November 13, 2010, Chinook Pass / Yakima Peak
11/13/10
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3896
5
Met Greg from Selah at the lower parking lot. Skiied several laps in basin on northside of Yakima peak. Visiblity was intermittent and the snow was pretty heavy. On the western side of the basin it also sported a thin rain/drizzzle crust on top. Climbed out of the north basin over the west ridge, coverage on south side very sketchy -- traversed all the way over to the east facing slopes -- which had decent coverage, smooth, but heavy and suprsingly skiied OK, despite setting off large pinwheels (up to 3 feet in diameter). Returning to the lower parking lot, found NPS park rangers working the lot and issuing tickets for dogs and sledders. Note the upper lot on the east side of the pass is in forest land and free from NPS enforcement. Driving back on 410 toward Enumclaw, I also saw someone getting a traffic ticket from a NPS Ranger.
Police State Wilderness !!!!!!(to borrow a recent term.)
they'll raise $ anyway, and anytime they can. apparently, yr-round positions
Sledding? I'm sure this has been covered here, but how do they justify banning sledding? How is it conceptually any different than skiing?
Sleds are harder to steer than skis (though I tend to ski as if I had two sleds on my feet!). Even in controlled circumstances, sledding=broken bones.
I talked with some of the rangers, they said they have never given a ticket to sledders, just told folks to go east. They do, however, give tickets for pooches.
I talked with some of the rangers, they said they have never given a ticket to sledders, just told folks to go east. They do, however, give tickets for pooches.
I've worked as a volunteer for the NPS -- the sledding hill at Paradise is a frequent source of injuries -- even with only "inflatible" / inner tube type sliding devices allowed. When I've worked as a volunteer, I listen to the radio chatter in the park -- it's pretty amazing the sort of antics that people engage it. The NPS rangers take a lot of flak from the public, but they are also the ones the expect to help them out when the get hurt, lost, slide off the road, etc.
Now that the old JVC is gone there is no longer an adminstrative requirement to keep the road to Paradise plowed in the winter (the old JVC building needed to be supplied with diesel to operate the snow melt system in the roof to prevent collapse). I sure hope that the NPS continues to keep to road plowed and doesn't decide cut costs by closing the gate at Longmire in November and leaving it closed until spring.
Now that the old JVC is gone there is no longer an adminstrative requirement to keep the road to Paradise plowed in the winter (the old JVC building needed to be supplied with diesel to operate the snow melt system in the roof to prevent collapse). I sure hope that the NPS continues to keep to road plowed and doesn't decide cut costs by closing the gate at Longmire in November and leaving it closed until spring.
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