Hyak, Washington
Encyclopedia
Hyak is an unincorporated community located on Snoqualmie Pass
in Kittitas County, Washington.
Hyak was established around 1915 at the eastern portal of the Snoqualmie Pass Milwaukee Road Railroad tunnel. Originally a train station, the community began to grow in the 1930s when the railroad built a world class ski area. Today there are approximately 200 full time residences in Hyak and another 100 part-time.
Hyak is a Chinook Jargon
word meaning "hurry", "fast", or "swift".
Hyak is located in the Easton school district.
In 1915 Hyak replaced Laconia as the main train station on Snoqualmie Pass. Hyak had a small school house, and a post office.
The Milwaukee road built a ski area at Hyak (from 1937–1950) originally known as The Snoqualmie Ski Bowl until World War II. After the war it reopened as the Milwaukee Ski Bowl
so it was not to be confused by The Snoqualmie Summit ski area located 2 miles north. A Class-A ski jump was built in 1941 and was said to be the largest ski jump in North America
and held national championship events from 1941 until 1949 when the lodge was lost to fire. The train station saw its last train roll across its tracks in 1981 when the Milwaukee Road Railroad sold off the line and it was decommissioned. The old line is now part of the parks system called the Iron Horse State Park
. The Hyak community still exists in the same area from which it started even though there is no train service. There is no longer a school and post office, but there are many more people living in the area today.
Most of the residents of Hyak work in the Seattle-Bellevue area and commute 25–50 miles. Hyak is also home to the Snoqualmie Pass Cable TV company as well as Summit East, which is 25% of The Summit at Snoqualmie
ski area.
Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...
in Kittitas County, Washington.
Hyak was established around 1915 at the eastern portal of the Snoqualmie Pass Milwaukee Road Railroad tunnel. Originally a train station, the community began to grow in the 1930s when the railroad built a world class ski area. Today there are approximately 200 full time residences in Hyak and another 100 part-time.
Hyak is a Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
word meaning "hurry", "fast", or "swift".
Geography
Hyak is located 2 miles east of the summit of Snoqulamie Pass at 2,600'.Hyak is located in the Easton school district.
Surrounding Cities and Communities
History
The Milwaukee road built a ski area at Hyak (from 1937–1950) originally known as The Snoqualmie Ski Bowl until World War II. After the war it reopened as the Milwaukee Ski Bowl
Milwaukee Ski Bowl
Milwaukee Ski Bowl was an alpine ski area that operated in Washington state between 1937 and 1951.Executives of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad built a ski area at Hyak, Washington in the fall of 1937, including a lodge and one lift. It was originally called the Snoqualmie...
so it was not to be confused by The Snoqualmie Summit ski area located 2 miles north. A Class-A ski jump was built in 1941 and was said to be the largest ski jump in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and held national championship events from 1941 until 1949 when the lodge was lost to fire. The train station saw its last train roll across its tracks in 1981 when the Milwaukee Road Railroad sold off the line and it was decommissioned. The old line is now part of the parks system called the Iron Horse State Park
Iron Horse State Park
Iron Horse State Park, part of the Washington State Park System, is a state park located in the Cascade Mountains and Yakima River Valley, between Cedar Falls on the west and the Columbia River on the east....
. The Hyak community still exists in the same area from which it started even though there is no train service. There is no longer a school and post office, but there are many more people living in the area today.
Economy
The Summit at Snoqualmie
The Summit at Snoqualmie, located on Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, is a winter resort providing alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, and winter tubing owned by CNL Investment Properties, Inc. and managed by Boyne Resorts....
ski area.
Points of interest
- Keechelus LakeKeechelus LakeKeechelus Lake is a lake and reservoir in Washington state, USA. It is the source of the Yakima River. Keechelus Lake is the western lake of the three large lakes near Interstate 90 and north of the Yakima River in the Cascade Range, the other two being Kachess Lake and Cle Elum Lake...
- Iron Horse State ParkIron Horse State ParkIron Horse State Park, part of the Washington State Park System, is a state park located in the Cascade Mountains and Yakima River Valley, between Cedar Falls on the west and the Columbia River on the east....
: This former right-of-way for the Milwaukee Road today serves as a path for bikers, hikers, cross-country skiers and horseback riders. From I-90 at exit #54, turn south at exit, turn east (left) on Hwy-906, 1/2 mile turn right on Lake Keechelus boat launch road, turn right on next road approx. 200 ft. In winter, you will need a Sno-Park permit to park in this lot.