Clearing and re-clearing

WSDOT crews and the contract labor and equipment of Pipken Construction of Wenatchee (which outbid longtime North Cascades Highway clearing contractor Llyod Logging of Twisp by $25) keep chipping away at their effort to clear the state's northern crossing route that started on April 11.
At this point, we are looking at the latest opening date in 35 years.
Apparently today the east side crew, which has been tackling the large piles of snow below the Liberty Bell massif just west of the hairpin turn (and just passed what is most commonly, and astutely, referred to as "Spire Gulley," not Spiral Gulch or what have you), is doing some blasting work to bring some snow down.
Some natural avalanches have come down already the past few days. Below is a photo of the some of the crew cleaning up a slide on Tuesday from the Cutthroat Ridge section a mile or so below the hairpin curve.

Back clearing on the NCH. Photo by Larry Goldie.

– Paul