Status: Roads and Trails

1.9k · May 2, 2009

I'm curious why we need two threads on the subject.

The other thread is for closed roads, this is for opened roads. Don't you understand the difference?

Seriously, they probably could be combined.

I kept trying, but the site has been so wonky this week with the upgrades that everytime I tried to get in to merge the two the forums were down. I've gotten the two merged now and changed the title so it covers both opening and closing of the roads/trails.

Actually, the current wording of the thread title still sounds a bit clumsy. I think it should be Roads and Trails Status Reports.

2.8k · May 2, 2009

I'm curious why we need two threads on the subject.

The other thread is for closed roads, this is for opened roads. Don't you understand the difference?

Seriously, they probably could be combined.

I kept trying, but the site has been so wonky this week with the upgrades that everytime I tried to get in to merge the two the forums were down. I've gotten the two merged now and changed the title so it covers both opening and closing of the roads/trails.

Actually, the current wording of the thread title still sounds a bit clumsy. I think it should be Roads and Trails Status Reports.

You forgot "In my opinion"...

3.7k · May 2, 2009

I'm curious why we need two threads on the subject.

The other thread is for closed roads, this is for opened roads. Don't you understand the difference?

Seriously, they probably could be combined.

I kept trying, but the site has been so wonky this week with the upgrades that everytime I tried to get in to merge the two the forums were down. I've gotten the two merged now and changed the title so it covers both opening and closing of the roads/trails.

Actually, the current wording of the thread title still sounds a bit clumsy. I think it should be Roads and Trails Status Reports.

You forgot "In my opinion"...

In my opinion, as a writer and editor, it sounds fine. Clear and concise. Especially since that's the wording I suggested to Team Misguided.

Back on topic...who's got some more spring updates?!

Edited May 2, 2009 by hydnsek

May 2, 2009

Tinkham Road between exits 42 & 47 is closed because of last winter's storm damage

Linky thing

9.5k · May 2, 2009

Puget Sound losing popular hiking trail

08:25 PM PDT on Friday, May 1, 2009

By GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Puget Sound is losing an extremely popular trail, but getting back 760 acres of valuable salt water marshlands.

Managers at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge say the Brown Farm Dike Trail is crowded today by hikers hoping to enjoy one of its last few days.

The 5.5-mile hike takes hikers through incredible terrain packed with bird and wildlife viewing opportunities. It's an easy walk that attracts hikers of all levels and has produced bird photographs hanging on the walls of thousands of visitors.

But when managers decided to pull the old agricultural dike that cut off the land from Puget Sound, they realized the trail would be lost to the returning tidewaters. Biologists say restoring those tidelands will give a giant boost the Sound's declining wild salmon population. Young salmon enjoy good feeding and protection in estuary marshlands. Most of those marshes around Puget Sound have been lost over the last 100 years.

All is not lost for hikers. The refuge plans to build a boardwalk out over the restored tidal marsh that managers say will provide fantastic viewing opportunities.

Edited May 2, 2009 by TotemLake

3.7k · June 19, 2009

Good intel from GeoRoo on potential bad change in access to Mt Persis and Mt Index.

This may have already come up on here, so sorry if I'm a little out of touch. Longview Fibre has been granted an emergency road closure to gate the road at the turnoff to FS 62 at Hwy 2 near Index. Gate is still open as of yesterday, but could be closed at any time. This will all but kill any hiking or geocaching in the area. 7 caches isn't much, but it is a wonderful area to hike and it would be a shame to lose. My experience with road closures is once they are closed they rarely open again. If you wish to hike Mt Persis, or Index you'll have to walk an additional 10 miles of logging road and 2200 ft. elevation gain to reach the trail head.

I've been in communication with Steve Tift (360-424-2014) the land manager for Longview and Barb Bussey (360-677-2414) Skykomish Ranger station and the main concern is the people shooting and the dumping of trash. The majority of the shooting occurs at a large sandpit, so it's more a knee jerk action that's happening here. If we can force the closure of the gate, then by all means let's do it is what I see happening.

Steve is very willing to work with hikers, so there is a silver lining. In a good faith effort by hikers I'm organizing a clean up week end after next. June 27-28th. There is some garbage along the Mt Persis trail, but the majority is below in the valley and side spurs. I was up there the other day checking out how bad it's going to be and was surprised at how little I saw. Not the scary dump truck loads I was thinking. You can read about it here. Mt Persis Clean up

You may have seen on the news the clean up effort at Lake Isabel last weekend by hikers and float plane people. That went really well, so I'm hoping to build on that effort while there's interest and everyone hasn't scattered 20 different directions for the summer. If you can help out that would be great. We have permission to spend the weekend there, so I'm going to be camping out for the weekend.

August 5, 2009

Although the North Fork Snoqualmie Road is open it looks like all of the spur roads and trails have been temporarily closed by the Hancock Timber Company because of "extreme" fire danger.

On a side note it does look thier working on replacing the bridge over Sunday Creek.

Edited August 5, 2009 by LandRover

3.7k · August 17, 2009

King County just announced which parks it wants to close to balance the budget:

King County wants to shutter 39 neighborhood parks. Article includes the list of parks.

Edited August 17, 2009 by hydnsek

August 18, 2009

I'd like to see the total cost of fencing all of these parks off.

3.3k · August 18, 2009

I'd like to see them cut more staff from the KC executive and council offices, then keep the parks open.

1.9k · August 18, 2009

I'd like to see the total cost of fencing all of these parks off.

I doubt they will actually fence them off. I think it will be more like zero maintenance, and maybe park closed signs. I do notice that one of them is actually a park maintenance shop. (Five Mile Lake)

Edited August 18, 2009 by Dwoodford

3.3k · August 18, 2009

I'd like to see the total cost of fencing all of these parks off.

I doubt they will actually fence them off. I think it will be more like zero maintenance, and maybe park closed signs. I do notice that one of them is actually a park maintenance shop. (Five Mile Lake)

Not the entire park. From the KC website:

"The 39 parks proposed for mothballing will remain open for use but will not be maintained. In December crews will fence playground equipment, lock and secure restrooms, post signs and lock gates in the 39 parks in potential annexation areas of Burien, Kent, Renton, Kirkland, Issaquah, Seattle, Federal Way, Redmond and SeaTac."

August 18, 2009

I doubt they will actually fence them off. I think it will be more like zero maintenance, and maybe park closed signs.

Fenced or not, a closed sign probably means you're trespassing if you enter. That may or may not ever lead to citations (misdemeanor), but regardless, it's hard to see how we as a community could keep caches active in parks that are officially closed and officially, ostensibly, if not actually, off limits.

5.6k · August 19, 2009

I doubt they will actually fence them off. I think it will be more like zero maintenance, and maybe park closed signs.

Fenced or not, a closed sign probably means you're trespassing if you enter. That may or may not ever lead to citations (misdemeanor), but regardless, it's hard to see how we as a community could keep caches active in parks that are officially closed and officially, ostensibly, if not actually, off limits.

Not sure if that's right. The last time they 'closed' parks you had the right to walk in and use them, just no services were provided.

9.5k · August 19, 2009

I doubt they will actually fence them off. I think it will be more like zero maintenance, and maybe park closed signs.

Fenced or not, a closed sign probably means you're trespassing if you enter. That may or may not ever lead to citations (misdemeanor), but regardless, it's hard to see how we as a community could keep caches active in parks that are officially closed and officially, ostensibly, if not actually, off limits.

Not sure if that's right. The last time they 'closed' parks you had the right to walk in and use them, just no services were provided.

They didn't fence off the playground facilities the last time. Is this a lesson learned from the last time? IF so, then what else is going to be different? I think it's pure speculation until we hear something more defining on either side of the 'fence'.

1.4k · August 19, 2009

One of the news reports I read had said the restrooms and other facilities (including playgrounds) would be closed. However, the article did say you would still be able to walk through the park and use it for whatever doesn't require maintenance.

Of course now I can't find the article.

1.4k · August 19, 2009

If the proposed cuts go through, the 39 parks would remain open but would not be maintained. That means the playgrounds would be fenced off and restrooms would be locked, Triplett said.

I found it. This was a from the article on the KOMO news web site.

2.5k · August 19, 2009

If the proposed cuts go through, the 39 parks would remain open but would not be maintained. That means the playgrounds would be fenced off and restrooms would be locked, Triplett said.

I found it. This was a from the article on the KOMO news web site.

You can read the article here. It states fairly clearly:

If the proposed cuts go through, the 39 parks would remain open but would not be maintained. That means the playgrounds would be fenced off and restrooms would be locked, Triplett said.

August 19, 2009

They didn't fence off the playground facilities the last time. Is this a lesson learned from the last time? IF so, then what else is going to be different? I think it's pure speculation until we hear something more defining on either side of the 'fence'.

Yup. As for local news reporting, it is uniformly terrible. I guess we'll see what ends up getting closed off. My point is just that if an area is officially closed, I think that means closed to geocaches.

1.9k · August 19, 2009

Apparently, it still has to go through the County Council, according to an article in the Seattle Times, and the next King County Exec could very well make changes.

3.7k · November 18, 2009

WSDOT has closed the usual suspects for the winter:

The North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) closed for the winter last Friday (Nov. 13) after 20 inches of new snow and avalanches.

On Nov. 8, officials announced the winter closures of SR 410 over Chinook Pass and SR 123 over Cayuse Pass.

3.7k · December 17, 2009

From the WTA's Signpost blog, posted today:

Good news for Middle Fork enthusiasts! The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest opened the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road - FR 56 - to vehicular traffic last week. Winter flooding closed the road for the past year, blocking access to popular trailheads such as the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and the Taylor River Trail to Otter Falls. Hikers have been out during the past week and report that the Taylor River Trail (#1002) is easily passable to Otter Falls and Marten Creek.

The Upper Middle Fork Road remains closed past milepost 12.5 - just beyond the Middle Fork Campground and Taylor River Bridge. Repairs are scheduled for next summer. As usual, watch for huge potholes along the entire stretch of the Middle Fork Road. It's always an adventure.

3.7k · January 19, 2010

Looks like High on a Windy Hill and a couple of earthcaches are going to be inaccessible for a few weeks. (Source: Seattle Times, 1/19/10)

Hurricane Ridge road closed after part of it slides away

A 17-mile stretch of Hurricane Ridge Road at Olympic National Park is closed after a chunk of the road fell away in a landslide Monday afternoon. A slope below the road slid, destroying both travel lanes along a 100-foot section.

The road is closed for at least four to six weeks just below the Heart O' the Hills entrance station at Olympic, about five miles south of Port Angeles. The road closure applies to all uses, even walking or bicycling, because the slide is still active. Soil is continuing to slump away, undercutting what little is left of the road.

Park staff first saw something amiss with the road on Saturday, when road crews noticed cracks and slight slumping in the road's downhill lane north of Heart O' the Hills. The road was closed Monday because of high winds and white-out conditions at Hurricane Ridge — a good thing as it turned out, because the road failed that afternoon.

The road is usually kept open Friday through Sunday throughout the winter to accommodate skiers, snowshoers and others who enjoy the popular winter recreation destination.

The cause of the slide was heavy rain. This particular road has never slid before, Maynes said, but "we've had a lot of rain in the last week, and it's been a pretty wet winter generally, and the soil is completely saturated."

Edited January 19, 2010 by hydnsek

1.7k · January 20, 2010

Thanks for posting the information. The Virtual cache "High on a Windy Hill"is now Temporily

unavailable Dick, W7WT

Edited January 20, 2010 by W7WT

3.7k · February 11, 2010

In Washington state, proposed budget cuts could force the closure (or lack of maintenance) of popular trailheads such as Mt Si, Little Si, Rattlesnake, and Middle Fork Snoqualmie, according to news reports and WTA (Washington Trails Association). These are all DNR-managed lands, and DNR is being hard-hit by the proposed cuts.

Considering the popularity of these particular trails, seems a bit of a scare tactic, however, WTA is actively involved in talking to legislators and lobbying for continued support of our trail systems. Read more.

1.7k · February 26, 2010

Thanks for posting the information. The Virtual cache "High on a Windy Hill"is now Temporily

unavailable Dick, W7WT

The road to Hurricane Ridge will be open tomorrow 2-27-10. So the virtual cache "High on a Windy Hill" is now available. Dick, W7WT

March 24, 2010

Looks like they've started clearing Highway 20 through the North Cascades this week. Opening day is coming early this year!! I might have to venture up there to see if I can be one of the first across. I heard something about a lady who brings homemade Cinnamon Rolls for the first people to go through the gates...mmmm (even though I don't need them! :surprise: )

WSDOT SR 20 Info

March 24, 2010

Darn double post.

Edited March 24, 2010 by Lizzy

3.7k · March 24, 2010

Looks like they've started clearing Highway 20 through the North Cascades this week. Opening day is coming early this year!! I might have to venture up there to see if I can be one of the first across. I heard something about a lady who brings homemade Cinnamon Rolls for the first people to go through the gates...mmmm (even though I don't need them! )

WSDOT SR 20 Info

Yippee! I would love to go with you if you decide to make the trek. I've heard about those cinnamon rolls, too.

April 3, 2010

Looks like they've started clearing Highway 20 through the North Cascades this week. Opening day is coming early this year!! I might have to venture up there to see if I can be one of the first across. I heard something about a lady who brings homemade Cinnamon Rolls for the first people to go through the gates...mmmm (even though I don't need them! )

WSDOT SR 20 Info

Yippee! I would love to go with you if you decide to make the trek. I've heard about those cinnamon rolls, too.

The lady is Tootsie Clarke from Clarke Cabins and the Eatery in Marblemount. She has been doing this for years (more likely decades (or centuries?))

3.7k · May 13, 2010

I just saw this very interesting notice on the Bus-Up 90 site:

Snoqualmie Shuttle Service to Resume in Summer, 2010

GOOD NEWS!!! Washington State Parks has indicated that around mid-summer, 2010, the Cascade Tunnel under Snoqualmie Summit and the John Wayne Pioneer Trail will re-open to hiking and bicycle traffic. The tunnel and nearby trail were closed by washouts for the entire 2009 season. The State Legislature has also simplified regulations allowing us to restore shuttle service on the Bus-Up route, so we fully intend to resume operations between Cedar Falls/North Bend and Hyak/Summit areas once the trail is reopened. Please check back to this site for updated information as it becomes available. Thank you very much for your patience and support during our unfortunate hyatus from shuttle service. (Updated 4/5/10)

Please note the part about the tunnel reopening - could it be?!?! They have the wrong name (Cascade Tunnel is at Stevens Pass) but if this is the Snoqualmie Tunnel - woo hoo!

2.5k · May 13, 2010

I just saw this very interesting notice on the Bus-Up 90 site:

Snoqualmie Shuttle Service to Resume in Summer, 2010

GOOD NEWS!!! Washington State Parks has indicated that around mid-summer, 2010, the Cascade Tunnel under Snoqualmie Summit and the John Wayne Pioneer Trail will re-open to hiking and bicycle traffic. The tunnel and nearby trail were closed by washouts for the entire 2009 season. The State Legislature has also simplified regulations allowing us to restore shuttle service on the Bus-Up route, so we fully intend to resume operations between Cedar Falls/North Bend and Hyak/Summit areas once the trail is reopened. Please check back to this site for updated information as it becomes available. Thank you very much for your patience and support during our unfortunate hyatus from shuttle service. (Updated 4/5/10)

Please note the part about the tunnel reopening - could it be?!?! They have the wrong name (Cascade Tunnel is at Stevens Pass) but if this is the Snoqualmie Tunnel - woo hoo!

Since the John Wayne Pioneer Trail is the one at Snoqualmie, the chances are good that The Tunnel Of Light will reopen. Good news, indeed. Too bad mid-summer is probably after July 4.

9.5k · June 11, 2010

Beaver dam breaks in Snoqualmie flooding North Fork Road SE.

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Dam-breaks...e-95973279.html

3.7k · June 18, 2010

I just saw this very interesting notice on the Bus-Up 90 site:

Snoqualmie Shuttle Service to Resume in Summer, 2010

GOOD NEWS!!! Washington State Parks has indicated that around mid-summer, 2010, the Cascade Tunnel under Snoqualmie Summit and the John Wayne Pioneer Trail will re-open to hiking and bicycle traffic. The tunnel and nearby trail were closed by washouts for the entire 2009 season. The State Legislature has also simplified regulations allowing us to restore shuttle service on the Bus-Up route, so we fully intend to resume operations between Cedar Falls/North Bend and Hyak/Summit areas once the trail is reopened. Please check back to this site for updated information as it becomes available. Thank you very much for your patience and support during our unfortunate hyatus from shuttle service. (Updated 4/5/10)

Please note the part about the tunnel reopening - could it be?!?! They have the wrong name (Cascade Tunnel is at Stevens Pass) but if this is the Snoqualmie Tunnel - woo hoo!

Since the John Wayne Pioneer Trail is the one at Snoqualmie, the chances are good that The Tunnel Of Light will reopen. Good news, indeed. Too bad mid-summer is probably after July 4.

Apparently, the Bus-Up 90 folks were a bit too eager. Here's an update from WA State Parks:

Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel (tunnel 50) is currently being addressed by Parks Development staff. If things go as planned that tunnel will be reopened to the public in the spring of 2011. It will take the entire 2010 construction season to complete this work.

Renovation of tunnel 49, “Whittier Tunnel” in the area of Cabin Creek, and tunnel 49, in the area of Lake Easton, have been submitted in a request for the 2011-2013 budget. Efforts to reopen those tunnels will be dependent upon decisions related to that budget request. The soonest those tunnels might reopen to public use would be the spring of 2013.

Joyce Riley

Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission

360-902-8500

July 7, 2010

The Sunday Creek Bridge on the North Fork of the Snoqualmie River is in place and the road is now open beyond the bridge.

Thank you for your email and interest in the Sunday Creek Bridge replacement project. The bridge was opened for all users on July 1st. The Contractor is doing final clean up work but the bridge is now open. Thank you for your patience with this project.

Larry Jaramillo, P.E.

Supervising Engineer

3.7k · October 9, 2010

From WTA's Signpost blog, Oct. 7:

Here we go again. To comply with mandated budget cuts, Washington State Parks proposes mothballing six parks, including Squak Mountain, Federation Forest, Fort Ward, Peshastin Pinnacles, Tolmie and Flaming Geyser.

...The option to close these six parks was chosen over another one that would have mothballed 13 parks, so this situation could have been much worse.

...Why these parks? These were the six with the lowest percentage of revenue to expenses. That was the criteria, plain and simple. But only Flaming Geyser and Federation Forest will actually save the agency more than $100,000. The other four cost very little to keep open.

Status: Roads and Trails

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