Changes at Mt Rainier -- road closed Tues, Weds

Cross-Posting from NWHikers.net -- it would appear that there already is (at least one) 501(c)(3) organziation that is working in cooperation with the NPS to

to Maintain, Restore, Nurture, Protect, and Appreciate the natural values of its namesake, Mount Rainier National Park Associates (MRNPA)

the Zachster wrote: If anyone is passionate about this issue and would like to help out... (nice segway, eh? :winksmile: )
mrnpa.org/
Seriously, I was at a meeting last week with Randy King and he made it clear that, under the current financial constraints, the Park cannot operate without volunteers. MRNPA is just one option. I personally find it very rewarding to give back to something I feel very strongly about. And we have alot of fun. And brownies. :hockeygrin:

Sorry Andy, I don't recall ever disrespecting any Park staff by name on this board, .....

votski -- for the sake of argument, let's say that everything you say about problems with NPS administration are true -- What is your proposed solutions and how would you implement them?

I don't often post up here, but there's a lot of good discussion and good ideas here. It seems far too easy to let this fade into frustration without any good coming of it. Instead why don't we try and get a group of folks together and potentially form an Access Fund like organization for ski touring in WA.

I'd be happy to start coordinating some of this. If you're interested in helping out / lending input send me a PM with your e-mail address. From there I can imagine meeting up and see what might make sense to put together/do.

Andrew Carey, vogtski, and samthaman - you guys would be very helpful in this effort based on what you've contributed to the thread.

Andrew

The NPS theoretically takes its marching orders from Congress, so I think ultimately the problem is us.  Until our larger society reverses course and truly strives for sustainability rather than growth, I doubt we'll see much improvement for such a slender reed in the legislative winds as the Park Service.  It should not be surprising that sixty years of the pork barrel mentality has evolved a class of park managers who buy into the more at any price philosophy and make it their top priority.  They seem to enthusiastically embrace each new unfunded mandate (climate change planning, baseline resource monitoring, green energy, community outreach, international sister parks, etc, etc) that together have crowded visitor access to a lesser priority. 

Don't get me wrong, I haven't voted R-Prez since Goldwater, but the Teahadists have a real point hidden under the bat-sh*t craziness.  Growth is simply going to be unsustainable, whether population, economies, or bureaucracies.  On a finite planet, our kids are going to have to learn to be satisfied with, and work their arses off to maintain, some fraction of what we have now.  Personally, I think term limits and a tax on each Wall Street transaction would be a good start.   

The recent Hurricane Ridge experience has me pessimistic about the probability of much short-term improvement in winter National Park access.  It will take a lot of patience and a lot of bird-dogging self-serving bureaucrats to restore the idea that public access should be a prime priority. 

Here's a few hairball ideas that might offer some long-term improvement, but I don't expect to live long enough to see any come to pass:
The NPS needs to show real enviromental leadership and start planning its own downsizing; local control should be the goal, rather than top-heavy federal centraliztion. 
Move the NPS out of the Sodom & Gomorrah Department of Interior into an independent status like the Smithsonian.
Eliminate the grotesquely wasteful and unproductive NPS Regional Offices and the Denver Service Center.
No (always underfunded) new park units without decommissioning two existing ones.
All "National Recreation Areas" and most NPS historical sites should go back to their respective states.
All urban national park units go back to their respective cities.
At least a decade-long moratorium on new development and large construction projects; retire the engineers and landscape architects who are often the most highly paid employees at each park.
Change the federal employee rules so that the inevitable budget cuts must be applied from the top down.

As far as MRNP specific ideas, the following is snipped from a 2008 TAY thread:
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...x.php?topic=10692.50

This was pre-twitter, but I'd really like to see the daily phone message restored...

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING PARADISE WINTER OPERATIONS

CONTINUE RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN PHONE MESSAGE. For years, this was really frustrating because of no updates or updates that didn’t mention what day they were recorded. These problems have been corrected. Even the new estimated opening time is fairly reliable. Hats off to whoever was responsible. It would be convenient for us locals if the message could be updated when the Paradise gate actually opens. A real improvement would be to make the open/no open decision sooner, so that people could make alternate plans before wasting most of the day waiting for the gate. The weather phone message offers ‘current conditions’, but is really just a summary of the generally available forecast. Perhaps the standard script could refer callers to the webcams, or how hard is it to just update the weather conditions a few times a day? At least the recording no longer prattles on about the total snow amount compared to the previous year. More useful to those without web access would be the amount of new snow overnight & perhaps a wind summary, since they affect trip choice, trail breaking difficulty, time management, and avalanche hazard. I don’t understand why the current avalanche hazard is not on the recording each winter day.

START SNOW REMOVAL EARLIER on weekends and holidays. Model A’s kept the road plowed almost to Narada by working all night. Starting a couple hours earlier would give backcountry travelers more safety cushion on short winter days.

PARTIAL OPENINGS ON WEEKDAYS. In the seventies, the Paradise gate was opened when the lower (JVC) lot was cleared, unless there were too many cars waiting in Longmire. A volunteer (often me) would keep people away from the plows while the upper lot was finished. As long as the parking capacity is not exceeded, I don’t see why it can’t be SOP that the road is opened to Cougar Rock, Glacier Bridge, Narada and the lower Paradise lot as the plows reach them. All it would take is a few cones & barricades. It looks like some of the so-called Rangers could use a little exercise getting in out of their vehicles more often anyway.

COUNT VEHICLES AT THE ENTRANCE ON BUSY DAYS with late openings. Hold vehicles there until the Paradise gate opens when parking places in Longmire and the lower turnouts are full. Sooner or later, a TV crew is going to air news footage of the annual holiday gridlock semi-riot to the Park’s considerable embarrassment, or at least I hope so. Speaking of Longmire gridlock, why not have a red/green light on the museum and Inn (or even a semaphore signal) to show the gate status and reduce the cruising and premature lineups?

INSTALL A WINTER EMERGENCY PHONE AT NARADA comfort station. This could make a real difference in case of a Mazama or Tatoosh accident.

MARK THE DOWNHILL LANE WHEN THE CHAINUP LOCATION CHANGES. A simple portable sign: “End Chain Requirement” would save chains, tires, gas and the pavement.

USE THE GUIDED SNOWSHOE WALKS TO EDUCATE VISITORS about potential conflicts such as walking/webbing in XC ski tracks. At Olympic NP there are small, simple signs at the parking lot: “Skiers & snowshoers please make separate tracks”.

HAVE A CHILDREN’S SNOW PLAY AT COUGAR ROCK OR LONGMIRE CG. Why not store a heap of gravel before it snows or use the plows to build a small sliding hill so kids wouldn’t be so disappointed if Paradise couldn’t be opened? A lot of parents might appreciate not having to brave the drive to Paradise as well. Of course, this would require a couple portable toilets on a low trailer, but the Park should already have that setup. They could put them on the Westside Road in the summer or developed areas in an emergency.

LET STEVENS CANYON AND THE VALLEY ROAD MELT OUT NATURALLY. Or at least delay the premature plowing of recent years. Besides saving dozens of more trees from being snapped off by bulldozers, the Park could use the equipment time and money saved to open Cayuse and Sunrise sooner.

EXPLORE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE STATE AND USFS to try to keep Skate Creek road open as much as possible in winter. Most of the road is lower than Longmire and is on the books as a future State highway. This would be a PR coup for the Park and a real boost for local businesses.  With a shorter route to White Pass, snowplayers would have another option if the Park was unable to open Paradise

For what it is worth, at ONP the claim is that the three day access is all that can be done with a single crew (3 guys). Opening the fourth and fifth days ala the new MORA plan required a whole additional crew of 3, and therefore it was just as efficient to go to seven days.

(Nevermind that they allowed that they do have a second crew that works the lowland roads northeast portion of the park-which have been closed the past two years)

Obviously the Rainier decision makers have come to a different conclusion. It might be interesting to ask.

You're all well intentioned but frankly you're all  farting into the wind if you think any sort of communication/discussion with them is going to change anything. But it's nice to rant...useless, but nice and cathartic.

Only thing the NPS will take any notice of is if somebody files legal action( if that's possible)

Sue them....get an injunction.......nothing else will work.