OSO — When the stretch of State Route 530 that had been wiped out by the March 22 slide was reopened Sept. 27, the north side of the road was lined with 43 freshly planted cedar trees, one for each life lost in the disaster.

It was a day of dignitaries, with no shortage of speeches from state and federal elected officials, but it was also a day of reflection, as area residents gathered to pay tribute to their departed loved ones, as well as to take stock of all that they’d accomplished as a community.

“This road opening is a lifeline to us,” said Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin, who nonetheless asserted that, during the 38 days that the highway was blocked, “Our communities were never as close.”

Rankin commended everyone in the Arlington, Oso and Darrington communities for doing as much as they could.

“No matter how much effort we put in, it seemed like it was never enough,” Rankin said. “But we need to be proud of what we’ve achieved here, and go forward feeling that pride.”

Rankin urged the communities not to forget the obstacles they’d overcome.

“Strangely enough, I’m going to miss stopping in traffic here,” Rankin said. “The memory of what happened can’t fade, just because we can drive 55 miles per hour now.”

Oso Fire Chief Willy Harper cited the “ton of support” he and his fellow first responders received from county, state and federal agencies, as well as the local residents who joined in the search and recovery efforts, even though they knew the work would be heartbreaking.

“Folks just kept flooding in from everywhere,” Harper said. “We had families digging for their own family members.”

Harper acknowledged that there have been several memorial ceremonies for the slide already, but he touted their value in the grieving process.

“Each time, the faces I see at these events become more prominent in my mind than the bad things that have happened,” Harper said.