Where are the "big" mountain passes in the Northwest?

Heck thems girl hills driver. Real truckers run out here.

 

That picture has been rotated 90 degrees. Gravity wouldn't allow that to happen...

 

Not 90*, but maybe 45. Look at the trees at the top of the hill, they would be sideways at 90*. It does help though, they are tracked vehicles and not on wheels.

 

Good eye sherlock. It's Photoshop. Look @ the tree on the right. That would be around 75% grade. Possibly yes with anchors and winched track vehicle,maybe. I've done 60% in CO winched. Top of Cathedral Heights.

 

Snowqualmie n Wa. 4th of July and Lookout pass n id. Cabbage Mechum, blue mountains, baker city n oregon

 

Just put a huge circle from Northern California up around Oregon and Washington and back down.

 

It's pass free.

However a bit of advice for those unfamiliar with the dynamics of snow and moisture content:

The "wetter the snow" the slicker the snow. This is why even less than an inch of snow can cause havoc in Atlanta or Seattle. West of the Cascade Mountains you have moisture laden air coming off the Pacific Ocean, dumping snow with well over 40% moisture. It quickly settles and starts morphing into wet ball bearings.

East of the Cascade Mountains, after dumping most of the moisture content, snow will drop in the 20-30% moisture content range. Think Cabbage Hill. Still lots of slick ball bearing to it, but when it gets cold enough you can start to get some tackiness to traction.

By the time you get inland to Salt Lake City to the Colorado Rockies moisture content can dip to 10% or less, creating the powder snow that skiers love and snow that simply blows off the road.

Moral of the lesson is if you are in an area with high moisture content snow (high temperatures) then treat it with a lot of respect.

 

I spent a year learning this and more in avalanche conditions and rescue. The PNW has some of the heaviest, wettest snow in the world.