Temporary snowmobile, snow bike closure in effect for certain forest lands near Washington Pass

WINTHROP – Several areas near Washington Pass, located on State Route 20 within the Methow Valley Ranger District, will be closed to snowmobile and snow bike use January 1 through June 30, in order to provide for the safety of winter recreation users. The three areas covered by the closure are referred to as Blue Lake-SR20 Hairpin Turn, Cutthroat Creek Basin, and portions of the south side of Cutthroat Peak. State Route 20 itself will remain open to over snow motorized use, along with many backcountry areas near Washington Pass that are popular with snowmobile and snow bike users.

During the winter, State Route 20 is closed by snow and is used to access Washington Pass and the surrounding areas for backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, snow biking and other activities. The closed highway provides a unique access point to high elevation, alpine terrain. “Despite the area’s popularity and it being open to both motorized and non-motorized winter use, in the past different user groups could expect some level of separation due to terrain and technology limitations. Improvements in snowmobile technology and the introduction of snow bikes, which are rapidly gaining popularity, have increased potential for interactions between user groups.” said District Ranger Chris Furr. “This past summer, like many forests, we saw unprecedented levels of use as people sought solace outdoors during the pandemic. That trend is continuing, and we expect use of the Washington Pass area this winter will far exceed what we expect in a typical year. The unusually high use combined with increased potential for user group interactions is why we are doing a temporary closure to snowmobiles and snow bikes.”

District Recreation Program Manager Rosemary Seifried adds that, “In addition to increased overall use, we are expecting an increase in new users who are less familiar with the area and may have varying levels of skill with winter recreation. We enjoy seeing new users exploring their national forest, but winter conditions aren’t as forgiving if accidents occur. These are avalanche prone areas and the technical terrain, back-country setting, and mix of uses in the area can create hazardous conditions with potentially serious consequences for all user groups even under the best of circumstances. The increased levels of use we are seeing in these areas further compound the risks. Even with this closure, all users recreating in the area during the winter should be aware of and prepared for travel through avalanche prone terrain, including on State Route 20 itself.”

The closure of these areas to snowmobile and snow bike use during the 2020/21 season is a temporary solution to reduce risks for skiers and other non-motorized users at these locations while continuing to provide many opportunities for snowmobiles and snow bikes in the surrounding areas. Ranger Furr emphasized that, “We have a long history of user groups working together to resolve conflicts in the Methow Valley and we will be working with those groups to find longer term solutions.”

For more information on avalanche safety, please visit the Northwest Avalanche Center website at https://support.nwac.us/education/. Washington Department of Transportation also maintains a map of the avalanche paths that cross State Route 20 online at https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/5242152043/in/photostream/.

Please visit our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices and select ‘Forest Closures’ for a link to the full closure order and map. For questions or additional information on winter recreation opportunities in the area, including where to go for snowmobiling and snow biking, contact the Methow Valley Ranger District at (509) 996-4000.