State Patrol ticketing, towing skiers illegally parking at Stevens Pass

Imagine heading back to your car after a long day of skiing, only to find it’s gone. That’s what happened to at least a dozen drivers who parked alongside the road at Stevens Pass Friday.

The Washington State Patrol ticketed and towed a number of cars parked illegally alongside US Highway 2 around the ski area, says Trooper Mark Francis.

“On a snowy day, DOT can’t plow so the roads get worse and worse and then traffic almost gets to a standstill because cars have just no place to go,” Francis says.

It’s generally a problem on weekends and holidays, when skiers flock to the area. While Stevens can accommodate up to 2,700 at a series of eight lots around the base, once those fill up skiers are directed to two satellite lots several miles east of the resort.

The area provides a shuttle back to the lifts, but some are either unwilling to park that far away or don’t know they’re available, says Stevens Pass spokesman Chris Danforth.

Stevens Pass works with the State Patrol to keep drivers from parking illegally on busy days. But Danforth says the area wasn’t expecting such high demand and heavy snow Friday. “And it seems like once one person parks illegally, others follow and it snowballs,” Danforth says. “Our employees aren’t allowed to work on the highway, but it we can catch them as they come off the highway, we tell them they can’t park on the highway.”

Drivers who do park illegally face a $124 ticket along with the cost of the tow. Some have complained they’re being unfairly targeted. But Trooper Francis says it’s a matter of public safety, even if the drivers think they’re out of the way.

“We get cars that are stuck in these avalanche zones and it gets so congested with traffic that there’s actual cars with people inside stuck in these avalanche zones,” he says.

Stevens Pass will send text messages to skiers with the latest parking information. To sign up, just text “follow stevensupdates” to 40404 from your mobile phone – you should receive a confirmation text message back that confirms you’ve been signed up to follow @stevensupdates. The area is also posting regular updates on its Twitter feed @stevensupdates.