A staff member at a remote wilderness resort has had to ski six miles to get groceries after a winter storm hit the Washington Cascades. Zachary St. John is one of two caretakers that live at the Cascade Meadows Baptist Camp, which is located deep in the Cascades. It’s about two miles from the highway and 21 miles from Leavenworth, WA. Unfortunately for St. John, the resort was caught right in the middle of a bad winter storm. The storm left record amounts of snow in the area. The camp itself got four to five feet of snow in total. In addition to that, there were two avalanches that blocked the only road into camp.
Thankfully, there were only two guests staying at the Washington resort at the time of the winter storm. Both of them were able to safely leave via snowshoes on Monday (1/10). That left St. John and his partner alone at the snowed-in resort. Since the area is currently travel-restricted due to the snow and avalanches, St. John has had to think of other ways to get essential items. “Currently, I have to cross-country ski the 6 miles round trip to get groceries,” St. John told Fox Weather.
St. John Couldn’t Leave Washington Resort Even If He Wanted To
The avalanches at the camp are the least of St. John’s problems. Not that he really has any, anyway – he says he’s prepared for this. “We are safe and prepared for storms like this,” St. John said. “Part of mountain life.” Still, though, conditions at the Washington resort are but a small piece of a much bigger picture.
Highway 2, often referred to as Stevens Pass, is too dangerous to travel right now. Snow and constant avalanches on the mountain have made it hard to clear. The Washington Department of Transportation even counted over 200 snowslides on one part of the mountain highway. There were sections of ice four inches thick and snow up to 70 feet deep. Additionally, three inches of heavy rain have made the mountain road hard to work on.
As for Zachary St. John, his snowed-in days at the Washington resort are nowhere near over. “Waiting 1-2 weeks for the excavation company to clear the (avalanche) debris,” he said. “There are two large avalanches blocking the road, and the plow broke due to the sheer amount of snow.” We hope he stays warm during his grocery ski trips.
Being Out During Snowstorms Can Be Deadly
As St. John said, he’s prepared and ready for weather like this. However, the average person shouldn’t attempt to make long treks in snowy weather. During the winter storm that Virginia had last week, one man died after trying to walk home in the snow. He had gotten into a car accident and then attempted to walk six miles home to be with his family. Sadly, he had gotten lost and passed away overnight.
