wsdot snoqualmie rant

Wooley, if you're camping in the left lane because the other lanes are full or haven't been plowed but the left has or something like that, then I completely buy the safety argument. If you're camping there to be junior safety patrol officer I think you need to look more deeply inward on this one. I have watched folks camp there on both dry roads and in rain well below the posted speed limit in a case when I'm confident the speed limit was a safe speed. Yes, that chaps me a bit, but driving is a bit kooky everywhere and I guess we all have our quirks.

Your crosswalk story is cute though.

Jim, I know if you saw me camping you'd know I was doing the right thing. I did opt to use "offense is sometimes the best defense" and move to occupy my bail out lane (Passing lane) at 35 mph (the speed the lights said was max) as I passed the two lane chain-up clusterhooie or I saw a blue flashing light ahead on the right or saw a slow semi in the middle lane 1/4 mile ahead. But the SUV overtaking at 45mph  me wants to get to the party 30 seconds sooner to tell of his rad lines taken, has a mental syndrome issue going and $UV's feel more secure than they actually are. He'd be shouting [size=10pt]"RWC 46.61.400 !!!!"[/size] and feel he'd done his civic duty methinks. I accept that. Skinning Hyak with a kinsman tomorrow has me stoked.

For several days straight the DOT did avalanche control on Stevens Pass at 4 AM, including Sunday morning. After working all night and most of the day (again) my husband had just gotten home at 1:30 PM. He was called back in at 2:30 PM. A "natural" slide came down in the Old Faithful area. Word reached the ski area and people started leaving en-mass.
As the DOT was closing the road for control two more "natural" slides came in. After closing the highway a sweep is done to make sure no one is there - that takes time-The Avalanche team has to go by snow cat to the top of Old Faithful (after finding a parking spot for their truck) -that takes time. Control was done (it had been done at 4AM with big results) and they got a slide 20 feet deep on the shoulder down to 8 feet deep across the highway on the fog line. It takes time to clear the snow off the highway.
They did control again Monday morning at 4 AM. These crews are working their butts off. There has been 138" of snow in 14 days. They have done control 8 out of the past 9 days.
And as a side note - as these naturals were happening 5 skiers popped out at Tunnel Creek. Pretty lucky, right?

It's been said several times here but I'll say it again. The DOT workers at the pass ROCK!!

And as a side note - as these naturals were happening 5 skiers popped out at Tunnel Creek. Pretty lucky, right?

I'm sure these were not at all sidecountry warriors, but dedicated citizens intent on helping out the WSDOT with avy work.

Good post Jo. Most of us realize that the WSDOT works its a$$ off, battling not only mother nature but the hordes of idiots and ill-prepared intent on making life difficult for pass users and the WSDOT alike.

Jo - thanks to your husband and his colleagues for all the long hard hours they've been putting in keeping these tough mountain passes passable. And yikes! regarding the tunnel creek folks. Head shaking in wonder...

Wooley, those sound like reasonable anticipatory moves to me the way you've described in in your latest post, presuming that it would have either been unsafe for you to simply pull over and let others pass or if you'd pulled over, you would have had to slow down significantly while they were passing. The devil is in the details. Perhaps you just managed to push my hot button regarding the folks who truly camp over there in various unwarranted scenarios, and I managed to push your type-A SUV driver buttons a bit. Let's go ski!! And as Dickie Hall, head of NATO is fond of saying, play fair, be safe, and have fun!