The pace is steady and methodical

information released by WSDOT

Hello fellow North Cascades enthusiasts: My first trip into the field as a newly hired communications manager was on April 4, 2019. I drove past Twisp to the Early Winters gate and was escorted behind the closure points on SR 20 North Cascades Highway, to see the spring clearing firsthand. This last Wednesday, April 12, I was able to finally revisit. Each visit, both in 2019 and most recently, offered amazing vistas and real insight into the talent and commitment required to clear the pass each spring.  It’s something many of you have asked to learn more about.

This effort requires both proper equipment and skilled operation. Proper planning is essential. Work zone safety extends to every aspect of the job, and working to clear avalanche paths requires additional safety precautions, like the use of avalanche beacons by everyone who works behind the closure points.

The report is that the crew is currently fully equipped, with two blowers, a sno cat, a grader, an excavator, and a loader and now a D-8 Caterpillar making a full court press on the avalanche paths east of Washington Pass summit.

The pace is steady and methodical. Forecasts and conditions are reviewed. With snow still in the avalanche loading zones, snow conditions are checked in person by the avalanche control team, who also take shifts monitoring the hillside above the crews, watching for any snow slides. While it’s a rare occurrence, that continued risk is why we also advise those recreating behind the closure points to be prepared and check in with the Northwest Avalanche Center for current conditions.

The sno cat and excavator are used to knock down and break up the snowpack on the road ahead of the blowers. The excavator also clears rock and woody debris that is often lurking in the snow piles, having been dragged down with the snow slides over the winter. This debris can damage the blower.

The blower box measures 6 ft. by 10 ft. and can clear about a lane at a time, not counting shoulders and pull outs. Otherwise, handling the blower requires close, persistent concentration. It’s slow moving and requires meticulous attention when adjusting direction. The steering wheel moves the front tires and a joystick makes adjustments to the rear tires. Clearing a path only as wide as the blower box means there’s little room to turn the tires before they hit the side of the snowpack. Changing course and turning around takes planning and patience.

The D-8 arrives when the crew reaches the avalanche paths, and like the sno cat, is used to knock down snow piles. Bigger and burlier than the sno cat, the D-8 is also used to clear large catchment troughs in the avalanche paths adjacent to the road. As snow continues to drop from the loading zones, it will slide into the troughs instead of over the roadway.

It really is an incredible operation to observe. It takes a lot of skill and a lot of grit. Be sure to check out the close up pics and video of the equipment and crew that have been added to this year’s Flickr album.

On the eastside, the crew has reached the Liberty Bell pathways just past Spire Gulch between milepost 163-164. There are still a few weeks of clearing and then whatever road repairs are necessary before the North Cascades Highway is open. There is also some spring snow in the forecast. As always, we will also post updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Take care and safe travels-
Lauren Loebsack, Communications
North Central Region-Wenatchee