Windpower LbNA #65226

I drive across the state on I-90 fairly frequently, and one of my favorite parts is the stretch between Kittitas and Vantage because I love watching the turbines turn in the wind. This part of Washington is so barren and desolate and I just find it fascinating that some engineer somewhere said, we can use this for something. We can turn the windy scablands into power, into electricity. I don't know, maybe it's because I grew up in the shadow of the Grand Coulee Dan, one of the power production powerhouses of the Pacific Northwest.

The turbines are fun to watch from I-90, but to really appreciate the scale of the turbines and the entire wind farm you should take a side trip out to the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility Renewable Energy Center. Here you can get up-close views of the wind turbines and solar arrays from a 3,500-foot ridge set against the backdrop of the Cascade mountain range. From this vantage point you can see the entire Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Hood and looking east you can view the Columbia River Basin. It is amazingly awesome to stand beneath the wind turbines as they are twirling away. The suckers are huge-much, much bigger than you realize when you are looking at them from I-90.

The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, April through November. Weather permitting, guided tours depart daily from the Renewable Energy Center at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; no reservation is needed for these tours. All guided tours are free. Please wear closed-toed shoes.

Fast facts
* Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility has 149 turbines spanning across 10,000 acres.
* The facility can generate up to 273 megawatts of electricity, enough to serve more than 80,000 homes.
* Its turbines can produce electricity at wind speeds as low as 9 mph. They reach their peak of production at 31 mph and shut down at constant wind speeds above 56 mph.
* The total height of each tower with blades fully extended is 351 feet; total weight is approximately 223 tons.
* Towers are 221 feet high and weigh 104 tons.
* Each turbine blade is 129 feet long and weighs over 7 tons.
* The diameter of each rotor is larger than the wingspan of a Boeing 747.
* Each generator can produce 690 volts, which is stepped-up to 34,500 volts by an on-board transformer.
* The construction of each tower's foundation required 120 anchor bolts, 30,954 nuts, and 11,750 cubic yards of concrete.
* Each anchor bolt is 28 feet long and weighs approximately 150 lbs. For all 149 turbines at Wild Horse, approximately 95 miles of foundation anchor bolts were installed.

Directions:
From I-90 take Exit 115 (Kittitas) and follow the blue signs for the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility. The facility is approximately 16 miles from the town of Kittitas, with the last 3 or so miles being on a windy road. Plan on taking at least a hour to have time get to and from the box and to have a little bit of time to walk around.

Clues!
Park in the lot by the Renewable Energy Center. At the opposite corner of the parking lot from the Center are some upright basalt columns. Walk toward the columns. At the edge of the gravel are some smaller chunks of basalt. The box should be hidden on the backside of the third large rock as you count out from the asphalt. Because the box is planted at the Facility, it is only avaliable when the April - November, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Hike length: Driveby...maybe 50 ft
Recommended ink colors: Any-green, brown, black, or light blue look especially nice