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31-497: Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 (I-90) through the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington . The pass summit is at an elevation of 3,015 feet (919 m), on the county line between Kittitas County and King County . Snoqualmie Pass has the lowest elevation of the three east–west mountain routes across Washington State that are kept open year-round, along with Stevens Pass ( US 2 ) to

62-618: A snowshed midway ( 47°21′18″N 121°21′57″W  /  47.355°N 121.3658°W  / 47.355; -121.3658 , milepost 57.7); built in 1950 for U.S. Route 10 , it was removed in April 2014. Keechelus Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, being the source of the Yakima River, which is a tributary to the Columbia River. The lake is used as a storage reservoir for

93-518: A nearby mountainside, as with the Eisenhower Tunnel bypassing Loveland Pass in the Rockies, to allow faster traffic flow throughout the year. The top of a pass is frequently the only flat ground in the area, and may be a high vantage point. In some cases this makes it a preferred site for buildings. If a national border follows the ridge of a mountain range, a pass over the mountains is typically on

124-665: A railroad than Naches Pass , where the Naches Trail crossed the Cascade Mountains. They explored from the east side of the mountains, reaching the vicinity of Yakima Pass ( 47°20′11″N 121°25′57″W  /  47.3365°N 121.4324°W  / 47.3365; -121.4324 ). Tinkham continued down the west side via the Cedar River . McClellan decided not to examine Snoqualmie Pass itself because of unfavorable reports from Natives. In 1856, Major J.H.H. Van Bokkelen, then of

155-756: A style of street racing which may take place on these roads. There are thousands of named passes around the world, some of which are well-known, such as the Khyber Pass close to the present-day Afghanistan-Pakistan border on the ancient Silk Road , the Great St. Bernard Pass at 2,473 metres (8,114 ft) in the Alps , the Chang La at 5,360 metres (17,590 ft), the Khardung La at 5,359 metres (17,582 ft) in Ladakh , India and

186-538: A toll road had been built over Snoqualmie Pass. Intended to be suitable for wagons, for years the road was usable only by pack trains and for cattle drives. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the "Milwaukee Road") completed a line through Snoqualmie Pass in 1909, part of its Pacific Extension. This grade was soon replaced in 1914 by the 2¼-mile (3.6 km) Snoqualmie Tunnel , from Hyak due west to Rockdale , at an approximate elevation of 2,600 feet (790 m), more than 400 feet (120 m) below

217-525: A variety of other trails are also available for hiking and climbing in the summer, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing during the winter months. Snoqualmie Pass is also the site of the Summit at Snoqualmie , a group of alpine ski areas managed by Boyne USA Resorts. The Summit consists of four ski areas: Alpental , Summit West (formerly named Snoqualmie Summit), Summit Central (formerly Ski Acres), and Summit East (formerly Hyak). The Summit at Snoqualmie

248-846: Is also used, particularly in Europe. In the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, passes are denoted by the suffix "La" in Tibetan, Ladhakhi, and several other regional languages. Examples are the Taglang La at 5,328 m (17,480 ft) on the Leh-Manali highway , and the Sia La at 5,589 m (18,337 ft) in the Eastern Karakoram range. Scotland has the Gaelic term bealach (anglicised "balloch"), while Wales has

279-413: Is analogous to the mathematical concept of a saddle surface , with a saddle point marking the minimum high point between two valleys and the lowest point along a ridge. On a topographic map , passes can be identified by contour lines with an hourglass shape, which indicates a low spot between two higher points. In the high mountains, a difference of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) between the summit and

310-629: Is over 100 inches; snowfall averages over 400 inches. The average annual number of days with measurable precipitation is over 170. Frosts can occur at any time of year, and snow can fall any time outside midsummer. The summit of Snoqualmie Pass is in hardiness zone 7b, with a yearly mean minimum of 9 °F (−13 °C). The rapidly changing conditions require special cautions, relayed to motorists via variable message displays along I-90. Depending on traction they may call for tire chains to be installed, usually on large trucks but occasionally on smaller vehicles as well. Chain-up areas are provided along

341-747: Is the Brenner pass in the Alps . Some mountain passes above the tree line have problems with snow drift in the winter. This might be alleviated by building the road a few meters above the ground, which will make snow blow off the road. There are many words for pass in the English-speaking world. In the United States, pass is very common in the West , the word gap is common in the southern Appalachians , notch in parts of New England , and saddle in northern Idaho . The term col , derived from Old French,

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372-549: Is the closest ski area to Seattle. Snowmobiling just east of the pass is also popular during the winter months. Also in the summer and fall, paragliders and hang gliders may be seen flying above the valley, along the ridge and landing at Lake Keechelus . Snoqualmie Pass was well known to the Native Americans of the region. Hudson's Bay Company trappers and traders were active in the Snoqualmie and Yakima valleys during

403-498: Is the source of the Yakima River . Keechelus Lake is the westernmost of three large lakes near Interstate 90 and north of the Yakima River in the Cascade Range ; the other two are Kachess Lake in the middle and Cle Elum Lake to the east. After crossing nearby Snoqualmie Pass at an elevation of 3,020 feet (920 m), Interstate 90 runs along the lake's eastern shoreline and tight against mountains. Its westbound lanes included

434-583: The Palakkad Gap at 140 metres (460 ft) in Palakkad , Kerala , India . The roads at Mana Pass at 5,610 metres (18,410 ft) and Marsimik La at 5,582 metres (18,314 ft), on and near the China–India border respectively, appear to be world's two highest motorable passes. Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan and China at 4,693 metres (15,397 ft) is also a high-altitude motorable mountain pass. One of

465-544: The Snoqualmie people of the valley to the west. The Snoqualmie Pass foothills (below ~1-2000 ft elevation) have a Csb ( warm-summer mediterranean ) climate, but climbing higher into the Cascades advances through a microclimate ( warm-summer mediterranean continental , Dsb ) characterized by considerable precipitation, especially during winter, and at times hazardous conditions for travelers. The average annual precipitation

496-566: The Washington Territory Volunteers ( militia ), crossed Snoqualmie Pass on a scouting mission. In 1858 several large pack trains bound for mines east of the Cascades crossed the pass. In 1865 a number of Seattle citizens, including Arthur A. Denny , explored the Cedar River, Snoqualmie Pass, and Naches Pass. They reported that Snoqualmie Pass route was a better choice for a road than the old Indian trail over Yakima Pass. By 1867

527-586: The Snoqualmie Pass Highway and plunged down a 500-foot embankment and into a ravine. In 1969, construction of U.S. 10's replacement, Interstate 90 , began across the pass. Since 1991, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust has acted to protect the scenic value of the I-90 corridor over Snoqualmie Pass. Mountain pass Mountain passes make use of a gap , saddle , col or notch . A topographic saddle

558-690: The Yakima Project, an irrigation project run by the United States Bureau of Reclamation . Although a natural lake, Keechelus Lake's capacity and discharge is controlled by Keechelus Dam, a 128-foot (39 m) high earthfill structure built in 1917. As a storage reservoir, its active capacity is 157,900 acre-feet (194,800,000 m ). The name Keechelus comes from a Native American term meaning "few fish", in contrast to Kachess Lake, whose name means "more fish". The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("Milwaukee Road") formerly ran along

589-454: The border, and there may be a border control or customs station, and possibly a military post. For instance, Argentina and Chile share the world's third-longest international border , 5,300 kilometres (3,300 mi) long, which runs north–south along the Andes mountains and includes 42 mountain passes. On a road over a pass, it is customary to have a small roadside sign giving the name of

620-525: The early 19th century. They knew about Snoqualmie Pass but information about their use of it is vague. A possible early use of the pass was that of A.C. Anderson, who drove cattle across the Cascades in 1841, via a pass he called "Sinahomish Pass". Captain George B. McClellan and his lieutenant Abiel W. Tinkham explored the Snoqualmie Pass region in 1853 and 1854. Their goal was to find a pass better suited for

651-537: The east portal near the lake's northwest shore was the Milwaukee Ski Bowl , built in 1937 and operated by the railroad until 1950. The Milwaukee Road went through several bankruptcies; its rails were abandoned in 1980 and the right-of-way is now a rail trail , Iron Horse State Park , which includes the tunnel. About two miles (3 km) south of Keechelus Lake, the Northern Pacific Railway crossed

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682-560: The famous but non-motorable mountain passes is Thorong La at 5,416 metres (17,769 ft) in Annapurna Conservation Area , Nepal. Lake Keechelus Keechelus Lake ( / ˈ k ɛ tʃ əl ə s / ) is a lake and reservoir in the northwest United States, near Hyak in Kittitas County , Washington . Approximately fifty miles (80 km) southeast of Seattle and a few miles southeast of Snoqualmie Pass , it

713-469: The first alpine ski hill was cleared at Snoqualmie Pass, and U.S. 10 was finally paved in 1934. In 1946, tunnel engineer Ole Singstad proposed the construction of a tunnel under Snoqualmie Pass to avoid the most treacherous section of the route. On June 24, 1946, seven players on the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team, and their manager, were killed when their bus veered through a guard rail on

744-434: The mountain is defined as a mountain pass. Passes are often found just above the source of a river , constituting a drainage divide . A pass may be very short, consisting of steep slopes to the top of the pass, or a valley many kilometers long, whose highest point might only be identifiable by surveying . Roads and railways have long been built through passes. Some high and rugged passes may have tunnels bored underneath

775-473: The north, and White Pass ( US 12 ) to the south. I-90 is the primary commercial artery between Seattle and points east, carrying an average of 29,000 vehicles through the pass per day. I-90 is the only divided highway crossing east–west through the state. The pass lends its name to a census-designated place (CDP) located at the summit ( Snoqualmie Pass, Washington ). Both the CDP and Snoqualmie Pass are named after

806-479: The pass and its elevation above mean sea level . Apart from offering relatively easy travel between valleys, passes also provide a route between two mountain tops with a minimum of descent. As a result, it is common for tracks to meet at a pass; this often makes them convenient routes even when travelling between a summit and the valley floor. Passes traditionally were places for trade routes, communications, cultural exchange, military expeditions etc. A typical example

837-481: The pass to monitor weather conditions. Some of these cameras can be viewed via the internet. The area around Snoqualmie Pass consists of mountain chalets that are mainly seasonally occupied by residents of the Seattle metropolitan area , with approximately 150 year-round residents. Winter sports are the main draw, but outdoor recreation is available year-round. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses through Snoqualmie Pass and

868-516: The pass. The rail line was abandoned 44 years ago in 1980, and the tunnel is currently a multi-use trail for bicyclists and hikers, part of Iron Horse State Park . During tunnel construction, an improved wagon road was built over the pass. Near the original rail line, the Sunset Highway was opened through the pass in 1915. In 1927, the road over the pass became U.S. Route 10 ; it began to be plowed and kept open during winter in 1931. By 1933,

899-497: The side of the Interstate to facilitate the placement of chains. The pass has been subjected to closures when weather conditions become extreme. A snow shed , constructed in 1950 when the road was known as US 10, formerly covered the westbound lanes, but it has been replaced by avalanche bridges that stand away from the slope to allow slides to pass under the road, as of April 2014. WSDOT maintains cameras at selected locations along

930-684: The similar bwlch (both being insular Celtic languages). In the Lake District of north-west England, the term hause is often used, although the term pass is also common—one distinction is that a pass can refer to a route, as well as the highest part thereof, while a hause is simply that highest part, often flattened somewhat into a high-level plateau. In Japan they are known as tōge , which means "pass" in Japanese. The word can also refer to narrow, winding roads that can be found in and around mountains and geographically similar areas, or specifically to

961-524: The west shore of the lake and crossed the Cascades through the 2¼-mile (3.6 km) Snoqualmie Tunnel , with its east portal at Hyak. Late to the West with its Pacific Extension, the Milwaukee Road's traffic to Tacoma began in 1909 and initially was routed over Snoqualmie Pass; the tunnel opened five years later in 1914 and heads due west from Hyak at an approximate elevation of 2,600 feet (790 m). Close to

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