NT #1 Map 5 & WP #2 Maps 25, 26. SR 20 wildfire closure. 7/12/2021

[gdbout]

SR 20 Both Directions - SR 20 North Cascades Highway between milepost 170 and 177 (appx. 20 miles west of Winthrop between Silver Star and Early Winters) **AS OF MONDAY, JULY 12 AT 10AM: ROAD CLOSED to all traffic due to fire activity.** There is no estimated time for reopening of the road. Cross-state travel is available on US 2 and I-90.
Last Updated: 7/12/2021 1:06 PM

[jrobertson]

This closure could be around for awhile. For riders on the Washington Parks route, it is a closure without a viable detour. For Northern Tier riders, A very large detour is possible via our Washington Parks Sections 1 and 2 (Going south around Olympia to Wenatchee and then and SR 2 between Wenatchee, WA and Newport, passing through Spokane. Note that SR2 will be carrying increased traffic due to the SR20 closure.

For riders looking to do a more direct route and making the start/end Seattle instead of Anacortes, the PTCT ( https://palousetocascadestrail.org/ ), a firmly packed gravel trail, is an option to get to Lauderdale Junction (Washington Parks Section 2, map 20). rwgps route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36867480

[jamawani]

Hi Jamie -

Yes, I suspect Hwy 20 will be closed for some time - maybe all the way thru the fall & winter.

There are no great options.
You still cannot cross the border into Canada.

US 2 west of Stevens Pass is VERY dangerous for cyclists.
Which is too bad, because with a few improvements it could be quite good.
(I have been on WSDOT for 20 years to do something - I will die before anything happens.)

There's nice back way from Anacortes to North Bend via the sweet Centennial Trail.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36882274

Hwy 28 on the east side is way emptire than US 2 east of Soap Lake.
Take the county road thru spectacular Moses Coulee & Palisades. 6(?) miles of unpaved.

[jrobertson]

That is a great addition jamawani! It sounds like the best option for NT (EB) is the Centennial Trail>PTCT>Wenatchee>SR 28 until you meet back up with US2 to rejoin the NT route in Newport, WA. Just a reminder that the I-90 bridge is not at all suitable for cycling.

[jamawani]

Back way via Moses Coulee to Soap Lake.
(Actually about 12 ies unpaved - - I lied.)
You miss the busy section of Hwy 28.
You get a spectacular canyon, instead.

Camping in Wenatchee and Soap Lake.
Hwy 28 east of Soap Lake is very empty.
Camping / services in Odessa, Harrington & Davenport.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36882828

[jamawani]

1930s era Sunset Highway from Davenport thru Reardan.
Much of the original high-quality concrete remains.
There are some thumpers at the cracks, but you are riding on a road almost 100 year old.
With no traffic.

Or you can stay on US 2.

Coulee Hite Road takes you down to Seven Mile Canyon and Riverside S.P. with camping.
Bypass Spokane on west side, stores/restaurants/services at Swenson Rd.
Back roads to Newport.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36883274

[jrobertson]

These look like great options too. Thanks!

[mcarmack]

I finished my westbound Northern Tier ride last week (7/29) and am posting the detours I used here in case it is helpful to folks.
At the time there was a closure on SR 20 west of Colville, so I detoured over Flowery Trail Pass. (https://strava.app.link/DEZczZVToib) As you can see in my Strava post, I turned off of SR 20 in Dalkena and then took some unpaved roads through national forest (middle fork road, Bartlett road). If I could do it again (though I believe that closure is now open), I would instead stay on SR 20 until Usk so that I could ride paved roads all the way up the pass. I took Flowery Trail Pass road to Chewela, and then rode up to Colville on 395 to rejoin the NT route.
My second detour was because of the SR 20 closure near Winthrop/Mazama.
I stayed on the route through Omak. Instead of continuing on SR 20, I headed south on 97. 97 was a bit busy with traffic but had a nice shoulder and was a beautiful ride.
I got a ride down part of 97/Rt 2 from Orondo to Leavenworth, and from the car it looked like there continued to be a good shoulder but lots more traffic (at one point Rt 2 is six lanes across freeway)
I got some much needed repairs in Cashmere at Downtown Bike; they were incredibly helpful and speedy knowing I was on a tour (and trying to get off the road in time to catch an Olympic event on TV haha).
The ride from Leavenworth to Skykomish was also very nice along Rt 2, though the shoulder was less consistent. There is water at Steven’s Pass. We rode early in the morning so there was less traffic but I can imagine some of the curves would be harrowing with more cars on the road. On the descent from Steven’s Pass down to Skykomish we took Old Cascade Highway for the two stretches where it parallels 2 and it was one of my favorite short stretches of the whole trip! So beautiful and no traffic compared to 2.
The last day we rode from Skykomish to Mukilteo which was a beautiful place to finish with a beach, public restroom, views of Mt Baker, and a few places to get ice cream and food.
I am posting my route here on Strava for that last day. (https://strava.app.link/4I4aHFMVoib). We tried to get off 2 as soon as we could because by this point there was almost no shoulder and tons of traffic. Both Old Owen Road and Lowell Snohomish River Road were perfect riding roads with very low traffic.
Happy to answer any questions for folks considering these detours.
Take care,
Mary

[jamawani]

Mary -

Yes, US 2 is a mess - narrow with lots of traffic.
Not a good detour west of the Cascades, especially if you are heading east - - uphill.

Glad you enjoyed the Old Cascade Highway.
I'm guessing you had to use the US 2 tunnel near Money Creek.
Again, narrow and scary. With lots of traffic.

There used to be a third section of Old Cascade Highway that bypassed the tunnel.
Back in 2011, a winter flood took out the abutments to the Miller River Bridge.
Although King County received millions in federal disaster money,
they chose not to repair the bridge and its connections.
Instead, they chose to dead end the two pieces of Old Cascade Highway.
Even though the people of Skykomish argued how much they needed the route.

Would you consider writing King County Public Works?
Telling how bad US 2 is? How nice Old Cascade Highway is? How needed?
Also, that the tunnel is profoundly dangerous to cyclists?

Brent.Champaco@kingcounty.gov

They plan on spending the federal money to put in cul de sacs starting June of 2022.
There is still time to get them to act responsibly for locals and touring cyclists.

Thanks - John

[mcarmack]

John-
I will do this. Thanks for letting me (and others) know how to advocate to improve the area for cyclists.
Mary

[jrobertson]

It appears that US20 is now open with reduced speed and delays due to wildfire activity, but it IS NO LONGER CLOSED as of 8/10/21.

https://www.wsdot.com/traffic/trafficalerts/printer.aspx?refnum=460466&action=2