchester, across the saddle of Low Pass, and on to the south slopes of Mt. Larrabee. The weather blowing in brought clouds and varied lighting that seemed to highlight the fall colors that blanketed the slopes. It was something I 
had never seen and was quite spectacular. Everyone remarked that it was prettier than spring, largely due to the many contrasting colors. Topping it off, the Cascade Huckleberries were ripe and it took little effort to stop and grab a handful from the trail side patches.
Sunday we hiked up Mt. Winchester to the old fire look out. It’s maintained 
by the Mt. Baker Hiking Club. The trail is only 2 miles long, but gains a little over 1,200 ft elevation. The 360-degree views from the top are breathtaking. It was another great weekend made complete by the obligatory stop at the North Fork Brewery & Beer Shrine for fresh ales and yummy pizza.
camping trip on Diablo Lake. Located on the upper Skagit River, Diablo Lake is the middle of a three reservoir hydroelectric project started by Seattle City Light in the 1920’s. History Link has a photo essay slide show of the Skagit River dam project. Diablo is well known for the water’s turquoise to emerald green hue, which is attributable to it’s glacial sources.
The fall colors were at their peak and the weather was absolutely gorgeous - clear skies with lows in the 30’s and mid-afternoon highs in the 50’s. Saturday morning we loaded the boats and struck out on the water for the Hidden Cove campsite, one of the three backcountry campsites on Diablo that are accessible by boat only. Each campsite has a floating dock, one or more tent pads, one or more picnic tables, and a pit toilet.
Saturday afternoon and Sunday were spent exploring the reservoir. The northern end of Diablo lake narrows to a gorge that is only 40 or 50 feet at one point. JP paddled, I rowed, up the gorge to the Ross Dam Powerhouse. We made a few feeble attempts to catch some fish since the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Despite having no luck with the fish, we did catch a lot of great scenery drifting in the breeze on the lake’s placid waters. Sunday morning we visited the North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center, which is located on the shores of Diablo Lake.
