You have one more day to enjoy a panoramic view of Mount St. Helens from its north side until spring 2020.
Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to close Spirit Lake Memorial Highway/state Highway 504 at 5 a.m. Thursday.
WSDOT, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Services, closes the highway at Milepost 45 near Coldwater Lake for about half the year because of inclement weather.
“We close the upper portion of the highway every year to accomplish two goals,” Kent Palmer, WSDOT’s St. Helens lead technician, said in a news release. “First, this stretch of highway gets a lot of rain, ice and snow and may not be safe for travelers. Second, closing ahead of winter weather gives our crews time to clear downed trees and remove debris from ditches and culverts in hopes of minimizing springtime repairs and closures.”
The scenic highway will be closed from the Hummocks Trailhead to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, but Coldwater Lake still will be accessible as weather conditions allow.
