Highway 20?

[Shortline]

Looking for a place to take a timid new rider for an early season ride. Was wondering if anybody knows if the west side of the Highway 20 road closure is legal to park and ride from? I don't know anything about it, not my type of riding but this new rider would be perfectly happy tooling down a closed road. Is there any roads, meadows, hills off to the side of the road that are rideable?

Thanks in advance for any info. Just kind of shooting in the dark here. I have other places in mind but none of them would be that long.

 

[l3oycl]

Good luck on getting any info

I asked a year ago and have heard nothing

HWY 20 / North Cascade HWY / Ross Lake Trailhead

HWY 20 / North Cascade HWY / Ross Lake Trailhead

Never been up there but a friend of a friend says it’s really fun riding. Is anyone familiar with the area? Would love to plan a ride up there this year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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[Shortline]

That's too bad. I figured at least a few people here would be share some information. I can understand not wanting to give away any secret stashes, I'm not looking for that. I thought highway 20 was a pretty boring road ride. Or maybe it's not legal to park at the road closure? I don't know.

 

[Shortline]

These pictures from the WSDOT on the East side closure look pretty sweet.

 

[tomx]

From what I understand you can ride up the highway, at least a buddy of mine did it a year or two back. Think main issue is the road isn't grommed at all and tends to get a lot of blocking tree fall. I'm betting even trying to get down that road right now would be a challenge for a newbie. Best to stick to something groomed.

 

[Shortline]

From what I understand you can ride up the highway, at least a buddy of mine did it a year or two back. Think main issue is the road isn't grommed at all and tends to get a lot of blocking tree fall. I'm betting even trying to get down that road right now would be a challenge for a newbie. Best to stick to something groomed.

Good point about the down fall. I hadn't thought of that. Grooming hasn't started for the year has it? I thought it started in December.

 

[Wapow]

I've never ridden it from the westside but the elevation at the gate is only 2,000", so I am guessing it may not be in yet. Also, I think the issue is usually more avalanche cones than deadfall on the highway, but deadfall could be an issue in early season. Having driven that road many times from the west (I'm a rock climber and WA Pass is a big climbing destination), there are probably very few good spots off the road to brapp around, until you get to about Easy Pass. Another consideration later in the winter is that WSDOT has been moving the end of plowing a few miles back west when the snow piles up, because it is lower, so they don't have to plow the last bit. Backcountry skiers have been complaining about this the past couple years, because Ruby Mtn is a popular skiing spot, and it's right next to the west end gate. Blewett is a fantastic spot for beginners BTW and it may be in already, especially if you can get a spot in the Hwy 97 snopark at the summit. But get there super early, it's crazy popular!

 

[Jason4]

I've ridden to WA Pass from the west side several times. The road is really mellow but it does get a few trees and some good sized rocks on it. If you see a lump on the road surface it isn't going to be soft. There is only one slide path that I've seen go big (NE side of Ruby Mountain) between the west side gate and close to Rainy Pass. There's a slide path off of Porcupine that has earthwork to prevent it from crossing the highway but I've never seen it go big. I'm sure it does though. Most of the slide paths are at the pass or off Delancy Ridge on the east side of the pass.
The Northwest Glacier Cruiser host a ride every year close to New Years day. It's a great chance to get out with a great crew. It's also a good chance to watch someone break an A arm playing in the ditch. It seems like someone is always riding their sled back on one ski.
As was mentioned already, it's not a popular trailhead due to the low elevation of the west side gate and the fact that there is a pretty long section of road that drops in elevation on the other side of the gate. Hopefully this winter will be cold enough that it's good to get in there a bit more than other years.

 

[Shortline]

I've never ridden it from the westside but the elevation at the gate is only 2,000", so I am guessing it may not be in yet. Also, I think the issue is usually more avalanche cones than deadfall on the highway, but deadfall could be an issue in early season. Having driven that road many times from the west (I'm a rock climber and WA Pass is a big climbing destination), there are probably very few good spots off the road to brapp around, until you get to about Easy Pass. Another consideration later in the winter is that WSDOT has been moving the end of plowing a few miles back west when the snow piles up, because it is lower, so they don't have to plow the last bit. Backcountry skiers have been complaining about this the past couple years, because Ruby Mtn is a popular skiing spot, and it's right next to the west end gate. Blewett is a fantastic spot for beginners BTW and it may be in already, especially if you can get a spot in the Hwy 97 snopark at the summit. But get there super early, it's crazy popular!

I've ridden to WA Pass from the west side several times. The road is really mellow but it does get a few trees and some good sized rocks on it. If you see a lump on the road surface it isn't going to be soft. There is only one slide path that I've seen go big (NE side of Ruby Mountain) between the west side gate and close to Rainy Pass. There's a slide path off of Porcupine that has earthwork to prevent it from crossing the highway but I've never seen it go big. I'm sure it does though. Most of the slide paths are at the pass or off Delancy Ridge on the east side of the pass.
The Northwest Glacier Cruiser host a ride every year close to New Years day. It's a great chance to get out with a great crew. It's also a good chance to watch someone break an A arm playing in the ditch. It seems like someone is always riding their sled back on one ski.
As was mentioned already, it's not a popular trailhead due to the low elevation of the west side gate and the fact that there is a pretty long section of road that drops in elevation on the other side of the gate. Hopefully this winter will be cold enough that it's good to get in there a bit more than other years.

Great info from these two guys. Hopefully it will be as useful to others as it was to me. Sometimes we get so caught up looking for the deepest pow, great treelines or best bowls we forget about new /casual riders and their need to know. Big thanks to @Wapow and @Jason4

 

[l3oycl]

Thank you for chiming in, love to hear this info!


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[Blkdodge3500]

Headed up there tommrow to check.it out if anyone wants to go to

 

[Ktm Fanatic]

Did you go?

 

[Blkdodge3500]

No had sled issues mad it there but had to turn around couldn't get sled started

 

[l3oycl]

Sorry to hear about the issues, any idea what’s wrong with the machine?
How were the road conditions? Any photos of the parking area at the Ross lake trail head? Busy area? Sorry for all the questions it’s a long haul and I have always been interested


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[Blkdodge3500]

Thanks its all good and I think it just need new plugs it was just flooding wouldn't fire they were good the way up there and I dident grab any pics was pretty frustrating I wanna go back and ride it

 

[AZ800]

Anyone know what it’s like from the east side, or elsewhere around there? (Near Winthrop)
Heading up there so the sons hockey team can get a little ice time before their Dec tournament. (Thanks WA covid freaks...)
But have all day Sat and thinking a half day ride could be in order if there’s decent snow, even enough for a good road ride.

 

[Jason4]

@AZ800 I've been seeing pictures of people skiing WA Pass that I know are taking sleds up from Mazama. You should be able to at least get a road ride in from that side. There should be telemetry on NWAC.us that has snow depth info at the pass.

 

[AZ800]

Thanks bud!

 

[Wapow]

Hwy 20 doesn't have much good riding off the road until around Rainy Pass. Great scenery though. Hart's Pass would probably deliver better riding for the buck.

 

[RickPDX]

Any reports from Harts Pass?