Depending on your back-story for the Pike I'd skip the yard. A shortline picking up cars from interchange, taking them down the line and setting them out at industries wouldn't really need a yard. Or more correctly, where yard services would be needed is at Interchange.
My two-cents-worth: I don't like switchback sidings. The prototype doesn't use them because giant time suck and I have had the same experience. Drilling (ordering cars) OTOH is very prototypical and I find it [I suppose esthetically] satisfying and thus, fun. OTOH, some people find the move-the-empty-spot of switching puzzles fun so it's different-strokes-for-different-folks (wow, does that ever date me! 
).
