Hurricane Ridge Access Petition

Signed

signed, pushed to social media.

A few of more than 50 testimonials on AccessTheRidge.org :

“As a former owner of Olympic Mountaineering in downtown Port Angeles, I know first-hand the positive effects an open Hurricane Ridge Road has on our local economy. If there was a lasting effort to have more than a ‘pilot program’ for seven day access, our community would realize additional visitation and regional support.”

“Hurricane Ridge represents the closest alpline experience for the over 400,000 residents of Victoria (a larger than average percentage of whom are outdoor enthusiasts). If the Ridge Road was reasonably maintained it would bring in additional visitors from your nearest neighbors in Victoria, B.C.”

“I work in the outdoor industry on Bainbridge Island. Having access to the mountains is key if we are to stay in business supplying our customers with outdoor gear, snowshow rentals and outdoor clothing and outerwear. Hurricane Ridge is the jewel of the Olympic National Park, providing views and recreational opportunities year round including in the winter.”

“When the road is closed throughout the week it becomes increasingly hard to open it in a timely manner on the weekend. As a mininum, I think the Park Service should try to keep the road open Thursdays through Sundays. If there is no significant snow to remove on Mondays through Wednesdays, the road should be open then too.

The National Parks are public land and the Park Service should place a high priority on ensuring public access to these lands. Hurricane Ridge provides the only alpine terrain accessed by road in winter on the Olympic Peninsula. Residents of the peninsula should not have to drive to Mt Rainier or the Cascades Passes to enjoy winter recreation during weekdays. Good access to Hurricane Ridge is important to the peninsula economy. For many outdoor-oriented people, it spells the difference between remaining a resident of the peninsula and moving elsewhere.”

“If marketed right, The Ridge could draw in tourist from all over the world, boosting the local economy and creating a mid week vacation sanctuary for outdoor winter enthusiasts globally.”

“My home, Port Angeles, is a town situated in a strikingly beautiful and inspiring wild place where the mountains meet the sea, yet it is plagued with higher than state average rates of drug use and crime. As a local community member, I can directly see that the park is the lifeblood of both the economy and more importantly the culture of our town. Having such limited access to that for a good portion of the year has tangible negative impacts on both… and Port Angeles is only one of the communities affected.”

“Year-round daily access to Hurricane Ridge had a huge positive impact on my childhood and early years of development as I learned to close my dad’s turns and craft our father-son figure eights in the sometimes fantastic winter ski conditions at Hurricane Ridge (and not just on weekends, but when conditions were right and school was wrong). Additionally, I am in 100% full support of access to the wild lands of Hurricane Ridge for future generations of families, children and adventurers seeking communion with nature and connections to the beauty and fragility of mother earth. I envision open opportunity for countless others to sit atop a switch-back skin track with their mom, dad, lover or best friend, peer across the ridgelines of spear-like trees dusted in powder, take in a deep breath of mountain air, exhale and watch the cloud currents dance above the Straits before descending effortlessly through the glades and gullies of one of the region’s most breathtakingly beautiful and easily accessed wild mountain lands of our dreams. Please, help keep Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge Road open 7 days a week throughout the winter – this is a wild lands legacy and resource we must secure for of our generation, and the next generations of vertical world explorers, nature lovers, artists, mountain ecosystem advocates and powder wanderers who are yet to be born – but who will surely benefit from open access to the pure magic of Hurricane Ridge and the hidden joys to be discovered for the first time, again and again, if open access is supported by us all. To four season wild enjoyment, without limits, because our love for you is limitless, Hurricane Ridge…”

“I lived in Port Angeles for 5 years. Dealing with the road closures was one of my main reasons for moving away as the road is the area’s only wintertime access into the mountains. The community would benefit greatly from improved access, and locals have put a lot of time and money into the issue and have received nothing from the park in return.”

“It is impossible to plan a winter visit to Hurricane Ridge without more consistent access. Even on weekends, if there was any snow during the week it takes so long to plow on a weekend-only schedule that we often can’t count on an opening. Visitation is down because you aren’t going to drive several hours to find that the road isn’t open and you have no other options in the area.”

“As an avid outdoor adventurer, the Olympic Nation Park is my absolute favorite place to visit. In the winter, Hurricane Ridge offers some of the best mountain access from my home in Tacoma. I would love to have greater access to Hurricane Ridge so I can visit more frequently!”

Read many more testimonials here or fill out the supporter form to add yours.

If you or anyone you know runs a business or organization, or is an elected official, help us grow the list of supporters . This is just as important as petition signatures.

If you haven't signed the petition yet, here's the direct link: change.org Petition .