Waiting for the pass to clear
Beatrice Herrera takes video of the snow-covered mountains at Pyramid Lake. She and her family are traveling North on I-5 trying to return to their home in Santa Rose after a vacation to Mexico. Earlier the I-5 Freeway was closed due to snow and ice on the roadway at higher elevations. (Al Seib / LAT)
Snow-covered mountains frame Pyramid Lake on Thursday morning. (Al Seib / LAT)
Semi trucks clog Castaic Road in Castaic as the I-5 Freeway remained closed. The freeway reopened later Thursday morning. (Al Seib / LAT)
Javier Gaytan (left) and Roberto Chavez (right) sleep as they and fellow passengers in a van were waiting for the I-5 Freeway to open. Traveling North after a vacation in Mexico, they are trying to make it home to Napa Valley and have been waiting in the parking lot of MacDonald’s Restaurant in Castaic since 5 a.m. (Al Seib / LAT)
Catching an early breakfast at Tommie’s Castaic Cafe in Castaic, Landon Hosto (left) and Stephan Gauger (right) couldn’t make the trip North to their destination in Frazier Park as the I-5 was closed at Parker Road. The pair needed to get to Frazier Park to do some filming. (Al Seib / LAT)
California Highway Patrol Officer Ed Corugedo opens the Northbound onramp barricade to the I-5 Freeway at Lake Hughes Road in Castaic. At about 8:30 a.m. the California Highway Patrol started leading groups of trucks and motorists through the Grapevine. (Al Seib / LAT)
California Highway Patrol Officer Camrin Sernio directs traffic clogging streets of Castaic as the CHP opens the Northbound onramp to the I-5 Freeway at Lake Hughes Road in Castaic. (Al Seib / LAT)
The CHP led semi trucks through the Grapevine first hoping the heat from the passing big rigs would help melt the ice on the highway at higher elevations. (Al Seib / LAT)