Road closed for Winter

[GordonThree]

If a road has a barricade on it, saying "Road Closed for Winter", and the date is April 3rd, which is officially part of the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere... shouldn't whoever placed that barricade either open the road, or update the sign??

[louiskathy]

A road closed sign in the middle of the forest or anywhere else basically tells me that if I choose to proceed... I am on my own. Trees may be across the road or a mudslide might be ready to come down. There might not be any snow on the road but it's still closed.

When we camp hosted in the North Cascades... Rainy Pass parking lot at the Maple Loop trail head was closed. People drove in there around the "closed" sign to park anyway. There was a not-so-deep but kinda long snow bank in the middle of the parking area and when we went in our jeep... there was a small low to the ground car straddling across that snow bank with various car parts freshly scattered around it. Under that snow was a 10 foot long 6" dia tree branch. When the little car decided to gun it's way through the snow bank... it didn't make it.

[loggenrock]

My uncle, who's family was from Milo, ME, used to claim 2 seasons - winter, and the 4th of July. Being a bit west of there in NH, we have all 4 - winter, mud, black fly, and tourist. ST

[AJBert]

I consider the official start of spring where I live on the day I see the first crocus. That happened about a week ago. Since then we've gotten snow 4 times and are due for more tomorrow. We normally get snow through the end of May with an odd year now and then with snow into June.

When the sign says, "Closed for Winter" that means that regardless of the date on the calendar there is still snow on the road. Pretty easy to understand for me.

[ORbiker]

Tiger02 wrote:
I think that depends on the level of snowfall more than dates. I know there are roads here in WA State that don't normally open until late May or early June. Frustrating if you're trying to plan a trip through those areas.

I think in the higher elevations there is only 2 seasons.

Winter and Summer

It must still be winter where that road sign is.

There are many roads in Oregon still closed and will be for maybe 2 more months. It was and still is winter here. Especially in the mountains.

Crater Lake Park South Entrance at 5500 ft or so

[GoPackGo]

Just took a look at the Lassen-Volcanic National Park website. They will begin plowing the roads on 9 April. They state it may take as long as 2 months before the entire 30 mile road is open for through traffic. So I guess it's still winter there.

[2gypsies1]

I would assume seeing a sign like that that the road will be open when it's safe to do so. It takes a while after the snow melts for the road to dry out so cars can drive on it without causing damage. . . same goes for any boondocking/camping areas along that road. They need to dry out.

Have a little patience! 🙂

[gbopp]

I don't care,what the Ground Hog tells us. The first day of spring means six more weeks of winter. 😞

[vermilye]

There's Winter & then there is winter. Here is a photo of the Going to the Sun road at Glacier National park on July 13, 2011, the day the road open.

[RPreeb]

Winter may be a calendar season, but in many areas it is more importantly a weather season, and until the weather permits, many areas are simply not accessible, even into June. I've known years when the Mt. Evans road west of Denver hasn't opened until July.

[GordonThree]

Cabin fever is getting me. During this rainy Monday I was hoping to scout out the road between Deer Park and Grand Marais for a future summertime trip while camped out at Tahquamenon Falls.

Winter skipped we trolls this year but the U.P. had a more regular season. Superior still mostly frozen over and several feet of snow remains on the ground, and on the back roads 🙂

[n7bsn]

I just checked, the NPS has not started plowing Going to the Sun, current guess for it's opening date is late June

[n7bsn]

GordonThree wrote:
If a road has a barricade on it, saying "Road Closed for Winter", and the date is April 3rd, which is officially part of the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere... shouldn't whoever placed that barricade either open the road, or update the sign??

One of our highways will not reopen until mid June, yes it was closed for the "winter".

[TundraTower]

My son lives in Santa Fe and it snowed day before yesterday 4/1. Didn't stick in the valley but did accumulate in the surrounding mountains.

The Aspen (4WD) trail at Ouray, CO, doesn't open even to serious off-road vehicles until sometime in June.

I think I would obey the sign.

[troubledwaters]

Is there still frost in the ground in that area. If there is still frost in the ground, that road is going to become a lot worse before it gets better.

[BB_TX]

I see winter as current local conditions, not a calendar date. Lot of weather difference between gulf coast and the far north. Or between sea level and high elevations.