A map showing Washington State’s sno-parks. Image: ARCGIS.com
THR’s follow up to our story last month regarding wintertime parking dynamics in and around Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass. Here, we connect with the Cascade Backcountry Alliance to learn more the sexy topic of Washington State’s winter parking issues for those looking to access higher alpine terrain.
Last month, we reported on parking issues on Snoqualmie Pass. In short, wintertime backcountry users have limited opportunities to find near trailhead parking. The problem (no surprise here) is complex. Further, it echoes patterns found throughout much of the mountainous U.S. as people tap into the winter backcountry scene—a parking spot in winter can be hard to come by.
Not unlike many regions, Snoqualmie Pass has several private ski areas that lease land under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. These ski areas plow parking lots and use their financial resources to make it easier for those heading up from Puget Sound to park, gear up, and ski/ride. That’s a lot of people. Compounding the problem, as noted in our November story, is a general lack of ample sno-park parking at or near a trailhead offering desirable ski/ride terrain. Many backcountry users are not interested in tapping into managed ski area terrain.
The problem of a lack of parking is not going away. We need solutions. We contacted the Cascade Backcountry Alliance (CBA) to learn more about wintertime recreational parking in Washington and how the situation may evolve.
We get it, this is certainly not the sexiest of topics. However, the solutions may not be sufficient for backcountry skiers/riders without advocacy and collective buy-in. The parking conundrum in Washington isn’t unique to Washington (although the maze of bureaucratic hurdles might be).
OK, Washington. Wintertime parking at or near trailheads (or general access) isn’t so simple in this excellent state. In our email exchange with the CBA, we were connected with Will Russack, a board member involved with parking advocacy. For clarity, we’ll organize Russack’s email responses to our query around specific topics.
THR: What are the main ways to access winter backcountry in Washington and what are the basic requirements to access/park in those zones?
Russack: The majority of winter access in WA basically consists of three buckets.
- Ski Areas
- Crystal, Summit Snoqualmie, Stevens, and Baker all have leases on F.S land with parking lots that often provide some of the most direct access to backcountry terrain, and they are plowed by the Ski Areas.
- Historically these were lots free; however Crystal instituted weekend fees for backcountry users two years ago, and now the summit has followed suit
- Sno-Parks
- The sno-park program is run by WA State Parks (Not WSDOT). There are over 140 sno-parks in the state. Here’s a link to a map with sno-park location and info.
- Sno-park lots can either be motorized or non-motorized. There are also some that have nordic tracks that are groomed. There are specific costs for each of these types (and they don’t necessarily overlap).
- Most sno-parks exist on Federal land (usually F.S.), but they are operated by State Parks. That means F.S. gives approval as the landowner, but State Parks uses parking pass fees to pay for plowing and port-a-potties.
- New sno-parks can be proposed and usually have to survive a 3-year probation period before they are finalized.
- National Parks
- There is access in the winter to Paradise in Rainier National Park, and Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. These require a daily or yearly park pass
Our initial story included information on the Kendall Katwalk trailhead, a trailhead with parking that remains unmaintained in winter. Here is our follow-up question.
THR: I am curious about the deterrent(s) that may be considered when opening up summertime-type trailheads for wintertime access. For example, the Kendall Katwalk trailhead seems pretty close off the highway and, as I understand it, remains unmaintained in winter. Is this a cost issue, as WSDOT doesn’t have the funding or the will, or is the USFS perhaps giving pushback?
Russack: Using the Kendal Katwalk parking lot as an example—this is a F.S. parking lot. The F.S. remains woefully understaffed and underfunded, so any attempt to get this lot plowed would likely be through proposing it as a sno-park (in their defense, the Snoqualmie Ranger District has opened or expanded several sno-parks in the last five years). The Kendall Katwalk lot is a top priority for CBA, and we have been (and are still) working actively with the Snoqualmie Ranger District and State Parks, trying to get an initial agreement in place. Plowing, especially at Snoqualmie Pass, is very expensive. However, this seems to have been the main hurdle in the past, along with some reticence by the F.S.
The terrain and low-elevation valleys of WA make winter access difficult. Summer trailheads that utilize long and often degrading F.S. roads are basically impossible to plow in the winter due to length and road surface. So you’re left with paved roads that get up high–hence the list of three access points above (ski areas, sno-parks, and National Parks). Plowing costs are also significant due to the amount of snow and water content we get here in WA. Historically, the sno-park program has not had many lots catering to BC skiers—usually it is more targeted towards nordic skiers, snowmobilers, and snow play. CBA believes that leveraging the sno-park system to open more terrain up to backcountry skiers is a sustainable solution that will funnel additional funds into State Parks by purchasing passes.
THR: Help us better understand how the backcountry community has historically tried to organize and make entry points (particularly access points to ski/ride terrain) easier to access. I’m no expert and a non-local, but the lack of parking for non-motorized groups up in that zone in/around Snoqualmie Pass seems glaringly absent. And with such a powerful (and monied) backcountry constituency in Puget Sound, I’m trying to understand the dynamics at play better.
Russack: In regards to your last question, the answer is they haven’t. The backcountry community has not had much of a voice, if any, in WA. This essentially was the impetus for founding the CBA. As you mention, the backcountry community is generally characterized (but not always) by folks with relatively deep pockets. Compared to the snowmobile community, we are woefully under-organized. CBA seeks to be what the Access Fund is for climbers or the Evergreen MTB association for bikers. However, due to the limited access to high-elevation terrain in WA. and the absolute explosion of users in the past five-ish years, it is a difficult challenge.
In addition to the paid parking at Crystal and Snoqualmie, Stevens Pass has introduced parking reservations and has continued to restrict access to lots that are typically used by area locals and ski tourists. Other access to backcountry terrain along Stevens Pass is essentially just pull offs alongside the highway. The general sentiment around here is that you need a snowmobile to access decent skiing. I’d love to keep my adventures human powered, but options are increasingly limited for people like myself.