The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-02-21
ALL-YEAR ROAD THROUGH
THE CASCADES A NECESSITY
New Route Proposed Thru Stampede
Pass-Build Miles of Snowsheds
Open All Year.

The Seattle P.-l. of last Sunday
contained the following by F. w. Har-
ris, Captain of Engineers, u. S. A.
on the proposed all-year road thru the
Cascades. That the road will event
ually be built is the belief of the
we'll informed.
"The Scenic road of the State of
Washington is the Sunset highway
thru the Snoqualmie pass in the Cas-
cade mountains. This road has, how
ever, one serious drawback, being
closed on an average of five months
in the year, due to an exceptionally
heavy snowfall in the pass.
The increasing heavy travel is max
ing an all-year road thru the Cascades
an absolute necessity. The result is
that number of plans have been
suggested for keeping this road open.
The writer spent several years in the
vicinity of the pass, during the con-
struction of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul railway, and also at the time
the Sunset highway was built Ex-
perience has shown that even with a
lavish expenditure of money, that the
snow often wins out.
1t cost the railroad company $40 a
day to keep the track clear of snow
before the tunnel was built. Those
who think that any highway pillow will
keep this road open know nothing of
the actual conditions.
There is only one way to keepsa road
open in the mountains, and that is to
protect it by snow sheds. To build
snow sheds on the Sunset highway
would be pure and simple ruination.
The only solution to the problem is to
build a cutoff from Easton to Kan
asket, by way of the Stampede pass.
The Stampede pass would be the win
ter route for the Sunset highway.
The distance thru the snowfields by
way of the Snoqualmie pass is ap-
proximately thirty miles; it is only
fifteen miles by way of the Stampede
pass. The Stampede pass is the best
route thru the Cascades in winter, as
this is the narrowest snow field. This
road should be built on per cent
grade, using 7 per cent grades in
places if necessary, as the object would
be to get the shortest line across the
Cascades to save cost of construction
of snow sheds. These sheds would
be much lighter type than those in
use by the railroads. 1t would require
about eight miles of snow sheds. The
present average season of travel
across the mountains does not exceed
seven months; by the use of snow
sheds this average may be safely
placed at ten months.
The Stampede pass would serve Sc
attic and Tacoma. Unless the Sound
cities are able to get this built we
will lose a great deal of the early
spring travel from California. Auto
lists will go east over the Columbia
river highway. We can get this trade
when they can be sure of an open
road into eastern Washington. The
Stampede pass is far superior to the
passes to the south on the account of
the presence of the Northern Pacific
railway. This railroad will reduce
the cost of hauling all construction
material and make the maintenance
of the highway an easier and cheaper
problem. Tourists will feel safer in
winter and this very important fact
must be considered, for tourists will
never use a mountain pass in winter
that is without railroad. To lose
sight of this fact is simply to throw
away money.
The Stampede pass is not for seen
cry, but for utility, and investigation
will prove it to be the best location for
winter road" across the Cascade
mountains"