No skiing below Pebble Creek

I snowboard; what's all the fuss is about.   :

I was googling and I found a website called Oh, Ranger which I thought very apt.
It's all about the National parks and allows you to log in and post comments.
I logged in as Scotsman, they sent me an e-mail and password and then you log in again and change your password to waht you want.

I then posted about my personal view of some of the Park Service policies regarding ski issues.
It went into a holding account while my post is moderated. I'm sure it won't be posted but you never know.

The NPS is very image consious and I think this website, if they actually will allow posts that offer a different view from what is expected could be a good vehicle to get some diversity of views about NPS policies. Plus the name just tickles me and appeals to devil in me!
Here's the link. Have fun!!!! www.ohranger.com

check on the community button and join and post! They haven't allowed my through yet but I'm hoping.
update they didn't allow my first post whcih was a bit vitriolic so I did a second post more like a news article and they didn't allow that either. This is a government website but they obviously will only alow posts that reflect on them positively.
I'm going to keep trying, I like a challenge.
This website gets seen worldwide and there are posts from people in Holland. Lets try and get OUR voice heard.

I snowboard; what's all the fuss is about.   :

Hey Mike, I know you're well regarded by the skiing community and your blog is highly admired as what the NPS could be but I'd like to ask you a few questions or at least get some direction.

Why ( in my opinion) is the park so good at accommodating the needs of climbers and general visitors but so negative towards the issues effecting skiers? It can't be environmental damage as nobody can argue that general mountaineering has had an incredible effect on the park. Muir toilets, fixed ropes etc etc.
Why has the park superintendent tried to close the Crystal boundary and why was Sunrise opened so late. I read Kevin's reply about Sunrise and it's the party line but I have it on good authority( from two other park rangers) who told me  in person that it's BS and that the road was snow-free for at least a month before they opened it. They said ( the rangers) that East side didn't talk to Westside, that the maintenance department ran the show at Sunrise and that with a couple of portaloos they didn't understand why it couldn't have been opened earlier. This is uniformed rangers talking not vollys.
I hate to put you on the spot but to whom can we talk to. Filling out visitor comment forms just ain't going to cut it. How does an individual or group get a meeting  with the Superintendent?
Thanks  man. Your blog and attitude give some of us hope!

First of all, thanks to RangerKevin and Mike Gauthier whom are willing to take part in said discussion.

I just thought I'd throw a word(s) of encouragement out there as far as this question is concerned:

Why (in my opinion) is the park so good at accommodating the needs of climbers and general visitors but so negative towards the issues effecting skiers?

I like to go to work with stuff from TAY to chew on...today I just happened to have The Challenge of Rainier with me, and in light of the ongoing thread, I read a very interesting part.  Being a climber first, skier second, I've been mesmerized by the Willis Wall since I first saw it.  After reading the history behind it, it made me draw some parallels to the skiing community. 

The first 2 routes (West Rib _{('61,'62 Bell)}; Upper Curtis Ridge _{('62 Cooper/Swayne)}) were done without NPS approval, and then this is what the book describes:

"By 1960, following successful ascents of most major ridges and cirque headwalls on Rainier, climbers finally turned their eyes and ambitions toward the conquest of Willis Wall proper.  In the tradition of discouraging what for many years was considered suicidal, the National Park Service long turned down all requests for permission to attempt the climb, but mounting pressures and a growing public acceptance of the appeals of mountaineering eventually resulted in a more permissive attitude...after the late-spring ascents of Willis Wall, and opening of the mountain to year-round climbing without restrictions on routes, a number of climbers examined the vast slope under winter conditions." (Wickwire, Bertulis, Cooper, Swayne, Mahre, etc.)

I'm not saying look to break the rules - I just think that we're on the right path by getting the attention diverted towards an effort that will hopefully in the long run, allow for a great outcome for both sides.

It looks like at least one of your posts showed up. www.ohranger.com/info/coming-soon .

Reading through the thread, one thing that is not clear to me - is there a definitive answer on whether you can ski below Pebble Creek? If not, when did it officially go into effect?

And, what's the criteria for when its allowed (i.e., for the fall/early winter is it date based, snowpack based or some other criteria)?

It looks like at least one of your posts showed up.  www.ohranger.com/info/coming-soon .

Man, if the rejected post was vitriolic and this post was not, the 1st must have been pretty informative