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We have until Thursday!

Thursday is the big day, the day the North Cascades Highway opens. While the reopening of the pass is seen as a positive event for many people, for some of us it marks the end of a period of solitude and freedom from speeding cars. There is a golden time between the start of pass clearing activities to the opening day where people are free to walk, run, bike, and watch wildlife on the highway behind the closed gate. This time is a favorite of our family. We have rode our bikes, ran, pushed a stroller, or toted skis up the highway, soaking up the peacefulness before it vanishes, at least until the next year. Today we chose to push a stroller and carry skis a short distance to take advantage of some snow that is begining to dwindle away along the hillsides of the valley. While we had a few remarks about our interesting combination, it cannot compare with the motorcycle-pulling-a-man-on-a-bicycle combo we saw starting up the same time as us. What people won’t do to get to the snow this time of year…