Advice on Washington State routes - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Camping | Places, Gear and Planning > Trips and Travel Planning
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 05-19-2022, 08:06 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Advice on Washington State routes

Trying to decide best way from Sheridan, Wyoming to Sumas, Washington. Mapquest takes us through Spokane but an alternate route is shown through the mountains. We are not towing but on our way to pick up our new E19, any suggestions would be helpful.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 08:15 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I'd check Washington State road advisories and cams. We had snow on mountain passes yesterday.
Got snow tires on that truck?
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 08:21 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Footnote,
Just received our dinner from "Cowboy Cafe" located in Sheridan, Wy... really good food to our hotel room and looking forward to breakfast tomorrow there.....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 08:22 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
I'd check Washington State road advisories and cams. We had snow on mountain passes yesterday.
Got snow tires on that truck?
No snow tires, but do have 4 wheel drive....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 08:40 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
KarenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
Send a message via Skype™ to KarenH
Regardless of route, one must go over a pass to get through the Cascades (unless you drop down to the Columbia River). The farther south the pass, the lower the elevation; Washington Pass (Hwy 20), 5453'; Stevens Pass (Hwy 2), 4061'; Snoqualmie Pass (I-90), 3015'. The most direct and fastest route is I-90 due west from Spokane to Seattle and then north on I-5. The most scenic route is Washington Pass, west from Spokane on Hwy 2 then cut up to Hwy 20. Stevens is a distant second with regard to scenery, west from Spokane on Hwy 2. Snoqualmie Pass has little to offer in the way of scenery. Check online with WSDOT for pass information. You'll probably be okay with any of them.
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
KarenH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 08:45 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Trailer: 5.0 TA "Sea'scape"
Posts: 278
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Trying to decide best way from Sheridan, Wyoming to Sumas, Washington. Mapquest takes us through Spokane but an alternate route is shown through the mountains. We are not towing but on our way to pick up our new E19, any suggestions would be helpful.
Click image for larger version

Name:	Spokane to Sumas.jpg
Views:	32
Size:	269.4 KB
ID:	62813

You have three choices. The safest and fastest is the bottom choice on the map, following I-90 through Moses Lake, Ellensburg and Snoqualmie Pass. You'll turn north in Seattle or Bellevue (big time traffic) and follow I-5 north to Bellingham (my town) the county seat of Whatcom County where Sumas is located.

The most spectacular choice is the North Cascade Route, through the North Cascade National Park. The route is closed in the winter but it's open now and I'd recommend it if you have time and are up for an adventure. 4 wheel drive not at all necessary.

The middle route takes you via US-2 over Stevens Pass. You'll stop in Leavenworth that's been transformed into a faux-Bavarian experience and pass through Baring, Startup, Skykomish and Index, turning north on I-5 at Everett.

In any event, stay in Bellingham the night before you pick up your Escape and enjoy this town situated between the mountains and the sea. If you're a beer drinker, you'll enjoy a few pints at one of our many micro-breweries.
Hawkeye Ed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 08:48 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Thanks for the help everyone, will check the weather in am....see you in Osoyoos!
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 09:05 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: St Petersburg, Florida
Trailer: Past time to update- canceled my 5.0 ��
Posts: 165
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
No snow tires, but do have 4 wheel drive....
If you don’t have snow tires make sure you bring chains. I think it’s actually illegal to drive some of these passes without chains or snow tires. We had snow in Washington at higher elevations overnight. You might think about taking the Columbia river route and sticking with I5 North. Not very scenic but fast and snow free.
Deva is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 09:12 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Trailer: 5.0 TA "Sea'scape"
Posts: 278
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deva View Post
If you don’t have snow tires make sure you bring chains. I think it’s actually illegal to drive some of these passes without chains or snow tires. We had snow in Washington at higher elevations overnight. You might think about taking the Columbia river route and sticking with I5 North. Not very scenic but fast and snow free.
This is good advice for mid-winter, but it's now near the end of May. The North Cascade Highway is now open without restrictions. Download the WSDOT app (Washington State Department of Transportation) and travel worry-free.
Hawkeye Ed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 09:17 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA, Texas
Trailer: 21
Posts: 597
When we picked up our 21, we did the bottom route as we traveled all the up to Montana then over to Spokane n down ( site seeing lol ) lots of nice scenery.
__________________
REMEBER PEEPS WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND and PAYBACK is a #%$&$&
Rockhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 09:30 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawkeye Ed View Post
This is good advice for mid-winter, but it's now near the end of May. The North Cascade Highway is now open without restrictions. Download the WSDOT app (Washington State Department of Transportation) and travel worry-free.
I believe "Driving without due care" would still apply if you needed snow tires and didn't have them, even without regulations.
I suspect we're in for a warm spell though, snow melt flooding and all that.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 09:54 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
KarenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
Send a message via Skype™ to KarenH
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawkeye Ed View Post
This is good advice for mid-winter, but it's now near the end of May. The North Cascade Highway is now open without restrictions. Download the WSDOT app (Washington State Department of Transportation) and travel worry-free.

I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't hesitate at all to take this route at this time of year...except I can't drive east on 20 because of the drop-off just past Washington Pass (but I can drive west).
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
KarenH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 09:58 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2021 Escape E5.0; 2021 F150 PowerBoost
Posts: 1,190
We made this drive around the same time as you last year - May 28. There was no need for any snow tires anywhere. We got on route 20 around Spokane and took it to Bellingham. Beautiful route, low traffic, peaceful. I would highly recommend it.
kavm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 10:03 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2021 Escape E5.0; 2021 F150 PowerBoost
Posts: 1,190
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deva View Post
If you don’t have snow tires make sure you bring chains. I think it’s actually illegal to drive some of these passes without chains or snow tires. We had snow in Washington at higher elevations overnight. You might think about taking the Columbia river route and sticking with I5 North. Not very scenic but fast and snow free.
There is snow on the side of the road. Not on the road itself. We drove it in the late May last year - snow tires would have been poor and chains illegal.
kavm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 10:20 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
KarenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
Send a message via Skype™ to KarenH
If you take 20, do take the time to pull off at the Washington Pass overlook and walk to the viewpoint:
Attached Thumbnails
Rockport 2019-005.jpg  
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
KarenH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 10:23 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Quote:
Originally Posted by kavm View Post
There is snow on the side of the road. Not on the road itself. We drove it in the late May last year - snow tires would have been poor and chains illegal.
I don't have snow tires. I just pay attention to the weather and advisories and stay put when advisable.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 10:26 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Civilguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Mike in Puget Sound, Washington
Trailer: Escape 21 & Jeep GC 5.7 (Previous 2012 Casita FD17 & 2010 Audi Q5)
Posts: 236
Hawkeye Ed gave a good rundown on the three choices.

The middle route, Highway 2 through Leavenworth, is worth consideration. It might be the "Goldilocks" choice; not too fast, not too slow. It's a bit slower paced and is more scenic than Interstate 90 without greatly extending the total driving time. Finally, it bypasses Seattle which has pretty awful traffic.
__________________
“You must learn from other people’s mistakes. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” - Sam Levenson
Civilguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2022, 10:32 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
WA 20! Beautiful & Awesome. Plus you will end up in Sedro- Wooley where you hang a right on State Road 9 that takes you up to Sumas. You don't wanna do Seattle traffic after the drive from PA. Great bakery at Concrete, btw.
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
Rossue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2022, 12:36 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
ghosthunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Mount Vernon, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15 B. Room4Two
Posts: 440
I will go hours out of my way to travel Hwy 20 North Cascade.

Hwy 2 going west is a mess most the time from Stevens Pass to Monroe with traffic issues.

If you go Hwy 20 just over the top going west is this spot about a mile. Stop and take it in.
Attached Thumbnails
A105066C-C419-4431-AD41-79670C249071.jpeg  
ghosthunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2022, 06:32 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Woke up to snow this am, now I know why it is called "Snow........Pass"....not sticking on roads but is still a pretty picture for close to June.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:48 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.