The Reality Check: Your Trail Is Closed Because Infrastructure Is Failing—Not Because of Snow
By HikingRoutes.blog ·
Infrastructure is failing in the Cascades. Highway 20 culverts are compromised. Bridges are removed. Water crossings are impassable. This isn't a snow problem—it's a system problem. Here's what you need to know before you commit to a trail.
The Reality Check: Your Trail Is Closed Because Infrastructure Is Failing—Not Because of Snow
Status: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | North Cascades, WA
Here's what nobody's talking about yet: The Cascades don't have a snow problem right now. They have an infrastructure problem.
The snowpack is at 29% of normal. That's low. But that's not what's going to close your trail this weekend. What's going to close it is the fact that the water management system in the mountains was designed for a slow, predictable melt—and we're not getting that anymore.
---The Data Point You're Missing
In December, an atmospheric river event damaged the culvert at Bacon Creek on Highway 20 (milepost 112). The road was closed for 6 weeks. It reopened Feb. 15.
Right now—this week—WSDOT is repairing a second culvert between Challenger and Dallas (milepost 87). Traffic is alternating on a single lane.
That's not a winter anomaly. That's a pattern.
When you combine:
- Low snowpack (29% of normal) = rapid runoff concentration
- Intermittent February storms (1-2 feet forecasted) = sudden water volume spikes
- Aging culvert infrastructure = failure points
...you get a system that's not designed for the load it's experiencing.
---What This Means for Your Trail
The North Cascades National Park trail conditions page shows what I'm talking about:
- Basin Creek Bridge (Cascade Pass): Removed for the season.
- Rainbow Ford suspension bridge: Removed for the season.
- Thunder Creek ford: "Can be high or impassable during spring run-off or after heavy rains."
- Grizzly Creek Stock Camp: Permanently closed due to repeated flooding.
- Perry Creek and Redoubt Creek: "Difficult crossings in early seasons despite foot logs (may or may not be present)."
These aren't closures because of snow depth. These are closures because the water volume and velocity exceed what the trails and infrastructure can handle.
And we're about to get more water.
---The Timeline You Need to Know
Right now (Feb 24): WSDOT is actively repairing culverts. Highway 20 is passable but compromised.
Next 72 hours: 1-2 feet of snow forecasted for the Cascades. That's not enough to stabilize the snowpack, but it IS enough to trigger rapid runoff once it melts.
March 1-15 (3 weeks out): Early spring thaw begins. Freezing levels rise. Rapid melt starts. Water volume spikes.
The window of maximum infrastructure stress: Early March through mid-April.
---What You Actually Need to Do Right Now
1. Check the USFS alerts, not just the trail conditions page.
The NPS updates "trail conditions" every few months. USFS updates road and bridge status in real-time. If a culvert is compromised or a bridge is out, USFS knows it first.
2. Verify water crossings before you commit to a route.
Not "Is the trail open?" Ask: "Are the water crossings passable?" There's a difference. A trail can be "open" and still have a creek crossing that's knee-deep and moving at 4 knots.
3. If your route crosses a culvert or bridge, call the ranger station.
Don't email. Call. Culvert failures happen mid-week. Emails don't get answered until Friday.
4. Know what "impassable" actually means.
When the USFS says a creek is "running high," they mean it's beyond safe ford depth. That's not a suggestion to bring better shoes. That's a "turn around" signal.
---The Uncomfortable Truth
The Cascades are experiencing infrastructure stress that's going to get worse before it gets better. The culvert system was built for a climate that's changing. The seasonal patterns we've relied on for 50 years are breaking down.
This isn't about "adventure" or "risk tolerance." This is about recognizing that the water system is in transition, and that transition creates failure points.
If your trail plan depends on a bridge that's been removed or a culvert that's been damaged, you don't have a trail plan. You have a liability.
Check the actual infrastructure status before you commit to a route. Not the trail rating. Not the distance. Not the elevation gain. The infrastructure.
---Worth it?
If you're planning a Cascades trip in the next 3 weeks: No. Wait until April. The infrastructure will stabilize, the snowpack will consolidate, and the water crossings will drop below knee-depth.
If you're already committed: Call the ranger station. Verify the infrastructure. Have a bail-out plan. Bring a physical map.
The mountains aren't going anywhere. Neither is the work.
— Garrett