Mt. Rainier: Prospects for Future Access

This is a followup to the long discussions on Sunrise, winter access to Paradise, etc.  I attended a meeting at the Lions Hall in Ashford last night.  The topic was the report by Pierce County that the upper Nisqually River is in acute danger of migrating from its present channel.  One of the areas classified as in severe danger is the area of Sunshine Point, just inside the park, the entrance station,  Rte. 706, and the entire community of Nisqually Park.  I'm one of a committee that has been researching this and talking with County and Park officials.  Dave Uberuaga  (MRNP Supt) and Hans Hunger (Pierce County, Surf. Water Cap. Improvements) talked at the meeting.  To make it short, what we've found:

1. the new levee protecting the entrance is already damaged and designed for less than 100-year events.
2. Hans says "100-year events" are becoming commonplace.
3. MRNP plans engineered log structures to protect their part of the levee, but lack time and money; some work will occur next year (2009).  MRNP has $750,000 left in its 2006 flood repair budget, work at Sunshine Point is expect to cost $1 million to $2 million.
4. the county plans no improvement to the levee due to lack of money; FEMA is broke and haven't reimbursed the county for $2.5 million spent county-wide in 2006-2007.
5. Tahoma Creek is in imminent danger of changing its channel to cross Rte 706 just above the intersection at West-side Road.
6. the new culverts for Kautz Creek are viewed as a quick fix and are likely to fail with a moderate storm/event.
7. More work will be done at Longmire next year, Longmire is about 30 ft below the river bed now and considererd to be in moderate danger.
8. Less severe, but real problems exist at the Van Trump hairpin.

Bottom Line: potential for closure of the Nisqually Entrance is very high; damage could be extensive with channel migration; damage extends to the other side of the river, with Skate Creek Rd now being threatened by bank erosion due to mineral aggradation and large woody debris build up in mid channel.  Skate Creek Road had, I think, 5 avalanche/debris flows this winter preventing opening to July.  Skate Creek is the escape road for MRNP and communities on the Lewis County side of the Nisqually.

Even more severe problems exist on SR410-White River.  The river bed is now well above the road.  Other problems exist too.  For ex. the Carbon River Road will be abandoned.

The Nisqually Entrance condition can be addressed but agency will, capability, and interagency coordination are lacking.  The community has prepared a white paper on potential infrastructure, social, economic, and recreational impacts, a history of river management in MRNP, a history of the stated commitments of the Park and the County to maintaining the Nisqually Entrance and associated community, and a Resolution (petition) calling on all levels of government to cooperate.  They will soon begin a letter writing campaign to try to bring agencies together with the Nisqually River Council and to try and get money for rational management that has high potential for success in promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the Upper Nisqually Gateway to MRNP.

To conclude: we stand in real danger of losing access to what has to be our most cherished natural environment.  Many others are in the same situation as we are.  Now, if only Scotty would take the lead and help organize the backcountry community to fight for effective management and protection of our park, including year-round access, there would be yet another voice trying to help the communities of interest and communities of place trying to work with the Park for the best interests of all.

No matter what the "backcountry community" says or does about access, sounds like that big 'ol volcano just might have the last word...

Maybe all these access issues could be resolved the old fashioned way:  a long hike up from sea level!  Then only folks like Dan H would be willing/able to get to it! 

Bush administration funding priorites at their finest!

No matter what the "backcountry community" says or does about access, sounds like that big 'ol volcano just might have the last word...

Ahhhh, the awesome power of nature!  One of the best excuses for inaction.

Of course the volcano will have the last say ... today, tomorrow, 2082, 2110, whenever!  And rather that turn of events than a simple result of a self-fulfilling prophecy that governance must  inept, uncoordinated, underfunded, and ineffective so lets not fund it to any realistic degree ... sorry, but I'm a fan of the folks who fought to establish the Park and of Herr Ricksecker who showed what marvelous gifts can be given the country by designing and constructing such a wonderful road to Paradise; we could do that then, but we can't even protect and maintain it now?

I'm all about maintaining what is there, at a reasonable expense, or if a "permanent" solution can be engineered to keep road access viable. Winter access? That's a tough one...I'm not sure the demand for access justifies keeping it open all winter. As I understand it, the main reason it's open all winter is to keep the VC at Paradise heated.

As a skier, I love the fact that you can drive that high in the winter...as a taxpayer, I have some difficulty with the idea of spending all that $$$ just to allow access to fairly small amount of people. Perhaps the economic benefit to the surrounding communities justifies it, I don't know.

I've come to realize that some places are just not easily accessed in the winter...that's why I bought a snowmobile! Where I live, N. Idaho, that's a fact of life. The times I've been in MRNP in the winter have been sublime, but I had to work hard to get there.

This is a difficult question not just for skiers but the public at large. I think it would be a hard sell to someone who has no stake in winter access...
-Bill

Thanks for posting, Andy! Just found this in the MRNP volunteer newsletter:

"September 3: The Way In: The Future of Access to Northwest National Parks (presented by NPCA)
The National Parks Conservation Association will co-host a panel discussion at the University of Washington with Congressman Jay Inslee on global climate change and how it will affect access to our national parks, especially Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades."