MRNP: Bold as brass, up your ...

Additional Paradise weekday closures (M & Th) apparently have been postphoned until next winter.  Rainier officials have released preliminary plans regarding their response to the looming potential sequestration budget cuts:

"Not opening the Ohanapecosh [visitor] center, which is shuttered during the winter, would affect more than 85,000 visitors. With a 5 percent cut, the park would not have the funds to operate and maintain the small center in the park’s southeast corner.

Attempts on Wednesday to reach Mount Rainier managers to get further details were unsuccessful. They have previously been instructed not to discuss the potential cuts. Details of cuts at Olympic were not available."

www.thenewstribune.com/2013/02/21/248339...ews-for-rainier.html

In the face of a catastrophic budget cut of FIVE whole percent, the park superintendent boldly responded by taking a vacation to Africa.

In the face of a catastrophic budget cut of FIVE whole percent, the park superintendent boldly responded by taking a vacation to Africa.

Which was probably planned well before our so called government leaders punted the sequestration issue back in December/January due to their ineptitude. Remember our amazing president took off for Hawaii during the last round of drama.

5% here, 5% there. Adds up after awhile. At least I got my 70% pay cut done all at once.

Which was probably planned well before our so called government leaders punted the sequestration issue back in December/January due to their ineptitude.  Remember our amazing president took off for Hawaii during the last round of drama.

5% here, 5% there.  Adds up after awhile.  At least I got my 70% pay cut done all at once.

Then he should have put his wizard-like advance planning skills to work hiring plow drivers and finding a way to keep his park open this winter, IMO.

It does add up. But instead of getting by with less staff, they cut (public) access. NOCA does a fine job with a much larger area and a much smaller staff. I believe Grand Teton does as well.

Then he [Supt. King] should have put his wizard-like advance planning skills to work hiring plow drivers and finding a way to keep his park open this winter, IMO.

It does add up. But instead of getting by with less staff, they cut (public) access. NOCA does a fine job with a much larger area and a much smaller staff. I believe Grand Teton does as well.

Starting about six minutes (halfway) in, this slideshow has a comparison of how various other western parks and nearby recreational areas allocate their crews and budgets for winter plowing.  I realize most get less snow than Rainier, but many manage to plow roads into the subapline daily and even keep high-elevation roads open 24/7 with similar resources.  It is impressive how much can be done if the management will is present.  The example most similar to Paradise, the twenty-mile road to Mt Baker, is plowed 24/ 7 by a crew of seven for less than half a million bucks and rarely closes: 

....  The example most similar to Paradise, the twenty-mile road to Mt Baker, is plowed 24/ 7 by a crew of seven for less than half a million bucks and rarely closes: 
...

I'm sure a factor in the WSDOT keeping that the Mt Baker hwy and Crystal Mtn Blvd open is the $5-7 per person per visit in sales tax revenue from lift ticket sales (more if you buy a beer) At the park the it is a $10 per car load entrance fee, unless you are a frequent visitor and pay $30 for an annual pass, but if you are over 62 a lifetime park pass is $10

Also the parking lots at Mt Baker and Crystal are several times larger than the lot at Paradise -- so the total amount of sales tax revenue for the state is much much higher each weekend they manage to keep the road open -- if it's closed the state doesn't make that revenue.

With the parks fee structure -- their total revenue isn't as severely effected when they can't open the road -- If skiers were charged $10 per person for each visit and they replaced the Longmire gate with a fee booth -- they would have more incentive to keep the road open.