North Cascades Highway closed by slide

The North Cascades Highway is closed because of a rock and mud slide and is not expected to open until 4 p.m. Thursday.

Crews must remove about 300 yards of mud and debris in a 10-foot-deep swath across the highway, and make sure that the slope is stable before reopening the cross-mountain route. The scenic drive is popular with vacationers heading to the Methow Valley and north-central Washington, and also with hikers, campers and long-distance bicyclists.

Highway gates are closed on the west side of the Cascades by the community of Diablo (milepost 134). On the east side, the highway gates are closed 14 miles west of Mazama (milepost 170). Gates were staffed overnight after the slide Wednesday to make sure campers and hikers along the highway could get out last night.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/northcentral.aspx?refnum=202680&action=2

Re Opened...

SR 20 -
Reopened to traffic, cleared on SR 20 from 9 miles west of Mazama at the Silver Star Gate to West Avalanche Gate 14 miles east of Newhelem since 3:33 PM, 07/30/09 until further notice due to mudslide
From milepost 134 to milepost 171

The reader board signs in Everett are talking about the route closure and everyone with a cell phone stuck in their ear slams on the brakes to read it. I'm surprised I haven't seen any accidents down here because of what happened up there!

I just saw this post now. On the 29th I took SR20 home from my 10 day jaunt to SD. As I was halfway through one of the sharper corners above Ross Lake the road ahead was covered in small rocks. I was able to slow down and weave through them, but the car and tent trailer going the other way plowed through them making a horrible sound as the rocks were rolled along the underside of the car.

It must have JUST came down as I reached the corner because I had passed a car a about 2 mins before that im sure would have been stopped by the debris.

Myself, my passenger and the tent trailer guy removed as much of the debris as we could and he said he would call the police as soon as he could get cell signal.

I wonder if the was the "pre-slide"? Where did the main slide come down?

I'm taking a ride to Winthrop on Saturday...
If I see the slide area I'll take some pictures...
I always keep an eye out for fresh slides up there.

Couldn't miss it... Looked like a bulldozer plowed down the mountainside.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_popper/3802448419/" title="_POP0009 by GrafikFeat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3587/3802448419_4ec501de4a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="687" alt="_POP0009" /></a>

Great shot. Where was it? East or west of Rainy Pass or between Rainy & Washington pass?

I should have stopped to get a picture looking up the slide.

It was surprisingly narrow as though it were carved out by bulldozers...
All the mud and debris fanned out when hitting the road.

I put it 40+ west of Winthrop. So that's about 10 mins. from Washington Pass/Liberty Bell.

grafikfeat said:

I should have stopped to get a picture looking up the slide.

It was surprisingly narrow as though it were carved out by bulldozers...
All the mud and debris fanned out when hitting the road.

I put it 40+ east of Winthrop. So that's about 10 mins. from Washington Pass/Liberty Bell.

Click to expand...

Don't you mean west.

Yes... I did. Thanks... I get confused w/o the GPS.

Of which I will add do not rely on for gas stations.
2010 maps said gas was 17 miles.
It was actually under a mile.
Hate to have it be the other way around.