Cycling the N Cascade Hwy--how much exposed road?

[Jonathan]

Hey,

 

Anyone have any recent beta on how far east one could bike the N. Cascade Hwy from the gate at MP 134?

 

Thanks!

 

Jonathan

[Alpinfox]

SOURCE

 

Pass

The pass is CLOSED for the winter as of Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.

 

Monday, February 28th will mark the beginning of the annual effort to reopen SR 20, the North Cascades Highway. While unanticipated harsh winter weather could interfere, “We plan to start reopening the highway on Monday morning,” said WSDOT Twisp Maintenance Supervisor, Don Becker.

 

A snow assessment by the WSDOT North Central Region Avalanche Control team, completed earlier this month, found little snow and low avalanche threats. There were only four slides over the road through the Cutthroat Ridge section, above the Silver Star Gate, and those are only about 10-feet wide. Slides over the roadway below the Liberty Bell Mountain avalanche chutes, just east of Washington Pass, are only a dozen feet deep, compared to past years when they have been 70-feet deep. Much of the roadway is only covered with snow and ice measuring a foot or less. 7 to 9-feet are typical for this time of year. As a result, Becker was optimistic that the reopening effort “might be the shortest ever, if the weather cooperates.”

 

The earliest we have ever opened the pass was March 22, back in 2001.

 

I heard (unsubstantiated rumor) that the entire road is passable via car although it is gated. There are a couple avy paths where one has to drive through some deep snow and it is down to a single lane, but that the road is passable. That was about two weeks ago and I don't even know if it was true then.

[slaphappy]

No it was not "passable" by car two weeks ago. There isn't a ton of snow but there was a few feet on the road at Rainy Pass and at least a foot all the way down to Silver Star Creek, not to mention the slides at the spires. I didn't venture too much further west than Rainy Pass...

[olyclimber]

North Cascades Highway could reopen early. Seattle Times.

[mbcracken]

I was just up in Mazama last weekend. There were a couple groups of roadies out there. I did notice that all the road sand and gravel is still on the shoulder of the road so if you're on a road bike you'll be riding in the road. Not sure if that concerns you or not but thought it might be helpful to no that. I'm not sure when the road crews are going to start sweeping the shoulders but it is usually around the time that they open up the highway.

 

-Mike