Swakane

[whackmaster 93]

Anybody know how much snow is in the swakane unit in the higher elevations? I have a game camera up there and was hoping I can make it up there to get it.

[bobcat]

I don't know about snow but I heard the forest service just recently gated many of the roads and are not even allowing foot traffic in those areas. I hope your camera isn't in the closed area. Apparently the closure is due to the fire last summer.

[mikelonsford]

Last time I was up there was Monday and it had snowed the previous weekend.  There about 8" I'd guess, but with the wind there was places of 12" and places of just a few inches.  Driving up by Chumstick was pretty easy with 4wheel, I did put chains on prior to coming down to be on the safe side.

[WAcoueshunter]

Basically no snow as of Friday late afternoon.  Should have gotten some Friday evening (I headed down the hill about 2:30 on Friday), but then it got cold and clear.  Shouldn't be much, certainly less than normal for this time of year.   

[Rainier10]

Not much you should be able to get there, bring chains the roads were pretty icy.  Hopefully your camera is not behind the new gate or you have a key to get through it.  Someone does, every time it snowed the gate was locked with fresh tracks behind it.  Definitely closed off a lot of access and crowded up the accessible areas.

[j_h_nimrod]

Where is the gate at?

[jrebel]

I noticed a few new gates as I drove up and over mills.  They were open at the time, but wouldn't surprise me if they got shut when the snow fell.  I drove up mills toward dinkleman and over the top to naham. 

[j_h_nimrod]

I figured that was the case, just have not spent time on that side of the Entiat for a couple months. I would imagine up Swakane Canyon would be a likely place as well.

[Rainier10]

The gates are on the mills canyon side.  They were open for all of rifle and the rifle tag season, they were closed on day one of the archery season.  They say temporarily closed due to the fire this past summer, no vehicle or foot traffic allowed at all.  Seems odd that it was safe in there until archery season and they are pretty substantial gates for only temporary.  I would be shocked if they came back open in the spring.  The gates block off about 2-3 miles of road before you get to another gate that has been there for 15 years.  It was put up to protect some type of clover growing on the road I think.  Foot traffic behind that gate is okay.

They really cut off some good hunting ground and the no foot traffic is the worst, if you could still walk in it would be a bummer but at least you could still access it if you were willing to hike a little.

The other bummer about it is someone has a key, there were new tire tracks on the other side of the gate after each fresh snow.

[muleyslayer#1]

I was high up Birch Mtn on Tuesday last week. I ran into about 6-8" of snow but had no problems driving the truck up there. It was also snowing pretty well while I was up there so it could be close to a foot of snow by now. Hopefully uou can get your camera.

[WAcoueshunter]

It dumped rain up there on Friday, which melted a bunch of the snow.  I was at 5500' and it was 40+ degrees and raining.  So less snow, but more ice by now.