Skagit Valley Road Condition?

[Would Rather Be Fishing]

HAs anyone been in the Skagit Valley this weekend? How is the snow at the moment? Drivable with a 4x4?

[sako79]

I went there last Saturday about kilometre in on most side roads it was about 6 to 8 in of snow. Busiest Road I've ever seen when I started hiking it was an average of one vehicle going by on the main road every minute

[caddisguy]

Funny enough my wife and I went in there for a one nighter camp trip on Saturday.

Main road is fine, just bumpy with potholes. I saw cars like Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas.

As sako said that valley is crazy busy. We stopped on the main line for a couple mins and had about 15 vehicles drive by and stare at us like "omg did they get something?!" in that period of time.

Spur roads are mixed depending on exposure and how high. Everything from no snow, to a little, to a lot.

Anyway we camped up a little spur and had a great sleep until all the vehicles started driving up to where we were camped at first light. I was sooo confused until I opened my eyes. I didn't realize we went camping. At first I thought I was at home, then I thought we were hunting... open my eyes, yep I'm sleeping in the car... look out, it's minus 3 or so, see a mosquito, road hunter driving up with an angry face... omg we're in the skagit lol

Chatted up a few friendly hunters though and a couple hunting for a Christmas tree

[Would Rather Be Fishing]

Yeah I went there 3 weeks ago more out of curiosity - hadn't been for a few years. I went during the week so it wasn't busy but .. my oh my the people I did come across were an ANGRY bunch!

[caddisguy]

Yeah I went there 3 weeks ago more out of curiosity - hadn't been for a few years. I went during the week so it wasn't busy but .. my oh my the people I did come across were an ANGRY bunch!

Lol yeah it was a mixed bag. I think all the traffic adds to it. It doesn't strike me a viable road hunting place to begin with, but imagine being a road hunter coming up on vehicles, vehicles passing you, constant oncoming vehicles, hit every spur in a valley just to find people up each one. That must be a downer for many, who are probably only hunting it as a last ditch effort being skunked all year.

Some people stopped to chat, super friendly, but most were full on agro, just steaming out the ears. There isn't even any deer in that area we're camped and every car driving up it looks like they're about to have a stroke or something. Like holy crap we're just a couple campers making coffee. I mean I know the deal that they are just cranky and frustrated, but there's a lot of people who camp in there that have zero exposure to hunting that are probably getting the worst impression of hunters lol

Can you imagine a couple campers or even day trippers go for a picnic and within an hour or so half a dozen guys in camo walk up or drive up to where you are camped, glare at you with the death stare, dont respond to a wave or anything, have a hissy fit revving their engine and bumping into stuff turning around despite plenty of room.

Even driving out we had a couple hunters come up and throw their hands in a shrug kind of gesture like "come on, this is unbelievable" ... inside I feel the same to a degree, but more like "this is getting comical". Adorable tantrums but would be nice to see a little more class for PR purposes

My neighbor actually spotted a buck from the road there a while back (once in a lifetime) jumped out with the rifle and a guy with plenty of room to drive around pulled up behind him and started blasting the horn.

[Redthies]

I don’t know where this place is, but sounds like hell!

[Iron Glove]

For those interested in Skagit conditions, suggest you join a Hope FaceBook site and post up your questions there.
Hope has a large 4x4, fishing and hunting Community and the site regularly has posts about the road conditions.