North Cascades Highway Planned Opening

[Dan_Miller]

Start Plowing North Cascades Highway this Month

Date: Monday, March 12, 2007

Contact: Jeff Adamson, Communications, Wenatchee, (509) 667-2815 or cell (509) 669-8778

Dean Hills, Maintenance Superintendent, Okanogan, (509) 826-7364

 

 

WENATCHEE – WSDOT maintenance crews will start plowing snow off the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) on Monday, March 26, in an annual effort to open the pass for drivers. Crews closed the pass last November because of dangerous avalanche conditions.

 

Last week crews were able to assess the snow depths when they took a trip up the pass in a sno-cat. They estimate that it will take five to six weeks to clear the greater-than-normal snow depths and open the pass.

 

“We saw plenty of snow still lodged in the avalanche chutes and covering the highway,” said Maintenance Superintendent Dean Hills. “There was definitely more than normal. Especially when compared to the last couple years of minimal snowpack.”

 

Crews found snow depths ranging from four feet at the gates, to 55 deep in avalanche zones. At Silver Star Gate, west of Mazama, crews measured four feet of snow. A few miles west of there, below the 13 Cutthroat Ridge avalanche chutes, snow depths ranged from 12 to 35 feet. One avalanche slide across the highway was 20 feet deep and 1,200 feet wide. The snow on the highway under the three Liberty Bell Mountain avalanche chutes, just east of the Washington Pass summit, ranged from 40 to 55 feet deep. The summit of Washington had eight feet and Rainy Pass summit had nine. At Whistler the snow was 15 feet deep over the roadway.

 

Due to the depth of the snow from the avalanche chutes, much of the clearing will have to be done by caterpillars rather than snow blowers, which will slow the work, somewhat. At the same time, the assessment found little rock and tree debris in the slides which could speed the progress.

 

“We’re expecting the snow to stabilize and the spring avalanche danger to be reduced by the end of the month, but weather could change everything. We’ll see,” said Hills.

 

The pass has been closed since November 13, 2006. Last spring, the highway opened May 1. WSDOT is aiming to open the pass by mid-May, which is slightly later than the mid- to late-April openings they have averaged over the past 30 years.

 

www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Passes/NorthCascades.

 

 

 

 

[Billygoat]

Thanks Dan

[MCash]

The snow on the highway under the three Liberty Bell Mountain avalanche chutes, just east of the Washington Pass summit, ranged from 40 to 55 feet deep.

 

Holy crap. Washington Pass is going to have a late season this year. Maybe June before any rockclimbing on the spires.

[Weekend_Climberz]

The snow on the highway under the three Liberty Bell Mountain avalanche chutes, just east of the Washington Pass summit, ranged from 40 to 55 feet deep.

 

Holy crap. Washington Pass is going to have a late season this year. Maybe June before any rockclimbing on the spires.

 

Yeah, but the corn skiing is going to be off the hook

[MCash]

The snow on the highway under the three Liberty Bell Mountain avalanche chutes, just east of the Washington Pass summit, ranged from 40 to 55 feet deep.

 

Holy crap. Washington Pass is going to have a late season this year. Maybe June before any rockclimbing on the spires.

 

Yeah, but the corn skiing is going to be off the hook

 

CascadeCLIMBERS.com

[Weekend_Climberz]

I've climbed WI3 in ski boots

 

Might look weird at Vantage in them though