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Road Closures


Bronco

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  • 6 months later...

" heard that the Clear Creek road (to darrington's climbing) had 3 washouts, but that they were actively being filled by the State as of last Friday. It sounded like 2 had been filled by then, so maybe it's all back in shape by now??

 

 

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someone said that there had been a path cleared through the washout (not by the fs but by a climber). can this be confirmed by anyone out there? "

 

WENT TO DARRINGTON yesterday 2 washouts where filled in to where a 4x4 could cross the 3rd washout however is huge noway what soever !! bring a bike its long 3-4 mile hike to the trail head of 3 oclock rock didnt bother instead climbind the waterfalls near the 1st wash out some guy said "if the routes to easy your doing it wrong"

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  • 4 weeks later...

less good news:

"March 02, 2005

Almost immediately the optimism for a quick opening was dashed when the 7" to 14" of snow turned out to be nearly solid ice. Crews juggled around some equipment and brought in a D-5 cat and have a couple road graders with ice blades coming. The pass won't be open by this weekend (March 5-6). Crews will be working through the weekend and next week too until they can break through the ice and get the highway open."

 

WApass_map_clearing.gif

 

WA DOT

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Right now, they've cut a single lane to the Liberty Bell avalanche chutes and expect they'll be able to have a lane open through to Washington Pass by tomorrow. That will allow equipment to work the entire closure zone.

 

wow, sounds like they've got most of the road done!

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From WA DOT!

 

The pass will open at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 10.

 

March 08, 2005

March 10th marks the earliest-ever spring reopening of the North Cascades Highway. “While it never closed during the ’76-’77 drought,” said WSDOT Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker, “The crew is very pleased to beat the old record by nearly two weeks.”

 

The previous earliest opening was March 22nd, 2001. Ten days from start to finish is a new record for clearing the highway. “Travelers will find bare and dry or bare and wet pavement over the entire route,” said Becker. Crews have been working continuously since Monday, February 28th to remove layers of ice that covered most of the 34-mile closure zone. “Usually, it’s a giant snow removal effort below avalanche zones,” said Becker, “This year, that was the easy part due to the small amount of snow. The challenge turned out to be breaking through miles of ice that was 2 to 14 deep and firmly bonded to the pavement.” “A combination of equipment fitted with special ice-cutting bits, use of crystalline deicer applications and warm temperatures are all aiding the effort,” said Becker, “This is the first time we’ve been able to set a reopening time this far in advance, but with no avalanche threat, it’s predictable.”

 

w00t w00t

snugtop.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

HWY 20 is open again.

 

 

WENATCHEE – Snow slides closed the North Cascades Highway about midday on Saturday, March 26th and WSDOT maintenance crews are reopening the roadway to traffic at 1:00 p.m. today, Monday, April 4th, nine days after the initial closure. “We found pretty stable conditions in the avalanche zones,” said WSDOT Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker, “And the forecast for the next week isn’t calling for any large accumulations of snow.” Maintenance crews have been clearing snow from the highway, outside the slide areas since it closed, so when safety conditions improved, the road could be opened as quickly as possible. “All we had to clear, once the Avalanche Control Team said it was safe, was the slide below Liberty Bell #1, just east of Washington Pass,” said Becker, “And that could be done in about 3 hours, since we already had the crew and equipment up there.”

 

67” of new snow has accumulated at the top of Washington Pass over the past 9 days, more than at any time this winter. When the road reopens, the temperature is above freezing and the pavement is bare and wet. Travelers can expect some occasional snow flurries. Becker says some of the avalanche chutes may slough some minor amounts of snow over the next few days, but nothing likely to close a traffic lane.

 

The North Cascades Highway had its earliest opening ever on March 10th, only to be closed by snow slides 16 days later. Updates and photos of the spring reopening are posted on the WSDOT SR 20 web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/northcascades

 

Travelers will encounter construction delays as a rock containment ditch is being built between Newhalem and Diablo. A massive rockslide there, destroyed SR 20 on November 9, 2003. The rockslide left the hillside above the highway extremely unstable and blocked access to the town of Diablo. One of the two lanes will be closed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and flaggers will alternate traffic on the open lane through the work zone. To complete the project by this fall, crews will work during daylight hours, six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

 

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/NorthCentral/news/2005/SR20Reopensafter9days.htm

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  • 3 months later...

That Whitchuck road remains closed and may well never be fixed -- the planning discussions and environmental review procedure continue, I believe, but there is no clear decision. At least some environmental groups have stated that they see the flood damage from two years ago as an opportunity to reclaim some roadless area and they intend to or have advocated that the roads NOT be repaired at all. In addition, the budgets are being cut so badly the F.S. can't afford to maintain what they have on the grid already, and the Whitechuck repair will be very expensive.

 

The shortest approach may be from the N. Fork of the Sauk -- see the trip report from a week ago.

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Stehekin Valley is currently experiencing a small (~150 acre) wildfire between high bridge and bridge creek. Travel between the two points along the trail is not allowed. I doubt this closure will last long, it's not particularly smoky or anything. Fire Started last sunday morning near Shady Camp.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 4 months later...
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  • 4 months later...

Hwy 20 closed for season. wsdot

 

NORTH CASCADE HWY

Elevation: 5477ft / 1669M

 

Temperature:N/A

Conditions & Weather:

SR 20 is closed for the season from milepost 134 to milepost 170 //

 

Restrictions Eastbound:

Closed for the season

 

Restrictions Westbound:

Closed for the season

 

 

 

Updated: 07:46 AM, Nov 14, 2006

This is the most current info available

and is promptly updated when conditions change.

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  • 2 months later...

Most current report for today, 1/26/07:

 

Just in case anyone was thinking of heading up the Cascade River Road this fine weather winter weekend.

 

 

Cascade River 01/12/2007: SNOW Can drive to Marble Creek Campground. Icy and snowy, need high clearance, 4x4 and chains beyond. Gated at El Dorado Creek (Milepost 20.) Road washed out at North Fork Bridge (Milepost 21.5). Dangerous fords of the Cascade River and Boston Creek beyond. Repairs not expected to be complete until late summer 2007. Gravel

One Lane

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