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Winter closed highway(s)

sno-drifter

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I set the course for the John Craig Memorial cross country race on the McKenzie pass for several years. It is the oldest cross country ski race in the USA. The race starts on the east side and continues too the top at the Dee Wright Memorial at the summit.
 

ssort

Member
Hwy 20 from Mazama to Nehalem in WA is closed every winter. Some of that closed road gets groomed occasionally for snomo (and THEY don't play well with others) (from Mazama to the top of WA Pass approx) but in my discussion with the FS and WHP, they say access is open to all. It's a public highway, use it!
 

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
mount rainier national park in Washington lets us go on the closed hiway in the park up to the avalanches.
 

Red130

Member
skinny skiers typically don't play well with others.

Locally we have a good relationship between non-motorized and motorized over-the-snow users. The cross country ski club even bought a track-setter for the snowmobile club's PB100, so they can set XC track on multiple use roads. But yes, in many areas there are conflicts. I've seen good people and jerks on all sides.
 

Lyndon

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Some Yes, some No. I ran this very pass in 94 in record snows. Got some great pictures. But many of the other mountain pass roads I tried to run prohibited winter travel. Chinook Pass, the one nearest me and In Mt. Rainier National Park is closed every year. They used to plow it in the winter but they had so many avalanche problems that they not only quit plowing it, they prohibited all travel on it. A snow cat was rolled off it and the driver killed. Several Dozer and Pass Plow avalanches have occurred since when they are trying to open it up in the spring. Just last year a Dozer operator was buried in his cat on Chinook Pass. He was trapped, but was not injured. McKenzie was nice. I do not remember seeing any avalanche spots. We came in from the East side as well. There is a little stone look-out tower at the top. You can pick out quite a few of the large peaks in the Cascades from it: St. Helens, Adams, Rainier, 3 fingered jack, Baker, Hood,....
There is also about a hundred mile cross ex trail that runs North to South around the 3 sisters, running by Mt. Bachelor that the Director of Gifford Pinchot National Forest said we could run. He liked Snow Cat's according to his secretary. But that was 23 years ago. I would be inquiring with his successor. They like to keep the Snow Cats off the groomed Cross Country trails. You are usually welcomed on the Snow Mobile trails.
Not too far from there is a nice system of trails, along with some cabins and a restaurant specifically for Snowmobilers at Paulina Lake. No fee's there either. The cabins at the top are usually booked several seasons in advance.
 
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