Public meeting on Winter Operations, Mt. Rainier

FYI, from an email I received:

December 4, 2012


You are invited to attend one of our two upcoming community meetings to discuss this year’s winter operations at Mount Rainier National Park. Superintendent Randy King will provide a brief overview of winter park operations and be available for questions and answers afterwards. Each meeting is expected to last approximately one hour. These meetings will occur on the following dates, times and locations:

Tuesday, December 11th, Ashford Mountain Haus, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
(note: the Mountain Haus is located between Whittaker Mountaineering and Whittaker’s Bunkhouse in Ashford. It is the building that houses the Visitor Information center).

Wednesday, December 12, Enumclaw Library, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Please forward this invitation on to others you feel might be interested in attending.

For more information please call Donna Rahier at 360-569-6501 or via e-mail - donna_rahier@nps.gov

--
Donna Rahier
Superintendent's Office
360-569-6501
donna_rahier@nps.gov

_____________________

Unfortunately these meetings are on days Paradise is closed, so you can't come to Paradise to go skiing then go to the meeting.

Unfortunately these meetings are on days Paradise is closed, so you can't come to Paradise to go skiing then go to the meeting.

Figures....

And they're 4-5 pm, when most recreational users are at work. Any Seattleites will need to take off most of a workday to make it.

OK, TAYer's. I plan to attend the meeting in Enumclaw on December 12th. Thanks Andrew Carey for posting the info.

While I would definitely like to see Paradise open 7 days a week; I could be convinced to accept a 5 day schedule, if the some other questions get answered. I have assembled some talking points I will use at the Dec 12th meeting; which are posted below. While I don't claim to represent TAY or anyone else; I would like to get some input from other park users (like bc skiers) on my points. Please don't go into an anti-gov't/conspirious theory rant. Flame suit fully zipped, have at it.

Talking Points:

• While I certainly understand and sympathize with the MRNP’s budget predicaments, I also understand MRNP has, as do all public agencies, a mission to provide public benefit. Sometimes providing public benefit, may not be the most economic model. Take public transportation, if we ran buses on a private enterprise model; we would run a few high use commuter routes in the morning and evening; leaving many of the public without transportation at other times. As it stands now, most public bus systems run many routes which do not make money most of the and are subsidized by the high uses times/routes. Such is the nature of operating public facilities/amenities.

• At this time, I have not made up my mind as to whether to support or oppose the new hours of operation at MRNP. Maybe you could answer the following questions to help myself and the public make an informed decision on this issue.

• My first question is specifically how will this two day road closure save MRNP money? Will no road plowing/maintenance be performed on the closed days? Will additional time and or resources be needed to open the road on the day after the two day closure? How will this impact road opening times on Thursdays?

• What other cost reduction measures has the Park taken, besides reducing road access, in this current budget cycle.

• If Tuesday and Wednesday are the lowest visited days, why is the Park continuing to offer other Ranger services and programs at Longmire; as detailed in the press release concerning the two day road closure? Why not essentially close services, not the entire park though, and drastically reduce staff on those two days?

• It seems to me that road to Paradise is plowed to a far higher standard than any other high elevation road in Washington, why is this? Traveling to Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie, or Crystal; one can easily expect to encounter snow or ice covered road surface, yet the Paradise road is closed for hours while crews clean it to bare surface? Why does the road to Paradise need to be kept closed until sometimes 11AM so that the road can be plowed and groomed to bare asphalt?

• I can understand that due to occasional heavy snowfall, the road will open late or not at all. However from personal experience, and I know many others as well, who hesitate to visit Paradise due to the unpredictable road opening times. After getting up at 0’ dark-thirty and being on the road for several hours, who wants to just to sit at the gate for who knows how long? Will the two day closure save enough money to allow crews to open the at a fairly consistent time (baring exceptional weather/snow/etc…) in the future?

• I can understand the decision to close the Carbon River road. However it seems to me that MRNP is slowly closing and restricting access. Sunrise road could be kept open far later in the year than it is now, and opened far earlier, in many years. The Westside Road for example. Mowich Road has remained closed in July when there were two small snow patches on the entire road. Rangers stationed in the backcountry of Crystal Mountain at the Park boundary, what’s the agenda there? Further access restrictions? If Tuesday and Wednesday are the least visited days now, what will the least visited days be on the other five days? If it quacks it’s a duck. Is this the first salvo in going to say, two day access? What assurances can you give us that the road will remain accessible for the remaining five days; regardless of visits or use?

• Paradise is a very unique area, there are not many alternatives that provide a similar experience, except for Mt. Baker area, which for many is too far for a day trip. If the winter weather here was stellar every day of the week, one could visit Paradise any day. However as we all know, Washington mountain weather is a bit different every day. Sometimes a Tuesday or Wednesday may be the only days where conditions, both weather and avalanche conditions, are conducive to visiting or commencing a summit attempt from Paradise. Also, there are some folks who’s only day off are Tuesday s or Wednesdays. I would urge the Park to consider these factors in restricting road access; although unfortunately I think that decision has been made. The public input session here, while appreciated, is a little late in the game. Why did the Park not take public input on this before making the decision?

when most recreational users are at work.

Work? What's that? I'm sure most people could get off a few hours early to go to the meeting. Use personal time or something.

Bird Dog, don't forget to ask him if his career advancement, or pay,  is in any way connected to the number of days per week that the Park remains open.


eta:  Happy 1000th birthday Charlie Hagedorn (aka trumpetsailor)!