View a map of Chinook Pass
May 17: Crews clear the pass near the restrooms. You can see Naches Peak in the background.
May 9, 2012: The sun is shining and crews are making progress clearing Chinook.
An avalanche specialist inspects newly fallen snow on May 2, 2012. |
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May 25, 2012: Chinook pass reopens in time for Memorial Day weekend
A spring snowstorm this week made the goal of clearing Chinook Pass a daunting challenge. But crews pushed their snow-clearing and avalanche-blasting skills to the max and reopened State Route 410 over Chinook Pass, (elev. 5,430) at 12:30 p.m. today, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Check out photos of this season's reopening effort that started mid-April.
Cayuse Pass is open. |
Chinook Pass is located on SR 410 between the towns of Enumclaw and Naches. The 5,430-foot-high pass is about five miles east of the Cayuse Pass summit. Chinook Pass provides the east entrance to Mount Rainier National Park.
SR 410 through Chinook Pass has been designated by the U.S. government as the Chinook Scenic Byway.
Why does WSDOT close Chinook Pass for the winter?
WSDOT closes Chinook Pass for the winter due to high avalanche risk and hazardous driving conditions.
For the 2010-2011 season, WSDOT closed Chinook in anticipation of a storm. WSDOT did this so that recreationalists could get out of the area in a timely manner, and for the safety of our maintenance crews.
Although businesses and recreationalists depend on Chinook Pass, WSDOT can only keep the highway open as long as it is free of avalanche risk and other weather-related hazards.
The combination of avalanche danger, mountainous terrain, lack of cell phone service, inclement weather and relatively few vehicles on the roads make driving these passes in the winter a potentially hazardous endeavor. If someone had a problem, such as sliding off the road, it could take hours or days for anyone to find them.
What are the usual opening and closing dates?
In an average year, Chinook Pass closes in November and reopens in May.
What are the closure points?
Chinook Pass is closed from Morse Creek (five miles east of the summit) to Cayuse Pass. The Crystal Mountain Ski Resort can be accessed from the west side (Seattle), but cannot be accessed from the east closure point on SR 410.
How can I get information on other mountain passes?
Mountain pass info is available on WSDOT's Web site or by calling the 5-1-1 travel information system.
How can I get more information?
Summer Derrey
WSDOT Communications
Phone: 509.577.1943
E-mail: derreys@wsdot.wa.gov