Dec 19, '14; Mt. Rainier, a new page? Or not?

I suspect that in a decade or so as congress keeps whittling away at the NPS budget the Longmire gate will be locked in November and stay that way until May and these threads will seem quaint.

It seems that the key to preventing that disastrous outcome is increasing and ongoing pressure on the park management from tourism $ dependent business owners in Eatonville, Elbe, and Ashford. Such pressure already is likely to be the reason that the road is open as often as it is this winter, and appears to be why last year's Monday-Tuesday closure was not reinstated this year.

Well, here's a surprise: the road opened at noon today, despite the earlier announcement that it would not!

twitter.com/MountRainierNPS/status/551833440119975936 : 12:11 PM - 4 Jan 2015

The gate to Paradise at Longmire is open. ALL vehicles must carry tire chains; today 2WD vehicles must use them from Longmire up. -SJM

twitter.com/MountRainierNPS/status/551753868389146624 : 6:55 AM - 4 Jan 2015

Due to the winter storm and flood warnings, increasing snow/rain and  avalanche hazard, the road to Paradise will remain closed today. -tks

Wonder what caused them to change their mind . . .

Webcams show only a handful of cars in the Paradise lot as of 1pm.

I don't mean to come across as pissed at Randy. I am pissed that the public in general has accepted and is accepting of what has happened over the years.

I don't mean to be one of those " I have lived here for forty years" types. But I have....literally.

When first seeing the flowchart three years ago I thought great, finally a guideline to go by.

Todays closure was based on future warnings for late afternoon all across the board.....


Road just opened 20 minutes ago. Hows that flowchart working? Nothing makes sense now...


Have trouble posting….

Spent Friday in the Tatoosh.  Stayed the night at Whittaker's and ate at the Highlander  Spent Saturday in the Paradise Environs.  Both days the gate opened late despite receiving a half an inch and stating on the 7am Twitter post that they would be open at 9 AM. Again, "staffing" given as the reason.  My partner and I had a ongoing discussion throughout the day on Saturday as to whether or not we should stay another night and ski on Sunday.  We came to the conclusion that gate would most likely not open or open too late to make it worth the effort.  I wonder how Whittaker's and the Highlander are feeling about the gate openings right about now.  Both lost our business on Saturday due the park's seemingly arbitrary gate policy.

...
It seems that the key to preventing that disastrous outcome is increasing and ongoing pressure on the park management from tourism $ dependent business owners in Eatonville, Elbe, and Ashford. Such pressure already is likely to be the reason that the road is open as often as it is this winter, and appears to be why last year's Monday-Tuesday closure was not reinstated this year.

It is amazing to think that our park managers would be more concerned about the profits of a few business people in some rural towns than the congressional representatives  of the much larger number of citizens who enjoy their national parks.  I would bet that one concerted effort by organizations like the National Parks and Conservation Association (which does lobby heavily for the Parks) and the Seattle Mountaineers to write a cogent and factual letters to DOI Sec. Sally Jewell, Sen. Cantwell, Sen. Murray, and various congress people would be more effective than the owner of Copper Creek complaining to the Park.  A reasonably large volume of calls and emails by individuals citizens would reinforce that of the organizations.  Letters from one, two, or three people may be ignored as coming from cranks.  I've personally discussed some park acces issues with Congr. Reichart; but of course he is a Republican and was one the appropriations committee but the Republicans had all agreed to spending caps and he felt that limited Congress' ability to provide additional funds. 

Mt. Rainier does need a large amount of money to address serious threats to infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges.  But I wonder how much pressure our elected reps get (I and other members of our locan non-profit to ensure access and sustainability of the our community had some effect--but the question we were most asked was who are you?  how many people do you represent? and why should we listen to your suggestions?  Still we were heard and some changes were made.

People have to speak up, demand to be heard, and provide cogent arguments.  Backcountry recreationists, especially skiers, don't often do that.  Hikers have the WTA which offers partnerships to the fed agencies and work for fudning too.

It seems, however, to be de rigeur to defer to the business community now in matters of public interest.

...
It seems, however, to be de rigeur to defer to the business community now in matters of public interest.

Hey Andy,  which textbook on American history have you been reading?    Mine asserts that we have the finest government that money can buy.   This isn't a new phenomena in american politics -- it's been around since before the revolution.    Mt Rainier enjoyed more funding in earlier decades because of "Scoop" Jackson -- "The Senator from Boeing" -- You know the guy that the Jackson Visitor Center is named for.

Murray and Cantwell have other priorities and less influence than Jackson.