Ice traps vehicle at Sherman Pass trailhead

On Sunday, a slick trap was waiting for unsuspecting backcountry snowshoers headed into the Sno-Park lot at the top of Sherman Pass, Washington’s highest highway pass for winter recreation.

“We thought we were in trouble as soon as we turned off Highway 20 and headed onto the access road,” said Shuwen Wang of Spokane. “By then, it was too late,” she said noting that the access heads downhill from the pass. “It was so icy I couldn’t get back out.”

The plowed Kettle Crest Trailhead Road was a bobsled run. “Sheer, shiny ice,” she said.

Having dropped their guard because of the bare pavement on the highway and blue skies, nobody had tire chains.

The group had planned on the possibility of icy trails and they all had MICROspikes in case the snow on the route up to Columbia Mountain was glazed and unsuitable for snowshoes.

“It’s a good thing or we wouldn’t have been able to stand up on that access road or parking lot,” she said.

Wang had other friends in an all-wheel drive vehicle who were able to scratch their way up the road and drive her 40 miles to Colville, but even that vehicle with new aggressive winter tires didn’t have enough traction to tow her out.

“I’m trying to get word out because there’s no warning and without help, I would have been stranded overnight,” she said. “There’s no cell phone connection there.”

The group was concerned because to access the trailheads for Sherman Peak or Columbia Mountain from the parking lot they had to hike up the icy road. “We had traction on our feet, but a car coming down that one-way road could easily have lost control and there would be no stopping,” Wang said.

The group went for a snowshoe trek hoping that maybe the access road would be sanded when they returned. It wasn’t.

“A man with a pickup was unable to get up the road when we returned,” she said. “He had the idea to wrap two dog leashes around his tires and it worked something like tire chains. He got enough traction to get out with us pushing.

But that tactic didn’t work on my (front-wheel drive) car.”

Her friends drove her to the Columbia River where she could get cell service. She called the emergency road assistance number on her AAA card but they declined to help her.

The group continued into Colville so she could buy tire chains. They struck out at first. Walmart was sold out for the season. But they lucked out and found an auto parts store still open on Sunday.

“They had traction devices for $45,” Wang said.

They drove 40 miles back up Sherman Pass in the dark, white-knuckled down into the parking lot again and soon she chained up, safely out to SR 20 and was on the road for the long drive back to Spokane.

But not before she treated everyone in the group to a big cheeseburger in Colville.

“It wasn’t that hard of a hike, but they sure earned a good meal after all of that,” she said.

The Kettle Crest Trailhead Road is maintained by a contractor through Washington State Parks winter recreation program.

“I just wish somebody would put a “chains required” sign or something to warn people to help avoid somebody getting stranded or hurt,” Wang said.

Colville National Forest spokesman Franklin Pemberton said the conditions on the road can change by the hour, but that Forest Service is taking the sign recommendation seriously.

“The Sno-Park access road and lot were widened by the State Parks contractor with a backhoe late last week to improve the ingress/egress and parking,” he said. “Friday the parking lot was fine with an inch of new snow. Saturday it rained all day and unfortunately polished off the parking lot leaving it very icy. Sunday the sun came out and so did the users.

“That next day the conditions warmed a bit and it snowed and the conditions were back to ‘normal-ish.’ ”

“Historically we have used a signed barricade to let people know about the conditions and will continue to do so, we just missed it that day. The next issue will be the soft roadbed and a signed barricade will go up at that time.”

“Lesson learned,” Wang said, calling the experience positive, overall. “We all had MICROspikes but no tire chains. I have both now, and the (traction devices) for my tires cost less than the ones for my boots.”