North Cascades Hwy 20 Reopening

[Dan_Miller]

Oh No it's Back/ New Year, New Thread

 

 

 

Hi all,

 

This is a "spring fever" e mail. Yes, this "El Nino" winter has been pretty mild (especially compared to last winter's January highway washouts when we had 200 state routes closed at one time!)

 

I've gotten a couple of e mails asking if the North Cascades might open early. If I were a betting man, I'd say yes. I could see it opening earlier than the last 40 year average, but probably not anything approaching '05's March 10 opening. (The chart shows what happened that year - we were open 16 days and got clobbered with snow that closed the highway for another 10 days.)

 

Year-Open

 

2009 04-24

 

2008 05-01

 

2007 04-26

 

2006 05-01

 

2005 03-10 then 03-26 to 04-04 (temp. closure)

 

2004 04-08

 

2003 04-14

 

2002 05-07

 

2001 03-22

 

2000 03-30

 

Closure History web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Passes/NorthCascades/closurehistory.htm

 

(And, anticipating some of your "annual suggestion" e mails - WSDOT cannot legally set up a betting pool for an opening date.as much fun as it might sound!)

 

So, here's the plan:

 

The Avalanche crew tentatively plans to go up the last week in February to do the reopening assessment. (That's about their normal timing.)

 

While we're always being urged to open the highway as soon as possible (preferably by the opening weekend of fishing season), I've also gotten e-mail from some recreation providers who ask we not open early (before Easter) because when we do, it costs them business! (I guess we'll never please everyone!).

 

Another note - I checked that last "El Nino" year for Stevens Pass and found we had almost no avalanche control and low snow accumulations until March when we got hammered with almost 200" of snow. (By way of comparison - there's about 79 inches on the ground today and the total accumulation for this season, so far, is only 225 inches.) (Again, by way of comparison, last year's season total was about average = 434").

 

Expect another one of these updates when they do the assessment in about 3 weeks.

 

Happy Winter!

 

Jeff Adamson 509.667.2815 (24 hr.) adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[genepires]

thanks! Would be sweet if it opened by mid march.

[Dan_Miller]

All other things being equal it's going to open earlier than average!

Hi all,

 

The February 22 assessment trip to the North Cascades produced a target date of March 22 to begin the reopening effort.

 

The assessment team and observers arrived at the Silver Star gate about 8 a.m. yesterday. It was clear and 14 degrees. Avalanche team members, John Fleckenstein and Brandon Levy took the snowmobiles and headed west to the other side of Rainy Pass. Avalanche Control Chief Mike Stanford drove the Sno-Cat with 3 passengers - Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker, North Central Region Assistant Administrator for Maintenance, Dave Bierschbach and our "new" Acting Regional Administrator, Dan Sarles. (Don Senn retired last fall after 33 years.) Dan has been in NCR on the Construction and Engineering side for the last couple of decades, but this was his first winter visit to the North Cascades.

 

He was treated to beautiful clear skies and sunshine, but nothing approaching "normal" snow conditions. Snow and debris amounts are lower than in previous years. They dug a snow pit near the summit that revealed a shallow and stable snow pack, right now.

 

They found a surprising amount of huge "hoar frost" crystals - many as big as playing cards (up to 3.5") that could become a problem on some of our avalanche paths depending on the amount of new snow we get in the next month. (It would become an immediate unstable slip layer. However, if we don't get any significant new snow between now and the opening, most of the avalanche zones should melt back without dumping any more snow or debris on the road. That leaves just the eight * chutes that historically release more of their snow onto the road as the spring temperatures rise". (*Cutthroat Ridge #6, 7, 8, 11 & 12 and Liberty Bell #1, 2 & 3).

 

The reopening starting date is two days after the (Mar. 20) first day of spring - about the same as the last four years. We really can't start any earlier since our mountain pass maintenance crews (Leavenworth, Stevens, Blewett and Twisp) are on their round-the-clock winter schedule until Mar. 15. That's (obviously) the soonest we can release any of the snow blowers and bring in the other equipment and crewmembers we'll need. The Mar. 22 start date provides four working days for the equipment to go through inspection, service and modifications, plus transport time to Twisp.

 

The assessment team took snow depth measurements from Silver Star Gate(MP 171) all the way to the bare pavement they found about nine miles above the west side closure gate (MP 134).

 

· Silver Star Gate - 3.3.' compared with 2' last year.

 

· Cutthroat Ridge #1 - 3.3' compared with 7' last year (and 25' in '07).

 

· Cutthroat Ridge #6 - 9' compared with 25' last year.

 

· Cutthroat Ridge #12 - 6' compared to 25' last year.

 

· Liberty Bell #1 - 12' compared to 40' last year.

 

· Liberty Bell #2 - 10' compared to 30' last year.

 

· Liberty Bell #3 - 12' compared to 40' last year.

 

· Washington Pass - 6' compared to 5 ½' last year.

 

· Rainy Pass - 3.3.' compared to 6' last year.

 

· The lower than normal snow amounts should make for a faster than usual opening - maybe as few as three weeks instead of the usual six. El Nino has affected our snowpack; especially below 3500 feet elevation. The avalanche crew, however, is looking warily ahead to next year as history has shown us that the winter following an El Niño year is often a big one.

 

The photos are available on the WSDOT Flickr site (check out the Hoar Frost pictures!): www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/

 

Expect the next update in about a month.

 

Jeff Adamson 509.667.2818 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

 

 

 

 

Just thought you'd like to know that everything is set for the reopening to begin on Monday. Expect an update on Monday's progress as early as I can get it to you on Tuesday. In the meantime, I've sent some pictures of the Kodiak Snow blower that I took yesterday afternoon, as the mechanics got finished with it and loaded it on the low boy for the trip to Twisp. (And you can also look at the pictures from last month's assessment trip, again!)

 

 

Weather next week looks wet and chilly, but probably not dangerous so stay optimistic for an early opening!

 

Jeff Adamson 509-667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

They're making progress already!

 

The Twisp Maintenance Supervisor, Don Becker, who is in charge of the reopening effort tells me it was about 35 degrees with broken cloudy skies that were providing snow flurries off and on this morning as the crew arrived at the Silver Star Gate and started unloading equipment. The 5-yard loader cleared the 3-1/2 feet of snow in the staging area, the low boy unloaded the Kodiak Snow blower and by 10:30 it was chugging toward Lone Fir campground (about 2-1/2 miles away.)

 

If all goes according to the plan, a second snow blower will join the first tomorrow, along with a grader and they hope to have both lanes cleared another two miles to Cutthroat Ridge by Tuesday afternoon.

 

Wednesday morning the Avalanche crew and the snow cat will join the fun as the crew and equipment begin clearing through the first of twelve avalanche chutes in that zone.

 

There are pictures on the flickr site -

 

 

of the snow blower headed north last Thursday afternoon and the snow cat, loaded and ready for tomorrow's trip to Twisp. Later today, I should get some pictures from Deed Fink (the lead tech from Twisp) of the Kodiak doing it's thing and some "housekeeping?" photos - Look for them!

 

The weather tomorrow and Wednesday is supposed to drier and sunnier.

 

Stay tuned.

 

Jeff Adamson 509-667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

By this afternoon, the crew had the highway from the Silver Star gate (MP 171) to Lone Fir Campground (MP 166) cleared and widened. They had hoped to have a single cut through to Cutthroat Ridge (MP 168), but the 2nd snow blower that was supposed to join the effort today didn't show up. It's in the shop in Wenatchee because it wouldn't start. Repairs have been completed and it's headed for Twisp tomorrow, but won't be on site and working until late Wednesday or Thursday morning. Tomorrow, the crew is expecting to clear and widen all the way to Cutthroat #1 (the beginning of the avalanche zone) where the Avalanche crew will join them on Thursday morning (along with their snow cat/plow). If we don't have any more equipment or weather delays, they're hoping to clear the highway through the 12 Cutthroat Ridge avalanche chutes by Tuesday (which would be record time!). That would put them into the Spiral Gulch/Liberty Bell section sometime Wednesday. (We'll see...)

 

Don (Becker) says the weather was great today. After starting out cold (about 23 degrees at 7 a.m.) it turned sunny and got up to 50 degrees by 3 p.m.

 

Check out the pictures from day 1 on flickr:

 

Expect another update late Wednesday or early Thursday.

 

Jeff Adamson 509-667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

The second Kodiak Snow Blower left Wenatchee this morning and was chewing snow between Lone Fir and Cutthroat Ridge by 1:30 this afternoon. The day was nearly as nice as yesterday - 46 degrees instead of 50, and more overcast. When work wrapped up this afternoon, there was a double cut (both lanes) from Lone Fir where they started this morning to Cutthroat #1 (the first avalanche chute on Cutthroat Ridge). (That's about 2 miles). Tomorrow morning the Avalanche crew will join the effort, along with their snow-cat/plow. (An avalanche crew member has to be on site, monitoring the slope before maintenance crews can operate any equipment in avalanche zones.)

 

Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker provided me with the update and also took some more pictures, but won't be back to his computer until tomorrow morning, so I'll get those pictures posted on our flickr site when I get them.

 

I got several e mails today asking what's up with the west side crew, so here's what I told them:

 

The Westside crew isn't involved in the clearing because it was pretty much done for them. The first nine miles above the Diablo Closure Gate had already pretty much melted off. As a result, it didn't make much sense to bring in another blower to work the west side. The Westside maintenance crew used a snow plow to clear down to the pavement from Newhalem to a few miles west of Rainy Pass. For the next few days they will be doing normal maintenance there, (straightening signs and concrete jersey rail, fixing guardrail, cleaning out ditches and culverts), getting ready for the opening.

 

Sorry, but we're probably not going to be able to have an "east meets west" photo op this year - but on the plus side - it's likely to be one of the fastest clearing operations ever. (That will translate to probably a third less costly than normal, which with our current budget situation, will help put our winter maintenance budget back in the black!)

 

Probably won't be posting much in the way of Westside crew pictures on Flickr.

 

Jeff Adamson 509-667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

PS: A usual opening costs $200-250,000.

 

The last update for the week will come to you late tomorrow or Friday morning.

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

The weather was yucky - light snow most of the day - overcast and gray. On the other hand, it was 40 degrees at 4 p.m. and they had a double cut (both lanes) cleared from Cutthroat Ridge Avalanche Chute #1 (CR1) 8-10ths of a mile to CR6.

 

There were quite a few more people up there today, as well more equipment. Since they were in the avalanche zone, the avalanche crew had to be there. Today's pictures that should show up on flickr soon show Avalanche Supv. Mike Stanford on the Pisten Bully, plowing the pile below CR#7 so when the blower gets there Monday, it will have "bite size" snow to chew through. Avalanche Tech John Fleckenstein is on the snowmobile monitoring the slope stability and coordinating the snow cat and snow blower work. (Avalanche Tech Brandon Levy took the other snowmobile several miles further west to try and fix the Washington Pass Weather Station - Any of you who have clicked on that link know that the snow measurement sensors haven't been working, so send positive thoughts to Brandon!)

The maintenance crew completed a double-cut (both lanes) from CR 1, 8/10ths of a mile to CR 6 by the end of the day. (Wow!) (The addition of a second Kodiak snow blower didn't hurt...) Where they were between chutes, the snow on the pavement was still only about 3-1/2 feet deep.

They're optimistic they can clear through the last six chutes in the Cutthroat zone (these are the largest ones) by Tuesday.

The forecast says the snow will continue tomorrow, but we're hoping there won't be too much "re-clearing" necessary on Monday (and hopefully,not enough new snow to ramp up the avalanche danger.)

 

Enjoy your weekend. (Officially, I'm on spring vacation next week, but I'll take a few minutes when Becker calls my cell phone, pull out my laptop and send you the daily update. Shoot, I might even go up and take some pictures myself!)

 

Jeff Adamson 509-667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[BirdDog]

Thanks for all the updates!

[Dan_Miller]

It's a 'public service.'

 

Yesterday was winter again on the North Cascades, but who knew how it would turn out? (Not Don Becker!) Our intrepid Twisp Maintenance Supervisor called me in the morning with bad news (and this morning, got close to a computer and sent me the pictures that are on flickr, now: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/) Anyway, he said when they got to the gate, there was two inches of snow on the pavement and it was snowing pretty hard. About 5 miles west, at CR6 (where they had stopped work last week) there was 8" of snow on the pavement, and it was snowing even harder. Don wasn't optimistic about how quickly they were going to be able to re-clear the highway to CR6, much less, progress too much further west.

 

He called about 4 and said it snowed all day, but the crew made amazing progress. They had completely cleared the entire roadway from CR6 to the end of the avalanche zone at CR12 and the Kodiak had a single cut completed from there to almost Spiral Gulch, below Liberty Bell Mtn. Avalanche Chief Mike Stanford had already started cutting the snow at the bottom of Liberty Bell (LB#1) with the snow cat!

 

The biggest glitch on Monday turned out to be a flat tire on one of the Kodiaks. That didn't happen until late in the day, but Don had to bring the wheel down to Wenatchee last night, so it could be repaired. Kodiak #2 rejoined the fray about mid-morning with one new "boot".

 

The forecast calls for more snow, off and on for the next several days, but if yesterday is any indication - it may not delay the clearing effort nearly as much as one might expect. They key will be how much more comes down and how fast. Don says the avalanche crew says we're still stable, but several more inchges on top of what's come down could shut the clearing down if it "layers". (Pray, cross your fingers, whatever works!)

 

Stay tuned!

 

 

[Billygoat]

00ooo

 

[Dan_Miller]

I don't write 'these'. I'm only the conduit. Protect the Pika!

 

I just got back to Wenatchee from a visit to the North Cascades. I was escort for Mark Mahnkey, aka The Geezer. Mark works for Boeing, but is better known for his website and Blog. He also had been deputized by an old friend and editor of the Omak Chronicle, Roger Harnack, to take pictures and write an article for his paper. Mark picked me up in Wenatchee at 7 a.m. (having left Lynnwood several hours earlier) and we headed north arriving at the Silver Star Gate at 10 a.m. (after a mandatory latte' stop at the Mazama Store). Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker met us with the mandatory safety checklist (sign it or get back in your car and leave) and then wired us up with avalanche beacons and a handheld radio so we could listen in on the crew (or cry for help?)

 

The weather was beautiful - blue skies, sunshine and 40 - 50 degrees (depending on where you were standing). We headed up to meet the crew, with a few stops on the way at the beginning and the end of the Cutthroat Ridge avalanche zone, then at Spiral Gulch before arriving at the Liberty Bell avalanche zone, where the Kodiak snow blower, a grader and a loader were working (below LB#1) and a loader and the snow cat were busy below LB#2. The second Kodiak had been sent on ahead to cut a path past LB#3 & 4 and around the corner and up to the Washington Pass summit.

 

On Tuesday, equipment breakdowns cost the crew about half a day - another flat tire on a Kodiak (this one a simple patch repair that the Twisp Les Schwab took care of) and some traction gadgets on the snow cat's treads that came off and had to be replaced. Tuesday's progress widened Monday's single cut from the end of Cutthroat Ridge around Spiral Gulch to LB#1. By the end of today (Wednesday), the clearing and widening was completed through LB#1, 2 & 3 plus a double cut to the summit.

 

There's more snow forecast late tomorrow, so an increased danger of avalanches could still be in the offing, but as of today, the avalanche crew's work and the monitoring is done. The avalanche chutes between Washington and Rainy Passes (Whistler) never even reached the road this winter. Thursday, the crew will be widening to the Washington Pass summit and beginning the cuts toward Rainy Pass.

 

(Here are the mileposts so you can check the maps link on the NCH home page and get a feel for the progress: Silver Star Gate is at MP 170.5. Lone Fir is at 168.5. Cutthroat Ridge runs from MP 166.5 to 165, the beginning of Spiral Gulch. Liberty Bell runs from about 164.5 to 163. Washington Pass summit is at 162.5, Whistler Mtn. is at 160.5 and Rainy Pass at 157.5. There's still 3-4' of snow on the pavement from there down to the vicinity of Granite Creek, MP 148, but the road is clear and dry from there down to the West Gate at MP 134.)

 

The west side crew is working in the cleared section, installing concrete jersey barrier in a rock fall zone, fixing guardrail, cleaning culverts, shaping shoulders and generally getting ready to open. Thursday, they'll also be contributing to the clearing effort in an unanticipated manner. There's a loader-mounted snow blower that has just been rebuilt and the contractor needs real snow to test it in, so the crew will take a plow and clear from Granite Creek as far as it can go and then fire up the blower and "test" it until everyone's satisfied it's ready for service. It will be interesting to see where we are by the end of the day on Thursday on both sides!

 

I've also been told the furry little critter in Tuesday's pictures is not a mouse, but a small earless rabbit called a Pica who was monitoring the work when the crew got to Spiral Gulch (which is also called the hairpin, the annex and several other monikers). We can only assume that last year's native project director - the snow bunny - has been replaced with a smaller cousin (which might be appropriate for the amount of snow we didn't get this year.)

 

Here's the Flickr address for the pictures again - www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/ - Tuesday's are posted; today's will be up tomorrow (Thursday).

 

Stay tuned!

 

Jeff Adamson 509.667.2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

It was a productive day in terms of clearing and widening, but Monday is going involve some significant "clean up" based upon a snowslide today and the 12 to 14 inches of snow forecast to fall tonight, through tomorrow.

 

First things, first. The highway is cleared, guardrail to guardrail all the way to Blue Lake (between Washington and Rainy Passes), About 1:30 this afternoon, a slide came in down Liberty Bell chute #3 and dumped 8 to 10 feet of snow across both lanes. Needless to say, the avalanche crew is not heading back to Stevens Pass - they'll be at Liberty Bell on Monday, so the maintenance crew can clear it again (and the rest of the new snow on the highway.)

 

By the way, the westside snow blower test is happening Monday, not today.

 

Happy Easter!

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot,wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

Monday was kind of a "lost day" - The crew spent most of it re-clearing the 1 to 1-1/2 feet of snow that fell since Friday (and continued until about 1:30 this afternoon.) Check out the pictures on flickr - there are shots from today of the repaired snow blower being tested on the west side of Rainy Pass and my favorite of the two eastside Kodiak's passing each other at Whistler, about a mile and a half west of Washington Pass (widening the cut to Blue Lake they finished on Thursday). There are also some Wednesday-Thursday photos taken by the avalanche crew of the work below the Liberty Bell avalanche chutes, that you'll want to look at.

 

Crews also found 10 to 12 feet deep snow slides across the road below Liberty Bell 1, 2 & 3. For now, the Kodiaks cut a single width swath on the outside shoulder so the plow, grader and loader could get through the zone and start the re-clearing and widening from Washington Pass to Blue Lake. (It was snowing too hard to see, much less safely monitor the avalanche chute starting zones which are 3,000 feet above the highway - so the plan for tomorrow is to continue working toward Rainy Pass and go back and clean up below Liberty Bell on Wednesday.

 

Here's the link to the Flickr photos of the opening: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/

 

(This is the link to the North Cascades Web page:) now available.

 

Any of you who might have been harboring hopes that the highway could be open by this Friday saw those hopes dim today - our original "mid April" estimate is looking more likely.

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot,wa,gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

Four inches of new snow greeted the crew when they got to work this morning. It continued snowing all day which made for pretty crummy picture taking, so you'll have to look at yesterday's again! The crews on both sides continued to make pretty good progress, however. The roadway is cleared, guardrail to guardrail to Bridge Creek, which is about 2 miles from Rainy Pass. The westside crew finished a second day of testing on a repaired loader-mounted snow blower, clearing about 4 miles of highway to Swamp Creek, about 3 miles from Rainy Pass. The snow in between is 3-1/2 to 4' feet deep. The avalanche crew will be on duty tomorrow so the clearing will shift back to the slides that came in below Liberty Bell Mtn. They won't need both Kodiaks there, so one will continue the clearing from Bridge Creek toward Rainy. Hopefully the weather will stabilize the avalanche chutes - there were more slides back in the Cutthroat Ridge zone today, but nothing that hit the road.

 

No equipment breakdowns or flat tires today!

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

Another day (#11) of clearing done while new snow continued falling off and on. As planned, most of the effort today was focused on cleaning up the snowslides below Liberty Bell Mtn. and then some more cleaning - guardrail to guardrail to Bridge Creek. The second Kodiak spent the day completing a single cut from there to Rainy Pass. The westside crew continued the uh, "testing" of their loader-mounted snow blower, clearing from guardrail to guardrail to MP 155, about 2 -1/2 miles from the summit of Rainy. (Today the two crews actually had vehicle to vehicle radio contact a couple of times!)

 

The weather is the biggest unknown for the next day or two - we're expecting a bigger blast of snow tomorrow. That could ramp up the avalanche danger again. Other than that - the big Loader has been getting tired or bored and decided to lock up its power steering unit now and then...Hope it remains just annoying instead of serious.

 

New pictures from today are posted on Flickr (page 2) www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/ - check 'em out! (Katie Litzenberger from the region safety office was on site today - she's the one who doesn't look like a grizzled old guy...)!

 

The crew is still optimistic for an opening sometime next week.

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

In the words of Yogi Berra "It's Deja Vu all over again." When the crew got to work this morning, it was 22 degrees, there was a foot of new snow on the ground and it was still snowing. The 50 mph wind put visibility close to zero. The wind spent the day re-distributing the snow the crew spent the last couple of weeks moving "off" the road. Despite the new drifts, somehow the two Kodiaks managed to widen yesterday's single cut from Bridge Creek to the summit of Rainy Pass from guardrail to guardrail. The westside crew battled new snow and "testing" that smaller Loader-mounted snow blower, managed to widen another half mile toward Rainy, so the two crews were within a mile and a half of each other by the end of the day.

 

The forecast between now and Monday includes more snow and depending on temperature, etc., avalanche danger could play a part in just how soon they might be able to open next week. Their optimism is tempered with the expectation that Monday will be entirely devoted to re-clearing from the gate all the way to Rainy (about 15 miles).

 

Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker stopped by the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce meeting this morning and assured them the highway would not be open for this weekend. "With the snow falling outside, they took the news pretty well," said Becker.

 

You might want to print a copy of this and tuck it into your snow shoe - It's highly unlikely 22 degrees and a foot of new snow will be what you see outside the window next April 8th!

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot,wa,gov

 

OH, Don sent 10 new pictures - We could probably call them "Blowin in the Wind!" www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

Here's what I've been able to piece together about yesterday. It was about 30 degrees, almost no wind and very light snow when they got to work. There was a fair amount of clean up necessary - a little more new snow from Friday through Sunday (mostly Friday) and some new snowslides. (We cut "ditches" above the roadway, below the avalanche chutes so new slides fill those instead of hitting the "now cleared" roadway.) The weekend filled the snow-ditches and the avalanche crew spent the day with the snow cat, cleaning out the ditches. Avalanche Chief Mike Stanford got an adrenaline rush, however, when he finished clearing out the ditch below Liberty Bell #2 and moved on a few hundred feet to Liberty Bell #3 when an avalanche came blasting down LB 2. In his words "It would surprise you just how loud an avalanche is!" Besides filling up the ditch again, that slide dumped 3 to 4 feet of snow across the two lanes of the highway, too. That's when Mike decided he wasn't going to let the highway reopen until he had the opportunity to examine the starting zones directly and do any control needed. Tomorrow, he's renting a helicopter out of Darrington to inspect/control Whistler, Liberty Bell and especially the Cutthroat Ridge chutes that can't be "shot" from the highway. (Since they'll have the chopper, they're going to do some repairs at the Washington Overlook Weather Station and a microwave repeater site that they weren't expecting to be able to get to until July).

 

So far as progress is concerned - the east and west side crews did meet west of Rainy Pass yesterday. Today, they're widening and using some eastside equipment (primarily the grader) to deal with some layers of ice on the pavement at various places between Diablo and Rainy. The blowers are also going to be busy cutting emergency cut outs. They've brought up the "broom" to sweep the cleared pavement.

 

Depending on what tomorrow's avalanche assessment/control brings, the highway could open as early as Thursday - or not. The key will be the amount of snow in the chutes because of the warm temperatures that are coming. Mike pointed out that since the reopening effort began on March 22nd, almost 100 inches of new snow has fallen. "We haven't had "spring" up there yet, so trying explosives is the only option we have right now, to empty those chutes so we can safely open the highway.

 

Stay tuned! (Sorry, no Monday pictures available yet.)

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov.

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

 

The North Cascades Highway will NOT open tomorrow. We were hoping that today's helicopter avalanche control effort would be successful so that we could open on Thursday. It's a lesson in being careful what you wish for. Apparently so much snow came down from the control blasting that there's no way it can be cleared off by 11 a.m. tomorrow (which was the target.) As it is, the avalanche crew is on the other side of some of the slides and I won't be able to get an assessment from them about the possibilities of a Friday opening until tonight or early tomorrow. Who knows - We might even get some new pictures to post on Flickr.

 

I have contacted Tootsie and told her to turn off the cinnamon roll oven until she hears from me. Stay tuned.

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

Just got the official "word" - The North Cascades Highway will reopen at noon tomorrow, Friday, April 16, 2010!

 

The clean up is going well. There are lots of new pictures and even a couple short "movies" from the helicopter that have been posted on the flickr site. www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157623371473447/

 

I notified Tootsie Clark so those of you waiting in line tomorrow at the westside gate will get your cinnamon roll and coffee.

 

The reference I made to cinnamon rolls was not understood by some of those who get these e-mails, so here's the story:

 

Tootsie Clark, the matriarch of Clark's Skagit River Resort http://northcascades.com/ (near Marblemount), drives her giant old Cadillac up to the west side closure gate near Diablo, opens the trunk and serves fresh-baked cinnamon rolls and coffee to everyone waiting in line for us to open the gate. It's a tradition she has been carrying on for at least the 11 years I've been associated with the North Cascades Spring Re-openings.

 

I'll probably send out one more of these when the gates actually open tomorrow - hopefully I won't need to be sending one anytime soon telling you that it's closed again due to avalanches!

 

Have a wonderful spring.

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Billygoat]

Great news, thanks Jeff!

 

What time during the day do the gates usuaully open?

[Le Piston]

Yes! Thanks for keeping us up to date on the progress. Now I just want a little cold clear weather to firm things up there.

[Dan_Miller]

It's gonna have to firm up a bit before the hoardes will be hitting Graybeard's North Face Route. People heading over to the sunney Methow this weekend will doubtless be slowing down to have a look at mighty Graybeard Peak.

 

The gates are open. It's 46 degrees at Washington Pass and cloudy. The forecast says it's going to get up as high as 70 in the Methow Valley. There's also an increasing chance for rain (60% tonight/tomorrow), but the freezing level is supposed to stay way up (6,000 ft.)

 

Bare and dry pavement (okay - there's some wet spots from melting snow), right now.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

Just got a call from Don Becker - If you are planning to drive over today - expect some delays below the Liberty Bell avalanche zone just east of Washington Pass. Slides came down on Friday and Saturday. (Only one really put snow on the pavement that we had to clean up - Friday), but enough snow came down to fill up the snow ditches we'd dug to catch any more sliding snow and keep it off the road. While that worked as it was it is supposed to - we've got to clean those ditches to catch any more that may slide, especially with today's warm forecast. They'll have a pilot car leading you around the clean up operation and the worst delays shouldn't last more than 20 minutes.

 

On a more cheerful note - there are a last set of flickr pictures posted from Friday's opening - some early morning snowslide clean up below Cutthroat Ridge and some nice shots of Tootsie Clark who fed everyone in line then drove to Washington Pass when the gate opened, tracked down the crew and gave them a box of cinnamon rolls.

 

Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815 adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov

 

 

[Dan_Miller]

HWT 20 will close for awhile on Tue., 5/4/10

 

 

There's been a surprising amount of winter up there since we opened on the 16th, but some anti icer and snow plow activity has kept mishaps to a minimum. Off road parking is still an issue this early (before NPS or USFS opens their facilities) but the cold and snow and back country avalanche danger has reduced the demand, so hopefully it will start becoming summer soon. (Melt the snow in your parking spots and give you some reachable destinations).

 

The reason for this e mail, however is more along the line of a highway alert - Rocks fell down a slope and onto the pavement on Tuesday between Newhalem and Marblemount. Our westside crew went out and cleared the lanes, but our geo-techs determined there is a more unstable rock up there and this coming Tuesday morning (May 4), we're going to scale those rocks off the slope. We can't do that with traffic below, so we're telling you in advance that SR 20 at about MP 112 will be closed for about 2 hours from 9 to 11 a.m. Now, of course, comes the wiggle! If everything goes perfectly, we could be done in an hour. If the whole slope decides to come down, 2 hours could become 2 days. If you're planning on using that stretch of SR 20 Tuesday - either get through there before 9 or plan for a leisurely breakfast in Newhalem or Marblemount.

 

Here's the official notice:

 

North Cascades Highway temporary closure next Tuesday

 

Crews will close both lanes of State Route 20 for two hours next week to remove some unstable rocks above the highway near Marblemount.

 

Maintenance crews found and cleared up a small rockslide from the highway on Tuesday night, April 27. Upon further investigation, crews found more rock and debris on the hillside that could become a hazard to drivers in the near future.

 

Crews will close the highway at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 4, six miles east of Marblemount to safely break the material loose from the hillside and then clear it from the roadway.

 

Drivers should expect lengthy backups and delays. There are no detour routes. The closure and delays could be cut in half if crews can safely clean and open one lane and use flaggers to alternate traffic after bringing down the debris.

 

Dave Chesson WSDOT Communications | 360-757-5970