Whitehorse Trail rebuild project delayed

OSO — The timeline for rebuilding a stretch of the Whitehorse Trail wiped out by the deadly mudslide that tore through this community in March has been pushed back a year.

Officials need additional time for planning and permitting. Meanwhile, they continue to monitor river levels and multiple washouts along the trail.

The county originally hoped to rebuild the mile-long segment of trail this summer, parks and recreation director Tom Teigen said. After conversations with state and federal teams in late November, it became clear that such a timeline wasn’t realistic, he said.

Instead, the county aims to finish plans and paperwork in 2015, followed by construction of the trail in summer 2016. The goal is to install at least two new culverts to help manage water flow in the area, similar to the approach taken in rebuilding Highway 530 through the slide zone.

The county is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on trail repairs in the slide area. They need to factor an altered landscape and unpredictable river into their plans.

The mudslide that killed 43 people and destroyed the Steelhead Haven neighborhood also changed the behavior of the North Fork Stillaguamish River in ways that are still being studied. The Whitehorse Trail skirts and crosses the river and its tributaries in a number of places on the path’s 27-mile route from Arlington to Darrington. At least two spots along the trail have been washed out this year, including a stretch that parallels Highway 530 in the heart of Oso, just west of the community’s fire hall.

The washout happened days before Thanksgiving on a stretch of trail that borders Deer Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Stillaguamish. That segment of trail had to be closed, Teigen said. However, it’s near enough to the road and the shoulder is wide enough that locals who use the trail regularly have been able to get around.

“And we’re certainly not encouraging any non-locals to be up on that corridor in these winter months,” Teigen said.

There is another washout on the trail near Darrington that crews have been monitoring for a while, he said.

The U.S. Geological Survey has installed extra river gauges along the Stillaguamish to track water levels and help provide an alert for potential flooding.

“Lots of folks are watching it and we’re putting together a plan of action,” Teigen said.

Along with the gauges, rangers visited the trail near the latest washout in the days immediately after Thanksgiving, he said.

The trail has been a busy place for rangers and other workers during the last six months. Crews hired by Workforce Snohomish through federal emergency relief funds spent the summer cleaning up the trail. They cut back brush, cleaned out garbage and widened the walkway, especially near Fortson Mill, a key access point for the trail.

Though segments of the trail, particularly those with bridges, remain closed pending repairs and safety upgrades, the parks department is on its way to creating a continuous recreational path between Arlington and Darrington. Officials hope the route will become a boon for businesses in Arlington, Darrington and the communities in between, including Oso.

The effort has received some solid backing in the private sector as well. Teigen expects that at least two of the old, unstable bridges along the trail to be repaired and upgraded by the end of the year thanks to a $301,000 private donation.

“Crews are out replacing railings and decking right now with some of our donated funds,” Teigen said.

The trail is an old Burlington Northern Railroad line, and 14 bridges on the route are in need of updates.

Another donor gifted the county with 30 acres adjacent to the trail near Fortson Mill and the parking area there. The county signed off on the donation the day before Thanksgiving. It gave Teigen something extra to be thankful for, he said. The property can be used to improve access to the trail and draw more people to the location, though specific plans have not yet been made.

Kari Bray: kbray@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3439

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

A wall diagram shows the “journey of the ballot” at the new Elections Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Auditor: No need for feds to meddle with state or local elections

Garth Fell’s comments were in response to a report of Justice Department mulling criminal charges against election officials.

Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins speaks after the city council approved her appointment on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds City Council confirms new police chief

Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins will begin in the role Aug. 1. She has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including three years in Edmonds.

The Edmonds City Council discuss the levy during a city council meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds votes to place levy lid lift on the ballot

By a vote of 5-2, the council decided to put the $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift to voters in November.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.