
DARRINGTON — From the single-runway airport on the edge of town, nearby Gold Mountain was barely visible through sheets of rain.
Locals call the mountain “Gold Hill” because it’s a small mound compared to the rugged North Cascades peaks visible from town on a clear day.
“Welcome to Darrington,” Mayor Dan Rankin said with a laugh as he sloshed through ankle-deep puddles on property alongside the airport and next to the cemetery. “You deal with a lot of this, but it’s worth it to live here.”