During a recent visit to Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, Washington, I learned that Laura Palmer’s log had moved down shore. The culprit was most likely king tides in Puget Sound, which have grown increasingly strong as sea levels rise. While exploring the site, I discovered another location briefly seen in Season 3 is long gone like a turkey in the corn – Pete’s fishing deck from Part 17.
TWIN PEAKS FILM LOCATION – PETE’S FISHING DECK
In Part 17, we see an extended scene of Pete Martell leaving Blue Pine Lodge to go fishing. This appears to be extra footage that wasn’t used in the pilot episode. Since Laura Palmer’s body doesn’t wash up on the rocky beach by the giant log, Pete continues on his way.
Pete ends up casting a line from a deck next to a towering fir tree. If you look carefully, you can see the giant log in the distance. It’s a brief but poignant scene in a completely different timeline of events.
The deck (and adjacent tree) that Pete is standing on is now gone from the shore.
WHERE IS PETE’S FISHING DECK FROM PART 17 LOCATED?
The deck is found near the shore at Kiana Lodge. Opened in 1937 as a retreat for Seattleites looking for an escape from the city, the Suquamish Tribe purchased this private wedding and meeting location from Bob Riebe in 2004. While they welcome visitors, you should call ahead to check on their schedule – (360) 598-4311. They prefer visitors give their paying clients privacy and plan a visit when no events are happening.
The deck was found long the shore near the original building from the 1930s. The approximate coordinates for this scene are 47°41’58.5″N 122°34’55.7″W.
I’ve been unable to find when exactly the deck was added to the shore. I recall seeing it when I first visited Kiana Lodge on August 9, 1996.
Fellow Bookhouse Boy and long-time Twin Peaks fan Jared Lyon took this photo of the deck on August 19, 2002 around the time of the Twin Peaks Fan Festival held at Kiana Lodge.
By June 19, 2021, the deck seems to have been removed according to a Google Earth image. The image also contains rows of white chairs near the spot where the deck was located. Most likely, it was set up for a June wedding.
VISITING PETE’S FISHING DECK FROM PART 17
I saw the deck on a visit on January 22, 2020, just before the entire world changed. It was my first visit back to the Lodge in nearly 24 years.
I stood in about the same spot as Pete and looked out onto the Sound.
Here is what Pete would have seen as he dropped his fishing pole into the water.
The previous deck from the episode was replaced with this smaller, more rectangular version on the shore.
The new deck is further right of the previous spot. I’m wondering if those king tides damaged the integrity of the original deck. Either way, it’s gone.
GIANT TREE NEAR THE DECK
While the deck was only recently removed, the giant tree neck to the deck in the episode was removed a few years earlier.
According to Google Earth, the tree was present in August 2016.
By 2017, the tree was gone. The passage of time is tough for Twin Peaks fans.
