Our first North Cascades highway crossing of the year

North Cascades highway is Washington states farthest north mountain pass.

It's usually the last one to open because of the snow depth and avalanche danger. We thought there would be more snow at the top than there was. Turns out there wasn't so much.

Liberty Bell as seen from
the Washington Pass Overlook rest area

There is a tradition on opening day each year by a woman named "Tootsie" to greet the people that line up at the gate for it's official opening with cinnamon rolls. She gets up at 1 A.M. and makes them herself. She is 90 years old this year. She has been doing this for at least 20 years.
 Click here for the "Thanks for the Tradition" WSDOT article .


Lexis in "her" element, one happy dog!

Here's a record of the opening and closing dates of the highway since it opened in 1972.

SR 20 - North Cascades Highway - Opening and Closing History

Year	Opened	Closed
2011	05-25
2010	04-16	11-29 (temp. closure-4 p.m.) 12-1 (closed 8 a.m.)
2009	04-24	11-07 to 11-10 (temp. closure) 11-13 (temp. closure-3:30 p.m.) 11-17 (closed - 8 a.m.)
2008	05-01	12-11(temp. closure) 12-15 (closed for season)
2007	04-26	12-04
2006	05-01	11-13
2005	03-10	03-26 to 04-04 (temp. closure) 11-04 (temp. closure) 11-07 (closed)
2004	04-08	12-08-04 (temp. closure); 12-13-04 (closed) - Rockslides
2003	04-14	10-17-03 - Flooding, Mudslides
2002	05-07	12-14-02 (temp. closure) 12-16-02 (closed)
2001	03-22	11-14-01 (temp. closure) 11-19-01 (closed)
2000	03-30	11-26-00 (temp. closure) 11-27-00 (closed)
1999	05-05	12-06-99
1998	04-02	11-20-98 (temp. closure) 11-24-98 (closed)
1997	05-07	12-16-97 (temp closure) 12-22-97 (closed)
1996	04-24	11-19-96
1995	04-28	11-06-95
1994	04-07	10-31-94 (temp. closure) 11-08-94 (closed)
1993	03-24	12-08-93 (temp. closure) 12-10-93 (closed)
1992	04-09	12-08-92 (temp. closure) 12-11-92 (closed)
1991	05-02	11-18-91 (temp. closure) 11-25-91 (closed)
1990	04-18	11-09-90 (temp. closure) 11-28-90 (closed)
1989	04-21	01-03-90 (temp. closure) 1-09-90 (closed)
1988	04-20	11-20-88 (temp. closure) 11-23-88 (closed)
1987	04-15	12-09-87 (closed)
1986	04-11	11-18-86 (temp closure) 11-26-86 (closed)
1985	04-12	11-15-85 (closed)
1984	04-04	11-02-84 (temp. closure) 11-19-84 (closed)
1983	04-20	11-24-83 (temp. closure) 12-5-83 (closed)
1982	05-06	12-02-82 (temp closure) 12-15-82 (closed)
1981	04-24	11-30-81 (temp. closure) 12-6-81 (closed)
1980	04-18	11-27-80 (temp. closure) 12-2-80 (closed)
1979	04-10	12-15-79
1978	04-21	11-11-78 (temp. closure) 12-15-78 (closed)
1977	not closed	11-23-77
1976	05-21	not closed
1975	05-16	11-22-75
1974	06-14	11-21-74
1973	04-27	11-21-73
1972	09-02	11-21-72