YAKIMA - Chinook Pass (SR 410) opens for the season to passenger vehicle and bicycle traffic at noon on Thursday, May 24, 2007. Avalanche forecasters and snow removal crews have now completed their work to make Chinook Pass safe to travel. Motorists are advised to watch for falling rocks on the roadway. Snowfall and winter driving conditions can occur at Chinook Pass (5,430 ft) throughout the month of June. Please be prepared for winter driving conditions.
The outlook for reopening SR 123 south of Cayuse Pass is bleak. Extensive damage from last November’s storms completely washed out a large section of SR 123 five miles south of the Cayuse Pass summit. Mount Rainier National Park estimates it will take all summer and into early fall for contractor crews to repair the damage. As a result, it appears likely that the annual reopening of SR 123 within the park will not happen this year. The closed section of SR 123 is between the junction with SR 410 and Stevens Canyon Road.
“Visitors to Mount Rainier can still reach the park’s most popular areas, Paradise and Sunrise,” said Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. “But with SR 123 closed it will not be possible to travel between them. You’ll have to come in and out the same way, but it is still worth coming. ”
WSDOT maintains SR 123 within park boundaries under an agreement with Mount Rainier National Park. The park is responsible for planning and funding highway improvements and repairs.
Drivers wanting to travel to the Longmire and Paradise areas of the park can access them from US 12 east of Packwood and from SR 706 east of Ashford. Drivers wanting to access the Lake Tipsoo and Sunrise areas of Mt. Rainier National Park can do so only from SR 410.
Chinook Pass has been closed since Nov. 12, 2006, from the intersection of SR 123 and SR 410 (3 miles west of the summit), to Morse Creek (5.5 miles east of the summit). A five-mile stretch, just east of the summit, is located along the steep slope of an avalanche area, which makes it too dangerous to keep open during the snowy winter months.
Chinook Pass is designated as a National Scenic Byway, an All American Road, and an entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. Commercial vehicles are prohibited. Mount Rainier National Park information can be found online at
www.nps.gov/mora
.
The very earliest Chinook Pass opening was April 5, 1973. The latest opening was July 12, 1974.
Drivers can now get real time traffic and weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most phones. Callers can also use 511 to get statewide construction, mountain pass condition, and state ferry system information, as well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines.
To see photos and descriptions of the snow removal efforts visit:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/chinook/
