North Cascades Early Opening for 2015

[escapefjrtist]

Standing by for updates...

--G

 

[Niehart]

Standing by for updates...
--G

+1

 

[SeattleTy]

Thanks Allrider for posting the link. If highway is open on Thursday, I am riding that direction. For anyone interested in riding with, the earliest I can get to the Darrington area would be 9:30 am.

Wingshot....do you still plan on going Friday if it opens? Or are you thinking Thursday?

Anyone interested in the grand opening

 

[Panman]

I'm interested in a dry clean run! To nice of a road to waste on a rainy day.

 

[wingshot]

Understood Panman, but my available riding days are finite at this point in time in my life, which I am sure you can appreciate. I have always agreed with the saying: "the worst day on a motorcycle is better than the best day at the office." Thus, a little wet and cloudy and maybe a little sandy on this side will not detour me if North Cascades is open.

Ty, I can only ride on Friday. If North Cascades is not open, I will be headed to the Gorge for a very late lunch in Hood River at Full Sail Brewery.

 

[SeattleTy]

Great! See you Friday Wingshot!

Wingshot, can you PM your cell number to me, thanks Wingshot.

Anyone else wanna ride this Friday

 

[Panman]

Understood Panman, but my available riding days are finite at this point in time in my life, which I am sure you can appreciate. I have always agreed with the saying: "the worst day on a motorcycle is better than the best day at the office." Thus, a little wet and cloudy and maybe a little sandy on this side will not detour me if North Cascades is open.
Ty, I can only ride on Friday. If North Cascades is not open, I will be headed to the Gorge for a very late lunch in Hood River at Full Sail Brewery.

Dam, I just wish! Brian a lunch with you at the Full Sail Brewery would be awesome! That would be worth getting wet for!

 

[wingshot]

Panman, we could also stop at Stevenson Brewery afterwards to fill growlers up with some awesome barley wine.☺

 

[wingshot]

Today's update indicates everything is on track for a April 3rd opening at 10am. I plan on being at in Darrington at 9:30 am. Anyone besides Ty interested in going please post up.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Y'all be safe and have fun. Expecting a full report... with pics!!

--G

 

[wingshot]

Thanks escapefjrtist, as you know I am not much of a picture taker or ride reporter. I have 110k on the bike and no ride report. I did get a GoPro 3 for Christmas that I need to learn how to use so anything is possible. There is a time frame; wife, daughter and parents will be waiting for dinner at 6:30 pm. There might be a few times where FJR nominal speeds are reached.

 

[allrider]

They want to open the gate Friday @ 10 am at this point. Looking like snow is in the forecast and even if they clean the road it may be slick. Temps may be low over the pass throughout the weekend.

Here's the email from WSDOT:

North Cascades Highway Newsletter for WSDOT. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

Hi all,

None at Rainy, but there's new snow at Washington Pass and up to 8" forecast for tonight. That being said,the maintenance crew on the east side insist a Kodiak snow blower is just happy chewing a 5-1/2 deep pile of snow as a 5 foot pile so they remain confident that they will meet the Friday morning, 10 a.m. reopening target and they know they'll have to face the wrath of Tootsie and Granny Winthrop if don't! (For those uniniated-Tootsie serves cinnamon rolls and coffee from Clark's Resort to those waiting in line at the west gate, while Granny provides treats from Sheri's Sweet Shoppe to those waiting at the east gate.)

That's the big news - the reopening date and time and free food.

Next is killing rumor (again). There is not and never has been a special window when the gates remain closed to cars so bicycles can have the highway to themselves. WSDOT can't do that. When the highway has been subjected to that final sweep by our maintenance and avalanche crews and they determine it's safe and ready for traffic - the gates are opened to everyone, just like all the other state highways. Everyone is expected to stay in their lane, go the proper speed, signal their intentions and Share-The-Road.

Bikes aren't licensed motor vehicles so they aren't subject to the gated closure limits. If you decide to ride early - please watch out for our sweeper vehicles because bicyclists are pretty much invisible to the operator.

So what was accomplished Monday toward getting the highway opened?

On the east side, the avalanche crew from this region hosted their counterparts from Snoqualmie, Chinook and White passes in a day of avalanche control work on the Liberty Bell Mountain zone. With chutes as tall as those, even a few inches of new snow can bury two lanes by the time it hits the highway. Piles up to eight feet deep and 30 feet wide had to be cleared when the exercise was over. The joint effort not only emptied chutes, but provided hands on experience with a new 105mm howitzer for the crews.

Clearing work continued all day as the maintenance crew widened and groomed Washington Pass and headed west toward Whistler Mountain.

On the west side, Bob continued his one snow blower assault on 5-1/2 foot deep, soft snow up to Rainy Pass, widened it, groomed it, and then headed off toward Bridge Creek.

Anyone looking at a map can see they're only a couple miles apart!

Today's batch of pictures has two of particular note. One is Alan Willard yelling "Fire" as he pulled the trigger on that howitzer and the other is for those of you who have complained we hadn't posted any "critter pictures" this year - Check out the photo of the fearless feathered beast - beak to gunsight with a noisy howitzer!

The new pictures are being posted on FlickR: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157651358626876/

One more thing. The southern region's Avalanche Chief is John Stimberis who has some words of caution for back country recreationists when the passes (North Cascades, Chinook, Cayuse) open-in the form of a blog on the NWAC (back country avalanche) site. It's a good read with great photos.

This is the link to John's Blog: www.nwac.us/blog/2015/03/23/know-you-go-skiing-and-riding-near-highways/

If anything about the reopening changes - you'll be first to know. (Do you believe this? A three week reopening? - Wow!)

I'm not taking any chances. I'll drive my snowmobile. Maybe do some cross country skiing while we're there. Anyone else going Friday morning first thing let me know so i can look for you.

This is my snowmoblie.

 

[SeattleTy]

Thank you Allrider for the informative update, greatly appreciated

Wingshot...should we move to plan B?

I'm OK and flexible with whatever you decide.

 

[wingshot]

The last forecast that I saw was light snow Thursday night. Daytime temperatures are supposed to be in the 40s. Although cool, it should be warm enough to keep the road clear. Let's hope it warms up like predicted. If not, it will mean that the pass trip will be slow and steady.

Ty, still on. No turning back now, unless on Thursday a change in opening occurs. Plan B for me is a trip to the Columbia River Gorge and late lunch in Hood River at Full Sail Brewery.

 

[SeattleTy]

Either sounds good to me

 

[DennisJ]

Still scheduled for Friday: https://www.komonews.com/news/local/Crews-hope-to-reopen-North-Cascades-Highway-on-Friday-298451461.html

 

[SeattleTy]

Thanks Dennis, I hope your feeling better, looking forward at seeing you at the tech meet.

Also Looking forward to taking some good pictures tomorrow

 

[Panman]

Both Chinook & Cayuse passe have opened. I see a nice 6 or 7 pass ride coming up.

https://www.komonews.com/news/local/Washington-crews-reopen-Chinook-Cayuse-passes-298552391.html

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Stanwood,+WA&daddr=Darrington,+WA+to:48.6740276,-121.245661+to:Winthrop,+WA+to:Okanogan,+WA+to:47.7251002,-120.2006791+to:46.8019432,-120.4612231+to:Yakima,+WA+to:Ohanapecosh+Ranger+Station,+Ohanapecosh+Ranger+Station,+Ohanapecosh+Road,+Randle,+WA+98377+to:47.3445324,-121.8904934+to:47.4766843,-121.8931299+to:47.6090151,-121.912705+to:Stanwood,+WA&hl=en&sll=47.412291,-121.655731&sspn=0.807583,1.234589&geocode=FTsa4AIdasW0-CmllgdnGUSFVDGyO9w8d2HvcQ%3BFZtR4AIdFoLA-CnrxcEpxtqEVDGYP7KLUXk6Ng%3BFeu05gIdI_DF-Cl3lbstSpWEVDGTEmP1Tckzrw%3BFeO24wIdrBrW-Cmrarkjpq-cVDGNUsNiM5pEKA%3BFS7v4QIdZU3f-Cn_G8GcwuucVDEN-BIW44iW7A%3BFSw62AIdGeLV-Clv2kex17ybVDEhbpBn43nubA%3BFRckygIdWejR-ClXn709HuiZVDGQCEvVP3GgTw%3BFVcXxwId1TnR-Cn_RBbQXWKXVDFLe55xDoY7Gg%3BFXUTyQIdDvnA-CndV1mf-S2XVDH6fvloddvtOg%3BFZRr0gIdQxm8-Ckf6MSV24uQVDFPMIn5oZ1FiQ%3BFcxv1AId9w68-Cl3V7OfTWOQVDEDZdetwElo-w%3BFbd01gIdf8K7-ClpZrqF03CQVDF3EX0DspKlPw%3BFTsa4AIdasW0-CmllgdnGUSFVDGyO9w8d2HvcQ&oq=sta&mra=dpe&mrsp=11&sz=10&via=2,5,6,9,10,11&t=m&z=10

 

[JamesW]

Weather was nice here in Clearview this am, looks like you guys got off to a good start. Snow level 3000ft, wonder how that worked.

 

[wingshot]

For those weather worry worts, pure sunshine and clean roads all day to this point. Great day for riding. Pics... Well hopefully Ty took some, I am enjoying the day of riding ... No time for pictures.