Originally Posted by
base2
Maybe the idea that a person would literally go play in the street...for fun even, is just something that would never occure to someone who is not a roadie, or a hiker, or a walker, or a horseback rider, or a snowmobiler.
I'd love to share some photos I shot skiing Highway 20 this winter.
I didn't get any say in any of these decisions, I'm just trying to share the bit of info I have. And this is only conjecture. When the stay at home orders went into place, the national parks announced that there would be no entry fees, to encourage distancing. And then they (NPs generally, not NOCA) got slammed with visitors, many from out of state because they suddenly have time to travel. This resulted in parks closing. The hiking trails near Seattle have been mobbed, Rainier is a highly used park, I think a blanket decision was made at a regional level without that much thought.
The section of 20 you're talking about doesn't need to be closed. It doesn't make sense for it to be. There's nothing but hiking trails for 60+ miles, and those trails don't melt out until June. If I was in charge, it would be open.
Last I heard, the highway is closed at Newhalem. That's 20+ miles to Diablo Lake. There's a LEO presence in Newhalem.