[pct-l] Road to Harts Pass closed until August (at least)

[Tom Griffin]

While looking up the North Cascades National Park information for my 
earlier post, I came across this announcement:

"Harts Pass Road, last road access to the PCT before Canada, is not 
passable to the trail making the last road crossing going north Rainy 
Pass. Forest Service hopes to gain funding to open road by end of July 
2007."

There is a rock slide at Dead Horse Point. For those of us who have 
driven the road, this is the scary narrow section where you are afraid 
you are going to plunge into an abyss. You pray there isn't anyone 
coming in the other direction. For pictures and a good discussion, see 
the NWHikers forum:

<http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7960100&start=0>

According to one post, it won't be fixed even by August. "I just talked 
to a friend in Twisp who has mine claims the other side of Harts Pass. 
He tells me that there is one area at Dead Horse Point that has a 
section of road where about eight feet of the road bed is GONE! He 
questions whether the road will open at all this year if they must cut 
into the mountain. "

This means thruhikers should resupply in Stehekin for the whole distance 
to the border (most do this already) and that the last road crossing is 
Highway 20 at Rainy Pass. Sorry, no trail magic at Harts Pass like I had 
last year <http://griffinte.home.comcast.net/pct2006/daythree.html>.

-- 
Tom "Bullfrog" Griffin
Seattle
PCT Pages: http://griffinte.home.comcast.net/pct.html