Road Closures

[Bronco]

I thought we needed a thread for listing information on road closures, so here it is.

 

Link to Everett Herald article listing several closures in the Granite Falls/Darrington area:

 

http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/03/10/24/17662345.cfm

 

I also read Hwy 410 to Cayuse Pass is closed indefinetly at the park boundry becasue of storm damage.

 

As we all heard, HWY 20 is closed for the season.

 

Mattp mentioned the FS road to the Darrington Rock climbing area is closed 5 miles from the normal trailhead.

[To_The_Top]

I was just thinking the same thing Bronco. I'll make it a temporary sticky. Anyone else know of any closures?

[cman]

that is a crazy picture of the sr20. i don't imagine it will be too easy to get up to washington pass skiing in the early spring.

[Tod]

Crackbolter said:

2060

Clear Creek

10/21/2003: CLOSED

Closed 1.6 miles up by150’ x 3’ deep debris deposit on road and changed channel.

 

23

White Chuck

10/21/2003: CLOSED

Closed at 1.4 miles due to road washout 100-150’ x 40’ wide x 20’ deep.

 

26

Suiattle River

10/21/2003: CLOSED

14.5 miles up

Closed at 14.5 miles where 200’ of road has been washed away by river.

[Dave_Schuldt]

tHANKS GUYS, KEEP THE INFO FLOWING.

[rock-ice]

The mrnp site says that other than the 410 closure all the other roads are fine. I have a hard time believing that the Carbon river road is still in one peice. Any info? Also shouldn't mowich be closing soon?

Thanks, this is good stuff.

[Lambone]

where does hwy 20 close at, can you still get up the road towards Eldo/Forbidden area? Thanks

[mattp]

In your thread, Paco said you can drive to within a mile of the Eldo Creek trailhead.

[Paco]

Closed on SR 20 in both directions from Newhalem City Limit to EARLY WINTERS CAMPGROUND per wsdot site.

[j_b]

http://www.skagitcounty.net/Flood/html/roadclosures.htm

[Blake]

The Stehekin Road is also SEVERELY damaged, and will need a lot of work. The plans to pave the first 9 miles might be changed (speculation) and as of now there are numerous spots where even bicycling is impossible.

[Alpinfox]

 

The Mtn Loop Hwy is washed out just north of the turnoff for Vesper Peak (Sunrise Mine, Forest Road 4065).

This came as quite a surprise to my partner and me as we were driving towards the Sloan Pk trailhead on Friday night. A strand of pink engineer's tape strung across the road was all that kept us from a 15-20' plunge in the Subaru.

 

In other news, there is enough snow and verglass on the N. face of Vesper to make it unclimbable for a wimp like me. The NE ridge on Vesper is a nice scramble.

 

 

[klenke]

On the way from the Darrington side, the Mountain Loop Highway is closed at Bedal. This means you can still get to the east side of Sloan, but not for things like Elliot Creek and Monte Cristo (unless you want to use foot or bike, I suppose). Also, FR-24 is closed 2.6 miles in from Sauk Prairie Road (ENE of Darrington), as is FR-22 down where the MLH crosses the Sauk River. Lastly, though not necessarily important as roads go, FR-2060 leading south from Clear Creek Campground is closed about 1.5 miles in. This road leads to the area around Helena Ridge.

[Alpinfox]

Where did the road go?

 

End of the road:

 

Mountain Loop Hwy just north of FR 4065 (Vesper Peak/Sunrise Mine Trailhead).

[estivate]

Cascade river road washout, Boston Creek.

[klenke]

Happened along this link: Closures.

Kennedy Hot Springs is apparently buried in debris now! Also, Colonial Creek decided to relocate the Colonial Creek Campground into Thunder Arm!

 

Also, the Forest Service Report has some useful information.

 

It's really gonna suck next year getting to where we'll all want to go. This thread will be very important come next year. Thanks for creating it, Ryan.

[dbb]

I 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??

[Alpinfox]

klenke said:

Kennedy Hot Springs is apparently buried in debris now!

 

That is the most disgusting hot spring I have ever seen. The color and consistency of diarrhea, terrible smell, and last time I was there a small dead frog was bobbing around in the "water".

 

Good riddance.

[Jopa]

dbb said:

I 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??

 

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?

[klenke]

This Mt. Baker/Snoqulmie NF Road Report seems to be up-to-date regarding conditions (i.e., an updated report appears for those roads that were damaged; some damaged roads are not yet investigated by personnel).

 

Could it be the FS is on the ball on this one?

[JoshK]

Alpinfox said:

klenke said:

Kennedy Hot Springs is apparently buried in debris now!

 

That is the most disgusting hot spring I have ever seen. The color and consistency of diarrhea, terrible smell, and last time I was there a small dead frog was bobbing around in the "water".

 

Good riddance.

 

Amen. That thing is pretty damn sick. It wouldn't be as bad if the water was at least hot. As it is, not only is it sick, but it's just warm.

[Dustin_B]

updates here from WDOT

[Dave_Schuldt]

Anyone know anything about the Static Point road? It was getting sketcy the last time I was up there.

[klenke]

Another Washouts Article in The Seattle Times. Noteworthy info given. I'm mad that White Chuck River Road is so badly damaged and that I didn't get into Glacier Peak earlier. Now what am I going to do? Wait 4 years? Go in by some way longer route? Also, it appears access to Dome Peak is now a major problem because of washouts on the Suiattle River Road.

 

THE ARTICLE

 

Storm ravaged the mountains

 

By Diane Brooks

Times Snohomish County bureau

 

DARRINGTON, Snohomish County--She knew it was gone, ravaged 11 days ago by the swirling White Chuck River.

 

But Donna Westom, the "mushroom lady" of the University District Farmers Market, had to see it herself.

 

"This is just a nightmare," said Westom, staring into the 25-foot-deep pit that has replaced a stretch of White Chuck Road, a major access for the Pacific Crest Trail and other regional hiking attractions. "Now I'm going to have to get a real job."

 

Torrential river and stream flows, fed by record-breaking rains, ripped through the state's national forests and parks Oct. 20 and 21, inflicting millions of dollars in damage upon bridges, roads and trails. Snohomish and Skagit counties suffered the worst damage, federal officials said.

 

Trails closed within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest due to washed-out roads, bridges or trails include:

 

>>Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. About 30 miles of trail are impassable due to washed-out bridges between Red Pass and Miners Creek.

 

>>White Chuck Trail, which leads to Kennedy Hot Springs and the Pacific Crest Trail. White Chuck Road and the trail suffered major damage. The hot springs are buried.

 

>>Fire Mountain, accessed off the closed White Chuck Road.

 

>>Meadow Lake and Meadow Mountain, accessed off the closed White Chuck Road.

 

>>White Chuck Bench, accessed off the closed White Chuck Road.

 

>>Elliott Creek and Goat Lake, accessed off a closed section of Mountain Loop Highway

 

>>Suiattle River Trail, due to major trail and road washouts.

 

>>Milk Creek Trail, due to a major bridge washout and washouts on Suiattle River Road.

 

>>Green Mountain Trail, due to washouts on Suiattle River Road.

 

>>Sulphur Mountain, due to washouts on Suiattle River Road.

 

>>Buck Creek, due to washouts on Suiattle River Road.

 

>>Monte Cristo, Glacier Basin and Poodle Dog Pass, open but accessed via Monte Cristo Road, which suffered several washouts. Some intrepid hikers are navigating the road breaks.

 

For additional information on road and trail closures: www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs.

 

>>The North Cascades Highway is closed near Newhalem, Whatcom County.

>>The upper Stehekin River Valley was devastated.

>>The Kennedy Hot Springs--accessed from White Chuck Road off the Mountain Loop Highway in Snohomish County--are buried beneath tons of rock.

>>The Mountain Loop is closed in two places, just north of Barlow Pass, but only two major trails lie within the inaccessible two-mile stretch.

>>To the north, the Suiattle River washed out its namesake road and trail, cutting off access to numerous trails and campgrounds.

 

Everett has a popular day-hike program already hit by the closures. Tomorrow, the city was to take a van of hikers to the Suiattle River Trail for an eight-mile hike. The hikers will instead visit the North Fork of Sauk River.

 

In Olympic National Park, shore roads are closed on both sides of Lake Quinault. So is Hoh River Road, the main approach used for climbing Mount Olympus. The Nisqually River washed away a footbridge on the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park, in the area between Cougar Rock and Carter Falls.

 

Overall damage estimates haven't been tallied, and federal officials don't know how long it will take to repair the damage or reopen dozens of trails in the Mount Baker and Mountain Loop Highway areas.

 

"I would guess that in three, four, five years, we'll still be fixing things," said Terry Skorheim, head of the Darrington Ranger District.

 

The North Cascades National Park yesterday announced it suffered about $1.7 million in road damages, and repairs to trails and other structures will cost an additional $1 million.

 

The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest, which includes the Mountain Loop and Suiattle River areas, guesses its road and bridge damages total several million dollars. Trails and trail bridges could add several additional millions to the bill.

 

Two pots of federal money might be available for repairs, said Tim Manns, North Cascades Park spokesman. The National Park Service has a storm-damage fund, and the Federal Highway Association has an emergency-repair budget for federally owned roads.

 

Repairs could drag out for years unless Congress steps in and allocates extra money to rebuild the roads, bridges and trails, said Elizabeth Lunney, executive director of the Washington Trails Association.

 

The losses are traumatic because so much work has been invested in the national trail system to repair damage from floods in 1990 and 1995, she said. "People I've talked to (from federal agencies) looked pretty shell-shocked."

 

Lunney said the biggest losses, from a hikers' perspective, include the Thunder Creek Trail in the North Cascades National Park. "That is a great trail because it's through old growth, it's through lower elevation and it's relatively easy."

 

White Chuck Road is quite valuable, too, she said.

 

That 10-mile road, accessed off the Mountain Loop south of Darrington, suffered several major breaks. The White Chuck Trail is "in pieces," said Adrienne Hall, a federal wilderness specialist.

 

In some spots, the White Chuck River traces new routes through its gravel beds.

 

At the first break on White Chuck Road, the river overshot a large bend and carved out a huge section of hillside about 200 feet from its normal route. The road ends abruptly, with a clifflike drop.

 

The only way around is to climb up the steep hillside. Richard Laemmle, a Lynnwood nurse, tried that Thursday. He carried his mountain bike up and around and logged about 10 miles trying unsuccessfully to find another way to the Mountain Loop Highway.

 

Along the way, he found the second break in White Chuck Road. "It's about four times more washed-out than this," he said, after carrying his bike back around the first divide.

 

It couldn't be worse, said Westom, who collects mushrooms she sells at the University District market. She estimates she collects mushrooms from 25 forest locations. Now she can't reach any of them, she said.

 

"I've lived here all my life--52 years--and this is the worst I've ever seen," she said.

 

 

[estivate]

klenke said:

I'm mad that White Chuck River Road is so badly damaged and that I didn't get into Glacier Peak earlier. Now what am I going to do? Wait 4 years? Go in by some way longer route? Also, it appears access to Dome Peak is now a major problem because of washouts on the Suiattle River Road.

 

Oh boo hoo. How terrible that the mountains just got a little wilder. (sob) Maybe the Ptarmigan traverse will be a little less of a mob scene next summer.

 

With the Whitechuck and Suiattle both out, I wonder if the White River approach isn't the easiest way in to Glacier next year. Of course, there's always mountain bikes.