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Everyone in Seattle has the same idea: Head to the snowy Cascade mountains

caption: Skiers take to the slopes and to the lodge at Crystal Mountain Resort on Jan. 22, 2021. Crystal banned indoor seating in compliance with Washington state Covid-19 guidelines, so many visitors eat at outdoor tables.
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Skiers take to the slopes and to the lodge at Crystal Mountain Resort on Jan. 22, 2021. Crystal banned indoor seating in compliance with Washington state Covid-19 guidelines, so many visitors eat at outdoor tables.
Conor Courtney for KUOW

With gyms closed and indoor activities deemed unsafe, Seattleites are flocking to the snowy mountains.

Crystal Mountain has seen a 30 percent uptick in weekday pass sales, and REI is burning through its snowshoe and Nordic ski inventory every weekend. Sno-Park day permits, required for parking near most trails, are up 470 percent over last winter. Not a typo – 470 percent.

This rush to snow sports has crowded the Cascades and added stress to the job of safety officials. Meanwhile, over at the state department of transportation, there’s concern about children sledding down freeway off-ramps.

Snowshoeing is one of the most popular of these activities.

“We have seen a significant jump in snowshoe sales but also rentals,” Jeff Annunziata, REI Seattle sales lead, said.

The relative inexpensive nature of the sport makes it accessible to many, but with a piqued interest in the activity this winter, the demand for snowshoes has outweighed the supply.

“One of the challenges is production has been down this year with Covid,” Annunziata said. “Supply is more limited this year than it has been in previous years, but once we get them in, they sell very quickly.”

After grabbing their gear, recreationalists often head up Interstate-90 to Snoqualmie Pass, just an hour drive from the metro area.

While some snowshoeing trails are free, much of the land around the Cascades requires a permit to access. The Washington State Sno-Park Pass is the main permit required for trails along I-90, and sales have sharply risen this winter compared to last.

Day pass sales increased nearly six times to 2020 from 2019, with 4,408 purchases during the months of November and December 2020 versus 772 during the same period last season. Season pass sales are also surging, with a 350% increase between the same two-month period.

“Our busiest sites have been those along or accessed by the I-90 corridor such as Cabin Creek Sno-Park, Salmon La Sac Sno-Park, the Lake Kachess area and even Blewett Pass,” Victoria Wilkins of the U.S. Forest Service said. “These are sites that are busy and fill up quickly in normal years, so the sudden increase in use has resulted in overcrowding on most weekends.”

Parking is filling up by 9 a.m. every weekend near Snoqualmie Pass summit, as warm temperatures are forcing people to head up to the highest elevations in search of snow.

In response to the increasing number of outdoor recreationalists, officials issued a joint statement last week cite overcrowding and illegal parking as leading concerns.

“We have seen more cars parked along the ramps and the shoulders along the highway intersections,” said Summer Derrey of Washington State Department of Transportation. “The main area of concern is exit 54, one of the entrances to Snoqualmie Pass where you can also access Hyak, where our maintenance facilities are.”

Vehicles have blocked snowplows, snow blowers, and access to the transportation department’s salt storage facility. Apart from causing headaches, Derrey stressed concerns about kids sledding near freeway off-ramps.

Interstate-90 isn’t the only area in the Cascades experiencing bottleneck traffic. Crystal Mountain has received more visitors than ever.

Ski tickets have been on high demand on weekends, and weekday visitation at Crystal Mountain has increased 30% compared to previous years. “The interest in sledding, snow-play, and snowshoeing is definitely up this season over past seasons,” said Peter Dale, director of the ski patrol at Crystal Mountain.

Sledding isn’t allowed within Crystal Mountain’s permit area on Forest Service land, but people are still showing up with sleds, hopeful.

“We have had a huge uptick in folks coming up here to sled, which is unfortunate because we have to turn them around,” he said. “They don’t get to go out and enjoy the sled, which is what they drove up for.”

Yes, traffic is up, and parking is competitive. But with the right attitude, it’s worth it.

“We’re suggesting parents bring in-car entertainment for the kiddos, along with extra gear, because a lost glove or hat can ruin your whole day,” said Meryl Lassen of Washington State Parks.

Prepare for long drives and traffic, she said. “Pack patience as the 11th essential.”

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