TR Replies
Thanks for the petition link, Andy! I hope everyone signs and contributes if they can.
Since this whole phony closure is supposedly about safety,
I'm a bit concerned about the photo illustrating the petition webpage, tho.
The skiers could hardly have chosen a less safe mile-long uptrack.
I call the loaded lee slopes above them the 'Muir Wall' (E of Muir snowfield)
These are the largest and most active avalanche paths in the Paradise area and...
Steve Price has developed a petition for peope concerned about this: Petition
Response from Congresswoman Strickland:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about staffing and funding issues at Mount Rainier National Park. I appreciate hearing from you on this matter.
Looks like a blast! I gotta get out in that area. No idea why I have never been there other than to ski at Crystal.
While I do tweet, I don't see twitter activism doing much in this matter.
Perhaps more effectively, we could write our congresspeople (local and national) and actually organize BC skiers, hikers, snowshoers, etc. Get WTA, Mountaineers, and other orgs involved. Get REI, who runs snowshoeing trips up there, and the guide services, and the businesses in those towns to show up with a unified message. Yeah, NPS is a big stupid bureaucracy but enough bad press and the higher ups will want t...
First, I'd like to point out to TAY management that two different threads about the Paradise closure are currently
active under 'Trip Reports'. A new section is needed for 'Access.' Also, is it possible to resurrect the old
Random Tracks thread "Changes At Mt. Rainier'? There's a lot of useful history & discussion of this long-running
issue in the most-viewed TAY thread ever, plus numerous other threads from the many winter closures of...
Some replies (1) most elected reps are not fully informed on the various agencies and their policies and managment; they usually do have a staff member who is more informed in those areas and these staff member often will be liasons to the agencies. We had 2 reps here Sen Scoop Jackson and Rep Norm Dicks who were outstanding advocates for outdoor recreation, parks, and natural resoources. Rep Peter DeFazion in Oregon was great too. They are gone now. Public pressure ma...
Well put for sure, but they don't care. Maybe I'm wrong, but I really don't see much coming from all those businesses you mention. I don't get it.......any of it. There are Parks in Colorado that plow their roads and stay open, Yellowstone and Jackson are fully staffed and have no such issues, even Mt. Shasta manages to plow the damn road. I'm fairly certain a new Superintendent is likely the only answer to this, but who knows. It really is a travesty.
Bo...
There has to be folks other than backcountry skiers that are frustrated and disappointed in the closure. What about all the businesses in Ashford, Morton and Packwood - the cabins, shops and restaurants in the area? What about guides? What about snow campers? What about the Inn at Longmire? The impact of this decision will be widespread. As has been mentioned, there will be weekends that Paradise doesn't open due to weather, staffing and whatever other "in the interest of public safety" reaso...
You know, I agree with everything said and been doing my best on Twitter to shame MRNP for stealing OUR land, while knowing it will do no good. I haven't written said politicians mainly because I think the level of knowledge and understanding required to fix this is WAY beyond their capabilities, but you know there is one thing in common with those three polititians and so you get what you ask for :(
Yes, with erratic openings and closings, chaotic parking while waiting for the gate to open, many of my skiing companions stopped going to Mt. Rainier during the winter. One less recognized impact of this policy will be on senior citizens. We also joked that, year round, Thursday was Senior Citizens day (Wednesday too, but a little less). Many seniors don't want to deal with the weekend crowds, waits in the line to get into the park, crowded parking, and quickly torn up snow...
Thanks Andrew - I saw this this early today. How lame. Will send a note to my representatives. I know you are close to the park - but a couple decades ago I would get down there regularly and, like others, got frustrated waiting at the gate that never opened, and kinda gave up on the trip until spring skiing. I guess that is now the official NPS policy. And on a sunny Saturday - closed again
Very nice article. Thanks for sharing!- Island Peak Climbing 17 Days
Here are some pictures from the summer showing the mostly dry glacier and ice:
https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8036104
Thanks, kam!
Complaining to legislators may let off steam, but i think it's important to understand that this park traditionally leads the league in locked gates. Figuring out which and how many people are needed to open Paradise is not rocket science, but it has apparently been a low priority for years, judging by the same old tired excuses being trotted out. I'll bet plenty of coming weekends also stay closed. It's almost like they would rather not be bothered o...
I fixed the link for you:
No access midweek is the new normal
Write your representatives, this is a huge setback.
Sorry to report the rumor is now official:
"The sledding runs at Paradise will not open this year, and sledding is not permitted elsewhere in the park. Winter camping at Paradise will be available Saturday nights only..."
https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/news/mount-rainier-national-park-announces-winter-2022-23-recreational-access-changes.htm
Hey Cody, I just moved to Olympia too. I’m definitely game for teaming up to check this place out. Feel free to shoot me an email if you want to discuss maybe heading up there.
It certainly beats raking leaves! Thanks for the stoke
Why are they required to have an EMT on site? If we get injured, isn't that our responsibility?
WOW, thanks for that link. It verifies what is apparent: complete lack of leadership; complete idiots of the ones they have. Over the past 20+ years I've heard the same telling response: "it is what it is". They suck, they know it, and they don't care. It's their Park, not ours, so shove it to the public.
Have a great WINTER all.
Boot
The rumor in Ashford is that the NPS will soon open Paradise only on winter weekends due to "insufficient staffing".
They have over twice the staff (160+) they had in the 70's(~80) and have never come close to the performance of those
years as far as public access. The current irregular openings at 10:30 followed by a three pm closure are a
disgrace! As is closing the day before a forecast storm.
This is a management problem....
Oh, that looks sweet! Thanks for the tease. Seize the moment and that weather window!!
"grateful for the 3 bars of LTE that let me taunt my friends from the summit"
You're quite welcome.... you bastard. Wish I could have been along to enjoy the blessings of the season!
Awesome! Just moved to Olympia and work in Shelton. Would love to do this accent, anyone interested in buddying up?
Holy smokes AWESOME! 25 years... a quarter century of continuous monthly skiing. Fantastic.
Inspiring.
That looks lovely. I'm jealous and also happy for you. Very nice.
Here's a recent photo of the Pinnacle-Plummer patch from above:
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2022-10-12.0533392820
Banshee Peak? That is one long hike to get your Oct. turns. What aspect do you ski? Do you get onto the Sarvant Glacier?
A mile one-way sounds about right, allowing for weaving around brush & boulders. I'd guess about 700 vf on the approach, maybe a hundred-fifty feet uphill on the return. The sun doesn't hit the patch until late, so it's probably quite firm with a lack of runout...
Maybe someplace with snowmaking like Hood Or Whistler?
Best wishes on your surgery!
Hi Gary. Looks like the approach could be a mile one way? Looking for very short approaches; it's kinda hard to walk a month before a hip replacement. tx
Thanks for the status report and nice pictures; hopefully the ankle feels OK by now. Looks gnarly up there but there is a hope that we'll get some freshies in October.
Much appreciated, vogtski!
We noticed that patch while we were climbing—thanks for the approach tip! Planning to ski the Tatoosh next Spring, hopefully the entire ski traverse when it’s a little more filled in.
TAY mindset to climbing 😂
Nice pond skim!!
Thanks for the enjoyable TR; your writing is nifty and your knees must be steel.!
Your second & last photos show much lower hanging fruit for a possible TAY twofer. There is still a fairly large snowpatch in the big gully between Pinnacle & Plummer peaks. About half a mile up the Pinnacle trail, it turns left at a big rock and passes a couple small forested benches. Make a slightly descending SW traverse for a few hundred yards to the big gully. Looks like ma...
"We often think of exploration as seeing an entirely new place, but to me, it feels more special exploring the same place from different angles, seeing it change as we change ourselves."
Great TR. I've been drawn to this idea as well. No shortage of ways to experience that mountain.