The Year in Review: Top Ten Living Snoqualmie Stories of 2013

It’s time again to look back and see what were the most read stories of 2013.

It was another year of growth at Living Snoqualmie, which began the year with about 1,500 social media followers and ended 2013 with over 3,500 followers.  That said, sometimes the growth can skew the stats – meaning the same story from January 2013 might have had a lot more traffic if it had happened later in the year.

At any rate, here are the stories that garnered the most page views according to WordPress statistics.  To view the full stories, just click the headlines below.  And as always, thank you so much for reading and helping Living Snoqualmie grow.

1)  Johnny Depp Spotted in Carnation

In February, the Snoqualmie Valley was buzzing as Depp was spotted first at the Salish Lodge and then in downtown Carnation.  When gift shop Miller’s Carnation posted photos of the reclusive Depp on their Facebook page, they went viral – making it to national websites including E Online, MSN and Perez Hilton (with links back to this blog story).  Miller’s Carnation did remove the photos per Johnny’s agent’s request, but it was too late, as Depp with the guitar photo seemed to make it all over the worldwide web.

2)  Police Identify Vehicle Responsible for New Year’s Day Hit and Run in North Bend

Early New Year’s Day 2013, 57-year old North Bend resident, Lucinda Pieczatkowski, was struck and killed by a hit and run vehicle while walking along 394th PL SE/Stone Quarry Road near North Bend.  Some pieces of the vehicle were left at the scene. The day after the fatal accident, the King County Sheriff’s office said they were looking for a 1987-1991 Ford Bronco or Ford F150 pickup.  Police asked for the public’s help locating the vehicle and its driver.

3)  Shooting at Salish Lodge 

In April, right as school was starting for the day, Snoqualmie Police responded to a shooting at the upscale Salish Lodge and Spa.  A woman, who was a hotel guest, suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound.  According to a Snoqualmie Police spokesman, she would make a full recovery.

4)  15-Year Old Escapes from Echo Glen

In September, a 15-year old male escaped from Echo Glen Children’s Facility near Snoqualmie.  The youth spent about 15 hours hiding in the nearby woods overnight.  He was spotted by a police helicopter near I-90 and was apprehended by the Washington State Patrol and Snoqualmie Police around 11AM, September 20th.

5)  Police Announce North Bend New Year’s Day Hit and Run; Ask for Public’s Help

On January 1, 2013, after an argument, Lucinda Pieczatkowski left the car she was riding in with friends.  She was walking along Stone Quarry Road when she was killed by a hit and run driver around 3AM.  The King County Sheriff’s Office announced to the public on New Year’s Day morning that they needed assistance in locating both the vehicle and the driver.  In August, 19-year old Cody Eads was charged with vehicular homicide in the case.  He pled guilty in December and will be sentenced to 15-2o months in jail on January 17, 2014.

6) Hiker Falls to Death from Rattlesnake Ledge

On a rainy late August afternoon, a man tragically fell to his death after hiking to Rattlesnake Ledge off the popular Rattlesnake Ridge hiking trail in North Bend.  The man reportedly fell 150 feet after slipping while jumping to a nearby rock after being photographed by his hiking companion.

7)  Snoqualmie U-Haul Burglars Arrested at Gunpoint in Deer Park Neighborhood

In early January, a 32-year old Renton man and 30-year old North Bend woman were arrested for burglary in the quiet Snoqualmie Ridge Deer Park neighborhood.  Days before, Snoqualmie Police alerted residents that a U-Haul was suspected in robberies committed the previous week. An alert resident approached the couple who were in a U-haul truck parked in her neighbor’s driveway.  When the man pointed a gun at the woman, she frantically drove out of the neighborhood while calling 911.  At least five police vehicles responded and the couple was promptly arrested. The man and woman were sentenced this summer.

8)  Cooler in Road Leads to Fatal Car Accident on I-90

It was a horrific scene on I-90 near the SR-18 interchange Friday evening, September 13th.  A cooler that reportedly fell off a boat being towed along I-90 caused a chain collision that left a North Bend man deceased. Numerous drivers (including some Valley residents) stopped along the roadside to help the man. His antique truck caught fire after he reportedly swerved to avoid the cooler and was struck by a SUV.  Police later located the driver of the vehicle that lost the cooler, who was fully cooperating with the investigation.

9)  Amazing, Icy Snoqualmie Falls Filmed by Drone Quad-Copter; Unparalleled Views!

The record cold spell of early December drew professional and novice photographers to Snoqualmie Falls – not to mention local TV news helicopters.  The frozen spectacular created an amazing scene; one that was captured and filmed by Raul Alvarez when he sent is quad-copter drone out over the icy falls, with a video camera strapped to its underbelly.  The Falls and the Salish Lodge, not to mention the Snoqualmie River, really shine in this YouTube video.

10)  Snoqualmie Falls Live Webcam Just one Click Away

This story was written in December 2012, but still made the top 10 in 2013.  Unfortunately, the live web camera that once worked doesn’t seem to function all the time.  I guess it just goes to show you that all over the place, people still want to view Snoqualmie Falls, even if they cannot physically get here.