Hiker Headlines: White River Bridge reopens early; Chinook, Cayuse passes closing for winter

It’s Oct. 23. Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass are closing for the winter on Friday, Oct. 24. North Shore Road along Lake Quinault has also and I-90 near Cle Elum is closed due to overpass damage. But here’s some good news: The White River Bridge on SR 410 has opened ahead of schedule! And there’s snow in the mountains. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

The White River Bridge has reopened ahead of schedule! Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation. 

Cayuse and Chinook passes closing: SR 410 (Chinook Pass) and SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) at Mount Rainier National Park are closing for the winter at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. SR 410 will be closed south/eastbound of Crystal Mountain Boulevard and west of Morse Creek, and SR 123 will be closed north of Stevens Canyon Road. 

North Shore Road closed: A temporary bridge on North Shore Road along Lake Quinault has been removed for the winter. This renders the Graves Creek trailhead (which provides access to the Enchanted Valley hike) and North Fork trailhead inaccessible for the winter due to the closure of both North Shore Road and South Shore Road. 

I-90 near Cle Elum closed: A short segment of I-90 westbound is closed at milepost 80.5 until further notice due to damage to an overpass from an overheight vehicle. A detour is in place. 

White River Bridge reopens! The White River Bridge on SR 410, which connects Enumclaw to Buckley, has reopened ahead of schedule. It closed earlier this summer due to damage from an overheight vehicle.

Speak up for public lands: The Trump administration has detailed plans to fire at least 2,050 staff in the Department of the Interior during the government shutdown, including at least 272 positions at the National Park Service. These firings would come on top of massive reductions in staffing for land management agencies since February. It is short-sighted and indefensible to fire these employees when they are needed more than ever. Please write to your lawmakers and tell them how much public lands mean to you, and how critical it is to restore the dedicated people who help care for those lands.

Snow! It's winter in the mountains — lots of hikers have been seeing snow on the trail! — and the Washington State Department of Transportation is asking folks to be careful when traveling the mountain passes. Before you hit the trail, make sure to check the weather forecast, know how to be avalanche savvy as the snowy season continues and check trip reports. 

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