Changes at Mt Rainier -- road closed Tues, Weds

Perhaps the 'staffing shortage' is because they're releasing fishers? www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/fisher-reintroduction.htm

Or just updating the late-gater list to be ready for today's online chat about fisher reintroduction:   
www.facebook.com/events/1480158168871252/
It seems pretty clear from the collective nivalphobia of the past few winters that most of the 160 MRNP year-round staff have never skied, and most of those who have aren't skilled in deep snow or tree skiing.  It would certainly give new dimension to the phrase 'powder pig' in the unlikely event it happens.    :

Sorry Gary--I have nothing to do with the openings, and neither do the fisher. And I ski.

Sorry Gary--I have nothing to do with the openings, and neither do the fisher.  And I ski.

;D And I actually saw you skiing! And we talked about fishers. LOL

I was curious so I did some counting.

The gate closures of the road to Paradise for this current winter season began November 2nd, 2013. Including today, that makes 137 days. Going back through the Park's Twitter feed, I noted every date that the road "would not open today" and that count resulted in 32 days so the road didn't open about 23% of the time since November 2nd.

Frankly, I thought the number would be a tad higher. Anyways, there it is..

I was curious so I did some counting.

The gate closures of the road to Paradise for this current winter season began November 2nd, 2013. Including today, that makes 137 days. Going back through the Park's Twitter feed, I noted every date that the road "would not open today" and that count resulted in 32 days so the road didn't open about 23% of the time since November 2nd.

Frankly, I thought the number would be a tad higher. Anyways, there it is..

Counting today, my daily log shows 35 closed days since Nov. 2, or 25%
There were ten days with opening delays more than an hour past nine AM and four days with early closures.   
There was no tweet on five of the open days and one of the closed days.
Two of the openings were on weekend days with a NWAC high avalanche warning.
I lost count of the posted photos of groovy sunsets that we were not allowed to watch in person.   

Thanks for adding your observations. Did you keep track of these numbers last winter? I wanted to look at this as well but didn't get around to it. Curious as to the change from last winter to the current season. I'm guessing there were more closures this winter but....

By this time in 2013, there had been 49 closed days; 37 in 2012.   I believe both years had significantly more snow than there has been this winter.

PM with email for .rtf files of the past three years.

I was up at MRNP both days this weekend. There was a social media organized group camp in the Edith Creek Basin of over 150 people. MRNP Law Enforcement rangers had their hands full keeping tabs on that group and ensuring that they hauled out all their beer cans and camping equipment (they were hauling in cases of beer using sleds).

Law Enforcement rangers were too busy to visit a campsite on top of Mazama ridge where another large group was cutting down trees with an axe and had a bonfire overnight.

I was up at MRNP both days this weekend.  There was a social media organized group camp in the Edith Creek Basin of over 150 people.  MRNP Law Enforcement rangers had their hands full keeping tabs on that group and ensuring that they hauled out all their beer cans and camping equipment (they were hauling in cases of beer using sleds). 

Law Enforcement rangers were too busy to visit a campsite on top of Mazama ridge where another large group was cutting down trees with an axe and had a bonfire overnight.

Saw that and more too! Paradise is getting very crowded on weekends and there now seems to be 3 separate group camping areas within ½ mile of the parking lot; these areas IMHE get to be quite messy and trashy--now attracting flies? On Friday I was in the pl and in came a series of 4WD with lound mufflers driving at hi speed across the lot to park near the Inn--unusual behavior IMHE. I thought, these guys looked like they belonged more at the ORV course on DNR lands near Ashford than in a National Park; so next up is shooting up the park signage?

IDK, another thing I learned this weekend is that the limit for winter group camping around Paradise is 900 people per night! This seems like an amazing number -- I'm not sure how they would even fit cars for that many snow campers in the Paradise lot or whether the comfort station could handle that much poop.

I recall back in the '70s that the Mounties would run climbing classes of 150 or so -- but I believe those days are gone now due to "twelve heartbeats" rule in wilderness areas.

Would be a lovely powder day at Paradise tomorrow... instead I'm going to Baker because I simply don't trust the NPS to have it open on time, as the Saturday opening was delayed due to "insufficient staffing to ensure safety". I used to feel good about buying an annual pass... alas, no more.

Would be a lovely powder day at Paradise tomorrow... instead I'm going to Baker because I simply don't trust the NPS to have it open on time, as the Saturday opening was delayed due to "insufficient staffing to ensure safety". I used to feel good about buying an annual pass... alas, no more.

Wise man, from Twitter at 7:30: The gate to Paradise at Longmire will be delayed this morning due to weather-related road conditions. - tks With 13 inches of new in the last 24 hr and 5 ins more expected and a winter storm advisory, if they do open this morning it will belie much of their claims of the winter.

I hope those two vehicles on cam this morning in the main lot are overnighters who parked in the wrong place.

Yesterday, while road opening was "delayed due to insufficent staff", eight skiers could be seen on cam gearing up at two government vehicles...

Wise man, from Twitter at 7:30: The gate to Paradise at Longmire will be delayed this morning due to weather-related road conditions. - tks  With 13 inches of new in the last 24 hr and 5 ins more expected and a winter storm advisory, if they do open this morning it will belie much of their claims of the winter.

It opened.  But then, it was a weekend, and the last for the snow-play area.  They must have thought it was important.

Now that it's April anyone hear/know when, if ever, they plan to open the gate earlier than 9:00?

Now that it's April anyone hear/know when, if ever, they plan to open the gate earlier than 9:00?

I asked them via twitter (reply to their post about construction starting at 7 a.m.) what the hours will be; they deigned to reply. Nothing on the website.

Finally some good news from the park's Facebook page (posted April 8, 5:40pm) :

"Starting Thursday, the gate btw Longmire and Paradise will remain open 24 hours. Some overnight closures may still happen due to bad weather. And remember: spring storms can make road and weather conditions deteriorate quickly, so all vehicles must carry chains thru May 1."

Thanks Amar. That is sweet news.......finally!

Mount Rainier's former super-duper is making news again:

"Whether any other company bids on the [second float of a humongous visitor services] contract is yet to be seen. Regardless, the park will go ahead and pay Xanterra the $100 million when the new contract takes effect, whichever company lands it."

"Though the buy-down is aimed at preventing monopolies in concessions and improve services, the short-term impact at the Grand Canyon could be wide-ranging as roughly $75 million of the $100 million is being loaned the Grand Canyon by other parks across the country that will have to be repaid in about five-to-seven years. The money from those other, unspecified, parks came from unobligated funds they had from franchise fees they collected and which will eventually be needed for projects in their own parks."

"As I understand it, all of them will have enough revenues in FY15 to cover whatever projects they did have," explained Superintendent Uberuaga. "They just lost their savings account, unobligated money. The intent is for us to pay that back to each of the individual parks that the money was redirected from.”

"While Superintendent Uberuaga has been squirreling away some funds from franchise fees in recent years, that amounts only to about $25 million..."

www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2014/08/co...t-park-long-run25515

Can any of TAY's business-savvy folks explain to this poor hillbilly how this is not corporate welfare if Xanterra retains the contract they didn't re-bid on the first time?

I'd expect Rainier's "savings account" may get raided in this scheme and, durn it all, there just won't be enough money to do things that management hasn't really wanted to do anyway.    :  

FWIW for all those interested: Paradise Valley Road will close 2 September and probably won't open again until next summer.

FWIW for all those interested:  Paradise Valley Road will close 2 September and probably won't open again until next summer.

Not surprised, but where did you hear this from?

The notice is on the road construction alert page. No conspiracy, they are going to be repaving it. I realize that may disappoint.

Not surprised, but where did you hear this from?

I heard it from the engineer marking the PV Road yesterday; he said they would close beginning 2 September for repaving and it was unlikely it would open again--I agreed, saying we often start getting serious snowfall by mid-October.

The notice is on the road construction alert page.  No conspiracy, they are going to be repaving it.  I realize that may disappoint.

What wouldn't disappoint would be if you posted a link to the annc't; I looked for one prior to my post and after your post and still couldn't find it. Looked under News, News Releases, Road Status, Road Construction, etc.

What wouldn't disappoint would be if you posted a link to the annc't; I looked for one prior to my post and after your post and still couldn't find it.  Looked under News, News Releases, Road Status, Road Construction, etc.

Couldn't find the official original, but this one dated today confirms Andy's report:
rainiervolunteers.blogspot.com/2014/08/r...ction-update_17.html

At 11:30 a.m., the webcams at Paradise showed a few inches of new snow had fallen overnight and in the early morning and a partly cloudy/partly blue ski prevailed with visibility clear to Mazama Ridge. The Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast called for clearing skies and a possibility of snowshowers with 1 inch of new possible.


Mt. Rainier tweeted shortly after 11 a.m.: "Road from Longmire to Paradise will not open today due to heavy and continuing snowfall. ldo"

What does this denial of reality with concurrent denial of services mean? That any new snow is "heavy and continuing" and the road will not open?

As of 12:40 p.m., there was no hint of plows at Paradise. Does this mean a late (or no) opening tomorrow.

Enquiring minds want to know, but it appears there is no one trustworthy enough to ask.

Andrew you are completely right. This is getting very hard to take. It is borderline arrogance, if not already, on their part.

The NPS hired three new road crew/snowplow drivers this fall. I wonder what they are doing with their time today.....


As of 12:52pm...

Glad to see that I'm not the only one frustrated with the delayed update on the road status today via both their phone recording and the twitter message. My wife and I were thinking about skiing there today- decided that Rainier was probably going to pull out a b.s. excuse not to open so we didn't head down, and for tomorrow we'll be touring elsewhere since we don't want to commit to Rainier when the decision to keep the gate closed can supposedly be done off made-up weather forecasts.

Rainier mgmt has really gotta change things...the status quo is ridiculous.

We learned about the closure when we arrived at 8:45 this morning. Lady at the gate said "we might not open today, due to short staff, we're down a plow". I said, you mean they're not even plowing? She replied (haughtily), "No, they've been at since 5:30".

I'm wondering why they couldn't have provided that info at 5:30 (and why they have no backup drivers, and why they start so late, etc.)? What am I missing here?

It is crystal clear at this point that the plan is to further restrict access each successive year until the road is closed for good. The current administration obviously, and for whatever reason, decided that winter access above Longmire is not to be had. This obviously does not pertain to all parks, as Denali has sought to increase access recently. This whole thing completely pisses me off.