North Cascades Hwy. 2023 spring clearing: Week 1
information and photos released by WSDOT
Hello fellow North Cascades enthusiasts: The eastside crew made it past Varden Creek (milepost 173) their first week of work. The snow on the roadway was 15 to 20 inches deep and compact, which, according to the crew, is tough for our blowers to process and makes the blower box ride up. They are looking forward to softer, deeper snow that the blower can make good work of as they push west and gain altitude.
The second blower and a grader are following, scraping ice off the road and opening up shoulders. Report from the west side was that this week was slow going. The quote from the maintenance superintendent was “It’s still messy ahead.”
Mid-April I’ll be making a site visit to talk to the east side clearing crew, check out equipment and take in the view for myself for the first time in several years. I’ve got some great questions from fellow NCH enthusiasts to answer during my visit, everything from the equipment used to clear the route to the history of the mountain peaks that surround the roadway.
This week I will answer a question that I get frequently: “When is the bike day?” If you didn’t catch the blog posted on Monday, there is a persistent urban myth that we open the road for bikes one day prior to opening for vehicles. Even the lower altitude sections of the route have great views and terrain, so it’s understandable that bicyclists would want to take advantage of an opportunity to own the road. The fact is the route is valuable for local communities and freight, so we can’t hold the opening of the road when it’s ready. People ride their bikes on the cleared sections of road on the weekends when our crews aren’t working and sometimes that includes a day or weekend between clearing and opening, depending on how the work goes. In the next few weeks while crews clear, I’ll be sure to keep you updated about the conditions here in this newsletter.
When our crews are working during the week, we ask that you stay out of the area and save any recreational activities-biking or otherwise- to the weekend. This will ensure our crews can safely clear the road. And as always, if you do plan to head out for back country adventuring, check on avalanche conditions with the Northwest Avalanche Center.
We will continue to share updates to the 2023 spring clearing on Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Safe travels and have a restorative weekend,
Lauren Loebsack, Communications
North Central Region-Wenatchee
Assessment Meeting
Patches of asphalt are becoming visible
