Click below to read an early edition of my Snoqualmie Pass story:

=> Read more!

Drivers crossing Snoqualmie Pass after its opening should still be prepared for a possible closure, said Trooper Jeff Merrill, a spokesman for the Washington State Patrol. That means packing extra food, water and blankets.

I caught up with Trooper Jeff Merrill, a spokesman for the Washington State Patrol, and asked him about the WSP’s role in the closure of Snoqualmie Pass. Here’s what he had to say:

“We have close to 10 to 15 troopers intermittently working the pass during the closure, during the evacuation, helping people off the summit and back down the west and east side. We’re trying to keep the disruption to a minimum for those who live and work here, even though it is a huge inconvenience to the public who can’t commute east to west over the summit.

We’re operating road closures, assisting WSDOT in the closure of all the ramps and roads. We’re also ensuring folks can get ferries to the top and back down the pass.

This is one of those things that if you have to travel a mountain pass, it’s expected that you may fall victim to the weather. This is one of those storms we knew was coming and that dumped a record amount of snow. It’s record snowfall in the summit area. As a result, it’s really hampered our ability and WSDOT’s ability to keep the pass open. It’s a continual hour-by-hour evaluation as to whether we can keep it open safely.

At this point, we’re not certain when we’ll be able to reopen the pass. It’s one of those things that when it does open, it might only be open for a short period of time. So folks that are traveling up and over the hill need to be prepared.

If the snow doesn't slow down, we'll be behind the eight-ball contunually. The snow is coming down fast and furious now, and the temperature is dropping, and those are recipes for continued avalanche concerns. That's where we're at right now."

Heading up Snoqualmie Pass:

SNOQUALMIE PASS – Red Mountain Coffee is one of those ski-resort shops that sells everything from polished rocks to T-shirts to snacks like pizza, coffee and cookies.

And it’s also become a hub for locals, state troopers and workers looking to repair the damage following this week’s avalanches on Snoqualmie Pass. The sudden closure of Interstate 90 on Tuesday left visitors to the ski slopes and workers who live down the pass stranded. Many businesses closed; most of Red Mountain’s employees live in the area and could report to work.

“Business has been a little bit slower, and it’s just kind of different here,” said barista Sarrah Powers, a 16-year-old student at Mount Si High School. “We’ve been getting a lot more locals in here because their food is running out. And there are a lot more police officers and DOT workers – people who are trying to keep the road open.”

The initial closure left dozens of people stranded in the restaurant. Owner Terri Harcus said she couldn’t just turn them away, so many stayed for hours until they could get an escort down the mountain.

“Every foot of space was taken up by somebody,” she said. “Most people were sitting on the floor, just waiting.”

=> Read more!

Drew and I are heading up the pass as part of a convoy led by a Washington State Patrol car. The road is already icy and slippery a few hundred yards past the barricades.

I asked a State Department of Transportation worker what the weather is like where we're going. She pointed to my sunglasses. "You won't be needing those," she said. "It's snowing like hell up there."

Every media outlet in the area is here, and TV guys seem to just be eating it up:

Here's a video the State Department of Transportation put together showing what avalanche-control work looks like:

Photographer Drew Perine and I are heading north for avalanche coverage. More details to come.

Bradley Huson is fiery. He garnered 163 votes – the most last election among the four candidates standing for two open seats on Ruston’s town council – and says he has mandate from the voters to change the status quo.

Nor does he pull any punches or hesitate to use the tools at his disposal to get what he wants. At the last town council meeting, he proposed (and the council approved with a 3-1 vote) a set of rule changes that limited public input. The changes followed public outbursts at a previous meeting – and were followed by outbursts when he proposed them. But they were necessary, he said, and he’s unapologetic.

“We’re not going to have any more outbursts like that because I have had it with the (bull),” he said. “Somebody has got to take control of that meeting and run it in a businesslike fashion. I deal with rich, crazy people all day, and I’m not going to deal with crazy people all night. There’s nothing in it for me. The only reason I ran for this office is to get something done. I’m not going to sit with a bunch of psychos in the evening under fluorescent lights and has over crap that makes the meetings five times longer than it should be. It’s ridiculous. … I feel that we have given everyone every opportunity to conduct themselves as human beings. These people are crazy, and I’m just not going to stand for it anymore.”

I asked him if he understands why some would be upset. Sure, he said:

“They’re like caged animals. They have no political power. They’re scared and they’re like caged animals. When you throw a bunch of animals in a cage and scare them, that’s how they behave: like the town council meeting. That’s what the problem is. The Karen Picketts, the Torbets, those people have lived in town forever. This is the first time in the history of this town that they have absolutely no power. They have no voice. The only voice they have is the mayor – and he’s not going to be behind them 100 percent of the time. They’re a frightened group of people because they don’t have any real power. They’re frightened, but they’re also not that bright. Don’t antagonize the people who have to make the decisions on your behalf. Don’t (tick) people off. Even the stupidest child knows that if you (tick) off your parents, you won’t get great Christmas presents. So don’t (tick) off your parents. Be nice to them. Be nice to the people who have control over the things you would like to happen. It doesn’t make any sense.”

And there are no plans to drop the rule changes anytime soon.

“Until I’m satisfied we’re getting the business done that needs to get done, and everybody behaves themselves, I’m all for keeping them permanent,” he said. “That’s how a lot of other jurisdictions do business. They don’t allow a free-for-all of public comments about what color of toilet paper they have in the men’s room at the police department – which is really what it comes down to at our public meetings. ... The whole ramped-up, steam of consciousness BS at council meetings is over. It’s over. I don’t have the time to sit through it. I don’t have the patience to sit through that kind of thing.”

=> Read more!

Once again, I will be your faithful reader representative today. I'll bring interesting tidbits if I find them, but yesterday it was slim pickings...

But fear not: In a few minutes, I'll be posting my interview with Ruston Town Councilman Bradley Huson. This guy pulls no punches.