McKenzie Pass should open soon

The gate is still down to block cars from going over McKenzie Pass, but the road is clear and open, on the Sisters side only, for bicycle and foot traffic. Photo by Tom Chace

The scenic route over the McKenzie Pass (Highway 242) should be open this weekend, June 28-29, according to Dan Knolls, public information officer for the Central Oregon division of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

"The surest way to find out before starting up the pass is to call my office (388-6224) or check our web site (www.ODOT.state.or.us and click on Division 4 , near the bottom of the left-hand column) which I try to update daily," Knolls said.

"Work is being done on the western side of the pass by another division," said David Neys, transportation maintenance manager for this division. "They are fixing a stretch of the highway on the west side where we have had serious rock slides in the past."

The pass will not open from the Sisters end until the entire road is ready, it was reported.

One of the good things about the closure from the Sisters side is that it gives "free access to the top for walkers, hikers and bikers," said Knolls. "They can have the entire road to themselves without worry about cars."

"The last time I was on the western slope," Neys said, there was over 30 feet of snow still on the roadway. A snow-blower climbs up on top of that and starts working down. It's a difficult job as the blower can take off only a little at one time."

They try to open one lane and "let Mother Nature take her course by melting the other side," Neys said.

"This is a true test of the skill of the snow-blower operator," he said. "If it gets stuck, there is no help to pull it out."

There is no snow on the eastern (Sisters) side of the pass.

A report from Knolls showed that, since 1925, the earliest opening of the pass was March 21, 1934.

The latest closing was January 10, 1939. July 29, 1999 was the latest opening and October 18, 1996 was the earliest closure.

The longest closure was 256 days in 1998-99. The shortest was 96 days in 1933-34. Longest time open was 250 days in 1934 and the shortest time open was 90 days in 1999.

"The Dee Wright Observatory ('Rock House' to locals) is open now atop the pass," Neys said. "It is maintained by the Forest Service and there is now a paved trail from the roadway to the top for those who have trouble with stairs."

Inside the Rock House is a series of cut-out slots, or small windows, each one facing a different mountain. This isolates that particular peak for viewing or picture taking. A plaque alongside each cut-out gives detailed information about each mountain.

One of the most scenic drives in all of Oregon, if not in all of the West, is over the McKenzie Pass, along the McKenzie River and back via the Santiam Pass.

If you go, take the McKenzie Highway (Highway 242, left at the "Y" on the west side of town) from Sisters. You'll pass Black Crater on the left after about 11 miles.

A stop at the Rock House (Dee Wright Observatory), amidst an expansive lava flow near the top of the pass, is a must. The elevation here is 5,324 feet.

Continue west past Proxy Falls. At the intersection, take Hwy. 126 to the right through Belknap Hot Springs with the McKenzie River on your left.

Make a planned stop at the spectacular Sahalie Falls, on the left, about 14 miles from the intersection of Highways 242 and 126.

Continue north on 126 past Clear Lake, a good stop for brunch, to a merger with Hwy. 20. Stay to the right -- this is the Santiam Pass --which will take you east, past Hoodoo Ski Area (Mt. Washington will be on the right), Suttle Lake, Black Butte Ranch and back into Sisters.