HWY 97 (WA)

UPDATE:

We will be changing our plans and not going to Wenatchee, this trip. THANKS for the Responses!

Roy&Lynne wrote:
Glad to hear that they have finished the rock blasting.

To be clear, they haven't finished the blasting- just laid off for the holiday weekend. Continuous updates at this link.

Glad to hear that they have finished the rock blasting. We also live near Tacoma and take that route regularly. I've had no issues. If Hwy 18 doesn't bother you 97 isn't much different. Are you staying at the Confluence? Nice park and a nice trail thru the wildlife habitat next door.

Check WSDOT. They are doing some rock scaling on 2 on the summit climb, and reducing lanes. Also in a week they will close Tumwater Canyon to finish a new bridge. That means detours on either Chumstake or Blewett.

We've had no issues going either way over 97 to Wenatchee. Do it a couple of times a year. If you keep a look out ahead for slower trucks you should be able to time it passing them ok.
But I'd really look into the cooling problems, as that isn't good. You could even get down to 45 on busy holiday weekends anywhere around here.

We Travel to Moses Lake, where my Sis lives, on 90, via 18, and in the past we went to Wenatchee on HWY 2, when we lived in Lynnwood. Have used Cresent Bar as part of our TT membership, via both 90 and 2. But I just realized that we have never used 97 from Cle Elum to Wenatchee. I think that I may just go from Tacoma up to Everett and hit Hwy 2! I think it might be about the same as using the route thru Quincy!

Thanks for the Info!

Last year when the Wenatchee fires closed part of 97 we took the route that Larry suggested and it's a much flatter route, grade wise. It's about an extra hour or so to get to Wenatchee thru Quincy, but I find it's a more comfortable tow in general because I'm not having to go over all the passes and it's got straighter sections of road, so not so much 'mountain' driving.

Personal preference of course, so unless I just have to be there an hour earlier, I'm sticking with the Quincy route when I go to Wenatchee (we go to Wenatchee Confluence State Park at least once a year.. :) )

Mitch

I am surprised what you tell about your truck. If you want keep going on I-90 and turn off at the exit for going to Quincy and Wenatchee. More miles but an easier drive. 45 mph might not happen on the 97 but who knows for sure.
chevman from Wenatchee

They are done with the rock blasting on Snoqualmie Pass until after the holiday weekend. But it is very likely that you'll get stuck in traffic heading over the pass. If you've got cooling issues with the truck and slow traffic is a no-no then I'd definitely recommend leaving early in the AM. As for Blewett Pass, be prepared to slow down below 45 mph. As others have indicated, it's easy to get stuck behind slower traffic on that roadway. The good news is that there are occasional turnouts and places to pull off the road so if you have an issue hopefully you can find a place to let it cool off. You might want to have the fan clutch on your truck inspected as it is a likely culprit for the condition you describe. Good luck.

We travel that route quite frequently. Snoqualmie is 4 lanes headed up from the west and the slower vehicles are well behaved and stay to the right. I believe it is 4 lanes from the east as well...can't fully recall right now. But it is definitely at least 3 lanes.

Blewitt Pass, Hwy 97, is a NICE highway, though it is mostly 2 lanes. There is a passing lane for the last few miles in each direction. I have gotten stuck behind slower vehicles but never where there is a passing lane. It's not as steep and windy from the south (west).

This route is definitely my favorite when headed to that area. The only trouble is there are basically 3 passes when traveling this way if you take Tiger Mountain (passing lanes in each direction.) This can take a toll on your mileage, but when towing you should expect a hit compared to not towing.