Wender·Vista
Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileWashington
the I-90 crossing of the Cascades, east of Seattle

Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway

— — the long climb where the rain turns to snow.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The lowest crossing of the Washington Cascades on a major road, 3,022 feet at the summit. Interstate 90 climbs east out of North Bend, threads between Snoqualmie and Granite peaks, and tops out at the cluster of ski areas before dropping into Kittitas County. The Mountains to Sound Greenway runs along it. Most of the year the pass is rain on one side and snow on the other. from the studio

from the studio
Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway
— bring it home

Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Snoqualmie Pass is the lowest year-round crossing of the Washington Cascades on a major road, topping out at 3,022 feet on Interstate 90. The summit straddles the line between King County to the west and Kittitas County to the east, about fifty miles east of Seattle. The corridor is also a National Scenic Byway, the Mountains to Sound Greenway, designated in 2021. Average annual snowfall at the summit is more than four hundred inches, and the Washington State Department of Transportation runs avalanche control through the winter.

— the air

The pass is a weather wall. Pacific air rises against the western slope, cools, and drops most of its moisture as rain in the foothills around North Bend and as snow at the summit. East of the divide the air dries out quickly, and Cle Elum and Ellensburg sit in a rain shadow with a fraction of the precipitation. The contrast is visible from the road: dense second-growth Douglas fir on the west side, open Ponderosa pine and sage on the east, within a thirty-mile drive.

— the season

The Summit at Snoqualmie operates four base areas at the pass — Summit West, Summit Central, Summit East, and Alpental — and is the closest major ski area to the Seattle metro. The season usually opens in December and runs into April, conditions allowing. Summer brings hikers onto the Pacific Crest Trail, which crosses the highway at the summit on its way north toward Stevens Pass. The Hyak and Iron Horse trails follow the old Milwaukee Road rail bed east of the divide.

— where
United States · King and Kittitas Counties, Washington
— elevation
921 m · 3,022 ft
— position
47.3924° N · 121.4136° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
25 km W
North Bend
town
40 km E
Cle Elum
town
6 km N
Snow Lake
alpine lake· on a tile
3 km N
Alpental
ski area
N
Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway
North Bend
Cle Elum
Snow Lake
Alpental
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Snoqualmie Pass scenic byway — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Snoqualmie Pass is the Interstate 90 crossing of the Cascade Range in Washington, about fifty miles east of Seattle. The summit straddles the line between King County and Kittitas County.

The summit of Snoqualmie Pass sits at 3,022 feet, the lowest year-round crossing of the Washington Cascades on a major road. The pass remains open through the winter with active avalanche control.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway is a National Scenic Byway corridor running along Interstate 90 from Seattle east across Snoqualmie Pass to Ellensburg. It received its national designation in 2021.

Average annual snowfall at the summit exceeds four hundred inches. The Washington State Department of Transportation runs avalanche control through the season, and the pass occasionally closes during severe storms.

The Summit at Snoqualmie operates four base areas at the pass: Summit West, Summit Central, Summit East, and Alpental. It is the closest major ski area to the Seattle metro.

Yes. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses Interstate 90 at the summit, with the northern miles climbing toward Kendall Katwalk and Stevens Pass and the southern miles heading down toward Mount Rainier.

— about the piece in your home

It works for someone who knows the climb out of North Bend and the drop into Kittitas. The piece reads the way the drive feels in good weather. A Small or Medium suits an office wall or an entry.

The pine greens, granite greys, and snow whites sit well in mountain-modern, alpine, and warm minimalist rooms. It also pairs with rough-sawn timber, brushed steel, and wool throws.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large reads as a focal piece; a four-tile Mural lets the long horizon of the byway carry across the wall. Above a console, a Medium holds the eye.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for damp-room installation. The colour is held in the ceramic surface, so steam and daily wiping do not lift it. Glossy is for dry wall display.

A microfibre cloth and water is enough for routine care. For a kitchen install with cooking residue, a mild dish soap and water works without harming the surface. Skip abrasive pads and bleach-based cleaners.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to Wender Studios, made by Reid Wender, the curator of the atlas. We do not license artwork from other studios or sell reproductions of work by other artists.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.