We update this page as crews progress along the highway clearing snow. The updates include mileposts or geographic locations so you can use the map as a reference guide.
2012 picture albums
Day 28, May 10, 2012 (Thur. Week 7)
The gates swung open at noon and travelers were greeted with bare roads, sunshine and 60 degree temperatures. The clearing effort took a day longer than last year, but since crews could start sooner (Mar. 26 this year as opposed to Apr. 11, last year) the reopening came 15 days earlier, in time for Winthrop's 49'er Days festival.
Day 25, May 7, 2012 (Mon. Week 7)
The West and Eastside crews met at 11 o’clock this morning!
A specific day or time for the reopening still cannot be set, but Thursday is still the target.
The two Kodiak snow blower operators completed a single cut through the 1-1/2 miles that separated them in about four hours.
Tuesday will be devoted to the widening of the section opened today from Whistler (MP 160.5) to Rainy Pass (MP 157). In addition to that, pull-outs need to be cleared, ditching, so the melting snow doesn’t flood the highway and repair of guardrail that suffered slide damage all has to be completed before the reopening. Wednesday, the avalanche crew is going to bring down any snow still in the chutes that three days of warm weather may have loosened.
While it’s legal for bicycles to use the highway because they’re not licensed motor vehicles – it’s getting crowded up there and it’s a big concern for our operators since bikes are hard to spot in the mirrors on a loader or a blower. The widening, ditching, guardrail and jersey barrier work is going on all day Tuesday and with avalanche blasting planned for Wednesday (along with the necessary clean up) – this is just not a good time to bicycle the North Cascades – Please wait for Thursday!
Day 24, May 3, 2012 (Thur. Week 6)
The crews worked under less than ideal conditions with cold temperatures and snow all week, but they made good progress and we’re making our first reopening prediction for next Thursday, May 10.
That is predicated on cooperative weather and no more equipment breakdowns.
On the west side, the crew has completed a single cut to Bridge Creek at MP 159.5 through 7 to 10 feet of snow about two miles past Rainy Pass.
On the eastside, the crew has a single cut to Whistler at MP 161 about a mile and a half past Washington Pass, so the two crews are about a mile and a half apart.
The work has been slow because the snow on the road is 7 to 10’ deep. We have to use the caterpillars to cut the piles down to 6’ for the snow blowers.
Despite 3” of new snow overnight, the cold temperatures all week kept the snow stable. However, the forecast for early next week is warm which increases avalanche danger, so we’re planning a significant avalanche control effort Wednesday to allow a “safe” Thursday reopening.
Day 21, April 30, 2012 (Mon. Week 6)
Week number six got underway with cold temperatures, snow and a broken snow blower.
Gary Claybo (Lead Tech - Mt. Vernon) said that on the west side, the high temp for the day was 34 degrees at Rainy Pass. Bob Hopfield and his Kodiak cleared another mile through 7 to 10 feet of snow to MP 158, about a half mile past Rainy. At 4,855' the precipitation came down in the form of snow.
On the eastside, Don Becker (Supv.-Twisp) said the day began with the loss of one of the Kodiak snow blowers – a broken U-joint. They expected to complete the repairs today. One benefit of the cold temperatures is that it stabilized the slopes allowing crews to finish work through the Liberty Bell zone. The pavement is now visible, even though the widening isn't finished, up to Washington Pass.
The two crews are now five miles and a couple avalanche zones apart. But with the snow, the forecast for more all week, and the potential for more equipment breakdowns- no one is ready to make any reopening predictions yet.
We know there were a lot of you who made plans anticipating the highway would be open this week. Thanks for being patient and forgiving.
Day 20, April 26, 2012 (Thur. Week 5)
Due to heavy rain and snow that produced unstable avalanche conditions, clearing work was suspended Thursday and will resume on Monday. The Eastside crew’s progress for the week ended at Liberty Bell Avalanche Chute #3 where the snow is about 60’ deep. The Westside crew’s progress is to just below Rainy Pass. They’re about seven miles apart and the reopening won’t happen next week, but likely the following week. The target remains to be open in time for Winthrop’s 49’er Days on May 12 & 13.
Day 19, April 25, 2012 (Wed. Week 5)
The highway will not be open by this weekend. As of today, the NW Region crew has yet to reach Rainy Pass and the North Central Region crew is still shy of reaching Washington Pass. If both crews can make it that far by the end of the week, that still leaves them separated by five miles of 7 to 10’ deep snow.
On the Westside, Bob Hopfield and the Skykomish Kodiak snow blower continue pushing east from MP 156 which is about a half mile shy of Porcupine Creek. The snow is still soft, but at seven feet, it’s right about the limit of what a snow blower can “eat” without help, so he got some. Twisp Supervisor Don Becker sent the avalanche crew’s snow cat with its plow blade over to cut/compact the piles of snow on the road down to a more manageable height. Mt. Vernon Lead Tech Gary Claybo says the rest of the Westside crew’s ditching operations are going well and another crew is repairing guardrail damaged by rock fall and snow slides during the winter.
On the eastside work continues through LB #1 and LB #2.
Days 17, April 23, 2012 (Mon. Week 5)
On the Eastside, crews cleared and widened from the top of the Cutthroat Ridge zone at MP 164, around the Annex (Spiral Gulch) to Liberty Bell Mtn. at MP 163. Two caterpillars and a Kodiak snow blower spent the afternoon cutting through the 40 feet of snow over the roadway below LB #1. The avalanche crew used the howitzer to lob explosives into LB #2 and #3 about mid day, bringing down significant snow.
On the Westside, two cuts were completed, up and back, from MP 155 to MP 156 (about a mile below Rainy Pass). The weather was perfect – 53 degrees with sunny blue skies – cutting through 7 feet of snow on the pavement. The next couple days will be devoted to widening and ditching.
Days 15-16, April 18, 19, 2012 (Wed.-Thurs. Week 4)
It snowed almost constantly and visibility was poor Wednesday. On Thursday it was still cool (freezing at noon, but warmer, later) and the forecast called for snow and rain all day, but it was nicer than Wednesday.
SR 20 on the Westside has been cleared from guardrail to guardrail from MP 148, Granite Creek to MP 152, the Easy Pass Trailhead through Swamp Creek at MP 153 to the chain up area at MP 154. Bob Hopfield’s Kodiak Snow Blower was held up a couple times by trees buried in the snow, but he made good progress through the five feet of white stuff on the pavement under less than ideal conditions.
On the Eastside, the second Kodiak Snow Blower from Stevens Pass joined the effort Wednesday afternoon under the skillful guidance of Tyler Miller. He, Jesse Gurney on the excavator and Jason Newman on the loader spent their time widening from CR #6 to CR #10. Duane Wolley on the other Kodiak headed off making a single cut into the Annex (or Hairpin/Spire/Spiral Gulch) along with Scott Reagles on the D-6 caterpillar. Mark Bakken on the Lloyd’s Logging D-8 pushed ahead even further to begin cutting down the 35’+ accumulation below Liberty Bell #1.
All in all, a good week.
Days 13-14 April 16-17, 2012 (Monday –Tuesday - Week 4)
On the east side, Monday and Tuesday were pretty much spent re-clearing the Cutthroat Ridge avalanche zone since they dumped enough snow when it got warm last Thursday that the crews had to high tail it out of there to avoid becoming victims. There are about six new pictures from Monday showing the clean up at CR #2 and CR #8. Work continues from there through the last four Cutthroat chutes (9, 10, 11a and 11 b – and no, I don’t know why 11 b didn’t get its own number…) So, by mile posts – we’re at about 165.
On the Westside Mt. Vernon’s Gary Claybo says Bob Hopfield who is the designated Kodiak pilot has led the effort over the past two days from Easy Pass up to Swamp Creek at mile post 153. By the end of the day, the highway was clear from shoulder to shoulder and Wednesday, he’ll start a new cut up to MP 154 through the 5’ of heavy, wet snow on the pavement. It was overcast and kind of gloomy for the past couple days, but at 44 degrees by mid afternoon, the working conditions haven’t been too bad.
Day 12, April 12, 2012 (Thursday - Week 3)
Progress for the week on the east side ended early on the upper half of Cutthroat Ridge on Thursday when warm temperatures caused a series of natural avalanches forcing the crews and their equipment to leave.
They had been using the snow cat, the D-6 and the D-8 caterpillars to cut down the 20’ piles of snow beneath CR 6, 7 and 8. As the day progressed, the cats were sent ahead to start cutting down the even deeper piles of snow under CR 10. Before they even got there, the natural avalanches began. One of the largest slides came in from CR 2 which required cat and snow blower work to reopen so the crew could get back to their vehicles at the gate.
For Week #3, we’re marking progress at MP 148 (west) and MP 166 (east) even though it’s apparent that on Monday, the crews will be re-clearing the lanes to get back to where they were stopped working Thursday.
There are new pictures posted on Flickr.
Day 10, April 10, 2012, (Tuesday, Week #3)
On the Westside, the small loader-mounted snow blower is in Seattle to be repaired. A giant Kodiak snow blower from the Skykomish shed rolled off the lowboy Tuesday to replace it, and began making fast progress through the soft 4’ deep snow at East Creek. By the end of the day, it had cleared both lanes and the shoulders for the three miles to Granite Creek (MP 148).
On the eastside, a D-8 caterpillar from Lloyd Logging Co. in Twisp joined the clearing effort on Tuesday. The D-8 was sent ahead to begin cutting down CR #6’s 18’ foot slides to snow blower sized heights (about 8’). The Avalanche Team’s snow cat went even further ahead, cutting a level trail all the way to Washington Pass. At CR #1 (MP 167), the Stevens Pass Kodiak began blowing snow under the watchful supervision of Av. Tech Monica Morin and the crew’s safety flamingo, Pink Floyd.
Avalanche Chief Mike Stanford noted the warm temperatures brought down several natural slides and isn’t disappointed with the cooler forecast for the next couple of days that is bringing the freezing level down. He also noted that all the slide zones had grown just since last Thursday.
Day 9 - April 9 (Monday - Week #3)
At Cutthroat Creek it was 54 degrees and sunny by mid afternoon on Monday of week 3. By the end of the day, the highway was widened to its full width from the gate to Cutthroat Creek and two new slots had been cut to CR#1, the first of the avalanche chutes.
On the Westside, progress was pretty much stopped when the transmission on the loader-mounted snow blower blew.
The avalanche crew was down doing control work on Stevens Monday, but last Thursday’s “reassessment” of condition changes over the past month since their last trip showed the accumulations on the road grew as expected. Cutthroat Ridge chutes #6 through 8 measured 16 feet March 7 and 18 feet last Thursday, April 5. Liberty Bell saw the same thing as LB #1 grew from 25 to 35’, LB #2 from 25 to 40’ and LB #3 from 40 to 58’.
Tuesday brought reinforcements to both sides. The Skykomish Kodiak Snow Blower arrived in time to replace the smaller broken one, and a caterpillar and the avalanche crew’s snow cat joined the effort on the east side.
Day 8 - April 5 (Thursday - Week #2)
“A good week”- Those were the words of Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker who oversees the annual effort to reopen the 37 miles of North Cascades Highway between Newhalem and Mazama. Thursday contributed pleasant working conditions to the effort. It was 47 degrees and sunny at 2:30 in the afternoon. This week, Westside crews cleared to East Creek (MP 145), an effort that included cleaning up three major slides between MP 137 (No Name Ck.) and MP 138 (Ruby Mtn.) On the Eastside, crews cleared past Lone Fir Campground to Cutthroat Ck. (MP 167), where the Cutthroat Ridge Avalanche Zone begins. As the crews progress up the mountains, the snow gets deeper and takes longer to clear. Some of the avalanche crew that has been at Stevens Pass visited the eastside to check conditions at the dozen avalanche chutes in the mile-long Cutthroat zone. If the warm Easter weekend temperatures don’t require avalanche control at Stevens, the avalanche crew and their snow cat will join the maintenance crew to tackle Cutthroat to kick off Week 3. On the Westside, a Kodiak from Skykomish is scheduled to begin service at East Ck. on Monday, significantly improving the crew’s snow blowing capacity.
Day 6 - April 3 (Tuesday-Week #2)
Eastside: Twisp Supervisor Don Becker says it was slow going Tuesday. Tyler Miller was on the grader continuing to scrape the layer of ice off the pavement where the snow blower has cleared the lanes. Duane Wolley, on the Kodiak snow blower spent the day chewing away at the 4 to 6 feet of dense, heavy, wet snow from shoulder to shoulder up to MP 169, about a mile below Cutthroat Ridge, which is the beginning of the active avalanche zones.
Westside: Mt. Vernon Lead Tech Gary Claybo says they cleared another 3 miles to MP 144, about 15 miles below Rainy Pass. Progress today won’t likely be repeated as there are some electrical and mechanical issues that cropped up with both the loader mounted snow blower and the snow plow so a mechanic is going up to fix them, but they’ll both be out of service for a while. The plan for the day is to go back and widen the clearing shoulder to shoulder through the three slide chutes at No Name Creek, and Ruby Mtn. #9 and #10. Snow on the pavement is only 2’ deep at MP 144, but getting steadily deeper, the further east they go.
(Westside) photos: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157629681048559/
Day 5 – April 2 (Monday-Week #2)
Monday resulted in good progress from both sides. Westside crews cleared and widened from Diablo Gate for 6 miles to MP 140 with a loader mounted blower and plow truck. That involved completing the clearing of three avalanches at No Name Creek and Ruby Mountain avalanche chutes #9 and 10 (MP 137-138). Eastside crews scraped up the ice floor from Early Winters to Silver Star Gate (MP 178-171). The snow blower cleared another mile and a half from the gate, beyond Lone Fir Campground, to MP 169.
Day 4 - March 29 (Thursday-Week #1)
Work got underway this morning at 8:30 at Varden Creek (MP 174). It was 34 degrees. 3” of new snow had fallen since midnight and there was 4’ of snow on the pavement (packed, hard). By the end of the day, the road and shoulders were cleared to the Silver Star Gate, the parking area there was cleared and enough space above the gate so we could park all the equipment out of your way until the crews come back on Monday. Working conditions were less than ideal. By 3 p.m., it had warmed up a whole degree to 35, but the precipitation had turned to rain by then.
On the Westside – progress is still to MP 137 where the no-name creek slide is.
Be careful if you go up this weekend – the forecast calls for more snow and rain encourages avalanches. Our avalanche crew was busy on Stevens today and will be out again early in the morning to deal with what’s coming between now and then.
Day 3 - March 28 (Wednesday-Week #1)
By the end of Wednesday, Duane Wolley behind the controls of the Kodiak snow blower had cleared the lanes and shoulders from Early Winters (MP 177) to Varden Creek (MP 174) and had completed two passes to MP 172, about a half mile shy of Silver Star gate. Jason Newman spent the day on the grader, scraping off the layer of ice down to the pavement for those first four miles.
As the day began, it was 33 degrees and 2” of new snow had already accumulated. Snow continued off and on all day. Much heavier snowfall is forecast for the rest of today (Thursday) and Friday.
With no snow blower available yet on the west side, progress clearing the snow slide at no-name creek (MP 137) is slow going with just a loader.
Day 1 – March 26 (Monday-Week #1)
From Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker on the opening day:
Day one of the 2012 Spring Reopening of the North Cascades Highway began from the east side at the Early Winters Information Center (MP 178) where the barricades had been set up when the closure point moved down from the Silver Star gate back in December when the snow got too deep for a single plow to keep the road open. The Twisp crew got a single lane cleared about four miles up to Varden Creek before a rear wheel seal on the Kodiak snow blower blew, ending progress for the day. Becker said the first day was overcast and the temperature was pretty steady at about 40 degrees all day. The clearing was SLOW. Snowmobile traffic all winter had compacted the snow into “two feet of ice”.
From Gary Ward on the west side, the report from day one was similar:
Dry for the most part, but slow going. The crew cleared about three miles above Diablo Gate (MP 134) before they encountered a big slide that is going to take a day or two to cut through, if it’s safe (stable) enough to try. Regardless, it pretty much ended the progress for their day #1, too.
Day two started with good news – the mechanics got the Kodiak back in the game quickly but it also started snowing about 6 a.m. and was colder and foggy. Not exactly ideal working conditions, but the clearing continued.