More ONP BS / Occupy Hurricane

Have you thought about making Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the NPS for any information that you want regarding cost allocations and funding decisions, particularly compared to other parks? Get the information, post it on the internet. Make the public who uses the park aware of how the park is being managed (because both the park and local media is not going to do this for you).

Road has been closed all week ("Heavy snow" and "as a precaution"). Two blower plows died, one last week, second one yesterday.  Got it fixed by 2 pm Friday, quit for the day (shift over). 

Road Closed on Saturday for sure. 

EDIT:  I should add that this weekend is strapless weekend at the ski area, which has been growing by leaps and bounds, attracting people from all over to enjoy our old school area and the backcountry as well.  Almost to a person, everyone that comes loves the place and of course spreads the word. But...only when the road is open. So it seems like once, just once, they could put in a little OT, or even bring in the second shift to make it happen.

Hurricane Ridge NPS‏@HRWinterAccess

Road will be closed today. Stay tuned for more news as it becomes available.

9h Hurricane Ridge NPS‏@HRWinterAccess

Rd crew switching 1 working plow head to plow w the working engine today. Probably another 10" new snow last 24 hrs w/ mod. winds.

Hurricane Ridge NPS‏@HRWinterAccessReply

The 2nd of 2 rotary plows died yesterday morning. Engine on the 1st died a week ago. The plow head on the 2nd was spewing black smoke...

Of course they quit for the day - They put in their eight hours! On a happier note, I was in Utah's Little Cottonwood Canyon all week and skied pow 4 outta 4 days- a record never to be eclipsed at the ridge!

Total possible days Dec 1- April 9: 131
Closed: 29 days which is 22%
Later than 9 am openings: 39  (9am is already so ridiculously late, but that is what they schedule)
11 days with early closure, 3 of which were on time openings

Total late or closed: 52% (29+3=68/131=52%)

81 days with no new snow; 67 days less than 0.10" of precipitation; 46 days with no precipitation; 64 days of greater than 0.10" precip.  (These numbers aren't the same partly because it rains some days, but also because the only new snow counting mechanism is comparing one day to the next, but sometimes the snow settles so even though it snows, the total on the ground doesn't change.  For example, the total new snowfall is 230 inches, which is probably quite underestimated given the amount of snow on the ground.  Total precip is 30.63 inches, which would indicate about 300" of snowfall assuming 10% density.)  Either way, that is ~50% of the days.

In other words, if it snows at all the road is late or closed

If new snow is greater than 0, the average opening time is 10:02.

Average snowfall on closed days: 3.93"
Average wind on closed days: 20 mph (This is the highest average wind speed for the day based on NWAC data)
Average wind on open days: 14 mph

The weather data is a little skewed because NWAC records each day starting 5am, so often the bad weather is on the day or night before the closure. 

I remember when the Staircase bridge came down during the big snow year in 99, the ranger station was staffed that winter.  One man and a snowshovel  would have saved that million dollar bridge.   It's not exactly a long walk to get there.  I imagine the new bridge will suffer the same fate.

This is a great thread! Way to hold their feet to the fire!

Funny thing about the Park Service: if you address a comment to the superintendent, it will almost always get read by the superintendent. If you write to the common informational email address, it will be read by J.Q. Ranger.

I'd recommend addressing all correspondence ATTN Superintendent. The current superintendent's former post was Big Cypress in southern Florida, so one might expect a lack of enthusiasm for winter recreation.

I imagine if everyone posting on the Occupy Hurricane Ridge page sent a email or letter to the SUPT, there would be a far more productive response than if the SUPT became aware of the issue through her Rangers arresting a group of protesters.

Or put in an Freedom of Information Act request to see the itemized budget of the roads department, and compare that to the other roads you listed. The park is obligated by law to respond to any FOIA request within 2 weeks, and they take that seriously.

P.S. You know you live in Washington when people equate ski access with a movement pushing for livable wages, universal healthcare, and social justice