The EV Mile-High Club

Up until now, I've had a 50/50 record for EV trips venturing into the North Cascades.  The first, was a trip to Mt. Baker that didn't fair too well.  The second was a success, but actually was scarier for non-driving reasons.

Plug-In North Central Washington has for some time worked to electrify the north-central part of Washington State, thus making the region's tourist destinations accessible for those driving EVs...even the range-limited Nissan LEAF.

This winter, there are two projects that will be pivotal in making the west-east trek on Highway 20 possible for those LEAF drivers.  There will be a commissioning of three EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) at the Mazama County Inn (two NEMA 14-50 outlets and one 240V 70amp J1772 EV Plug).  The NEMA outlets will be usable for LEAF drivers who have the EVSE Upgrade to take advantage of the RV type outlets; recreational vehicles widely use NEMA 14-50 outlets when at campgrounds. While the 70amp EV Plug is better suited to charging a Tesla Model S, a LEAF could still charge off of the unit, albeit just at a maximum of 30amps for a 2013+ LEAF.

The second Highway 20 charging opportunity that is to be installed over the winter months is a public EVSE at the Seattle City Light Newhalem site (west of Diablo Lake).  While the specifics are yet to be released, it is expected that this unit will be a J1772 EV Plug and thus usable by a wide-range of plug-in vehicles.

Diablo Lake

Over on the Seattle Nissan LEAF Owners Group site, there is a question of whether the trip from the Puget Sound region to the Mazama County Inn will be possible in a Nissan LEAF come spring of 2014 when the soon-to-be-installed EVSE is up and running.

I believe that this trip is possible.  It would not be an easy trip, though!

A more detailed look:

Burlington Outlet Shoppes to the Newhalem Site

To start the trip, all but the Burlington-local LEAF drivers would need to do a combination of Level 3 (quick charging up to 80% battery) and Level 2 (80-100%) at the Burlington Outlet Shoppes.  To reach 100% in this manner, it would take a 2013+ LEAF about an hour.  From Burlington, it is just over 61 miles to reach the Seattle City Light EVSE up near Diablo Lake.  If leaving Burlington with a full charge (and healthy battery pack), one wouldn't need to worry about traveling less than the speed limit. This would be a pretty easy leg.

Newhalem Site to Mazama County Inn

The second leg of the North Cascades traverse is going to be much more of a challenge in a LEAF.  No question, there would need to be another full charge at the Seattle City Light site near Diablo Lake.  This would be 3-4 hours of charging for a 2013+ LEAF, as the whole session would be at the Level 2 EV Plug.  Thank goodness there is plenty to do and see at that location, making an extended charging session rather painless!

From Newhalem, the LEAF driver will need to be very cautious to control speed and throttle.  That full charge is going to have to take the LEAF from and elevation of 531 feet up to more than a mile above sea level!  After peaking at 5458 feet 40 miles into leg #2, there will still be about 20 miles of driving before safely arriving at the lovely high-powered Level 2 EVSE units at the Mazama County Inn.  Yes, there will be plenty of brake regeneration on that trip down into Mazama, however, the downhill grade will not guarantee a LEAF can make it that far if the battery is very low.

Even with the potential of complete disaster, I am ready for the trip!  Come spring, when the weather is warming and the snow melting, I look forward in joining the north-central EVers at their little get-together.  In all prudence, I'd better not bring my kids on this one:)


  

LEAF Excursion: Ghost Towns for Halloween!

All weekend long, I tried to figure out an activity for today.  I was looking for a place that 1) that was within range of our LEAF, 2) got us out to see some wonderful fall colors, and 3) was fitting for a Daddy/Little Dudes Halloween excursion.

While reading the Seattle PI this morning, I read a piece from The Ghost Towns of Washington series about some parts of Concrete, WA being deserted and fantastically spooky in the most traditional ghost town sense!

I left with Sabrina and Charlie mid-morning, and set out for Burlington and a quick charge at the CHAdeMO station in the Outlet Shoppes' parking lot.  From Burlington, we enjoyed the colorful drive east on WA-20 into Concrete.

Lots of colors and large maple leaves today!

The concrete silos of Concrete are appropriate "Welcome..." monoliths for this town.

Concrete has a quaint little main drag with a welcoming bakery and a movie theatre advertising a free family movie night.  However, there is no avoiding that Concrete is, in fact, slowly becoming a ghost town with the ruins of concrete buildings left standing as indestructible remains of a former bustling industry decades ago.

From Concrete, we drove the small climb out of town to reach the southern shores of Lake Shannon. We soon came upon a large abandoned building where, more than 50 years ago, limestone was crushed from local quarries.  To say that this place scared the bejeebers out of me was the biggest Halloween understatement of my life!

Chainsaw massacre?!?  Not today, please.

The strange thing about this place is that it is completely accessible.  Even a five-year-old and two-year-old were able to run about whilst I freaked out.

Just as I was was rounding up Charlie to start getting the kids back into the LEAF, Sabrina snuck away.  Within a moment, she was back at the car reporting that she found a path that would allow us to go inside the basement of the building "safely".  I was instantly persuaded by my kindergartner (Which. Never. Happens.), and got Charlie back out to explore the bowels of the decrepit building.

Evidence of perhaps my all-time biggest "bad daddy" moment.

We explored the inside for about 15 minutes, in which time Sabrina convinced me that ghosts do exist.  It was an extremely stressful, and strangely delightful, experience.  I do not think, though, that I plan to go back any time soon!

Dad, let's get out of here!

Once we made it back into town, Sabrina spotted a small community playground.  I was on the same page in wanting to get us to a place of joy.  I thought that if I let the kids play, the nightmares that the three of us were likely to have may just be erased.

This was the picture that I sent to Tanya while we were gone :)