[BigBrunyon]

I got a 20 mile hike in off us-2 just down the street from a TH featuring 300 cars!!! 10 cars where i was!! Saw about 3-4 parties all day!! Drove home blastin' tunes with no traffic!! Look, here's the deal. You have to have local knowledge. You have to be ninja-esque in your approach to find these type experiences. Can't be a basic! I consider myself to be EXTREMELY GOOD at enjoying my experiences in the Cascs!!

[ale_capone]

Skykomish is hoping people get lost in the round about and end up stuck in town. There are roughly 1,000 new homes slated to be built east of sultan. The new 'pedestrian' bridge is really just to carry a larger sewage pipe to allow for expansion. The development behind McDonald's is going to be a high end mobile home resort.. might as well be housing. Growth has been stagnant for a dozen years, but traffic has increased. It's going to be way worse in a year.

[timberghost]

Theres already enough "lost people" there I don't think they want anymore. They just want people to abide by the speed limit signs so people leaving heading west don't get into an accident.

[Schroder]

State patrol adds troopers for Eagle Falls parking problems

[Sky Hiker]

Social distancing at it's finest. I know when I go thru many times a week I rarely see a WSP or Snohomish co cop but it must be bad timing on my part. Why waste our federal dollars picking up peoples garbage there is by me.

[lopper]

From an earlier post: "BTW that traffic jam has been horrible since at least the early 90's when I first experienced it." Let's go back further. Another couple of decades. Here is US2 just W of Baring after a Memorial Day climb of Merchant Pk. 1977.

77Merchant4

We shut off the van's engine and coasted/pushed for a looooong way.

[Slugman]

Thanks lopper for the perspective. It annoys me when people say “these days....” then speak of something that has always been going on.

[grannyhiker]

During the 1980s we lived in Richland. On holiday weekends we would drive to Seattle (I-90) to visit sons attending the Univ of Washington. Both going and coming, the opposite side of the freeway over Snoqualmie Pass would be one big parking lot. Since we were going the opposite direction, we zoomed right through. As others have stated, the traffic jams are not new!

[Sky Hiker]

Well I have lived in Skykomish my whole life and travel that road as much as anyone. If you think that the traffic now is the same or hasn't gotten worse than it was in the 70's, 80's, 90's well you are 100% wrong. Take for example mid week when you might see a few dozen cars on 2 between Goldbar and Sky. Now it's one after another. So you can talk all you want about the traffic on 2 hasn't gotten worse but you have no history or experience to back that up plain and simple.

[Kim Brown]

Skyhiker, is that pre-pandemic as well? Currently, it is probably the pandemic factor. But in general, I wonder if more people living along the Hwy 2 corridor work in Monroe or Everett and that is why. Used to be in the late-1990's and early 00's, returning Hwy 2 after a hike was occasionally a hassle, but not so consistent you'd refuse to hike where highway 2 was involved on the coming-home. Now, I refuse, unless dinner at the restaurant downtown Skykomish is in the plans, and returning is around 8 PM or later. (or in Leavenworth, if out that far; and I sure do miss Mineral Springs diner on 970)

[Schroder]

[Sky Hiker]

I will say compare pre pandemic to what we are going thru now traffic mid week has at least doubled. It's gotten to where people are taking Friday's off or Monday instead of fighting it. I will see more cars on Thursday evening and Monday's in the past. Even Wednesday is a busy time. I don't know if it's the case or not but the construction on I 90 might have an affect but when is there not construction there. You hear highway 2 is a prettier drive. I guess it depends on where you live as to which is faster as they both have stop and go traffic now. Would the first light west in Sultan being removed I would say yes. They have messed with that light and the other one in Sultan making the entrance onto 2 longer wait and longer time entering when it does turn. Make a difference couldn't tell you for sure. I have never seen Old Owen road backed up like it has the past few years with people thinking it's a short cut. Do I like the increase in traffic no but what can you do. Stay later, take an extra day, leave earlier? I used to Leave Sky on a Sunday at 1 or 2ish am and not sit in traffic. Now there's times I am in it at 10 or 11 am. Throw in Eagle Falls and that can add some time but it has gotten better lately.

[BigBrunyon]

I'm just gonna start honking!!!!

[treeswarper]

You guys need to ride ebikes and zoom in and out of the parking lot.

[Randito]

After living in NYC for a couple years... I just laugh at the "Traffic Problems" here in Washington state.