back X-mas of 98 (the really big snow year) my family was driving back from Pullman on I90 and we stop at the McDonalds at Ellensburg after hearing that the pass was closed for avalanch blasting for a few hours. then a guy comes and says that the pass is open agian so we start driving, soon we hit heavy trafic that really is not moving and it is just dumping out side, me and my brother built a snowman, and then cars start moving again but slowly then after about 4-6 hours after we left Ellensburg (now aroung 8 or 9 pm) we get to the spot where the state patrol is turning people around. so we need to head back to ellensburg but the road back is cloased to, the only place available is Cle Elem. and so we drive around thinking we will be spending the night in the car. since all the churches that were letting people sleep inthem were already full, and then we go to safeway to try and get some food but safeway is sold out, then we find out the School complex is letting people sleep inside of it, (Elementry, middle and Highschool buildings are all conected) So there are about 5,000 or more people who got trapped between Ellensburg and the pass who are staying in this School over night.