MRNP: update on plow operators

I talked with Randy King, MRNP Supt. this afternoon.

Mt. Rainier NP has hired 2 new snowplow drivers; one is coming from Denali; but they won't be onboard, up, and running to change things this winter.

The Park remains concerned about the safety of people, especially inexperienced people in the backcountry. I suggested that the Park may want to supply visitors with a better, more user friendly, more informative map of the Paradise-Mazama-Ridge-Reflection Lakes area than the very poor one they hand out now. Randy wanted to know if I would work with park GIS and LEOs on such a map. I said I would.

Are there any graphic artists/graphic cartographers on TAY interested in volunteering their help on such a project?

The Park remains concerned about the safety of people, especially inexperienced people in the backcountry.

I'm not convinced that any amount of maps, rangers, wands, electronics, signage, discouragement, etc. will alter the decision-making of some folks. My fear is that this sort of carefully couched phraseology lays the groundwork for further restricting access. Afterall, the park would be a whole lot safer if it was closed except for August weekends. But not to the guide services, of course.

Sorry, color me in with your cynical crayon.

my crayon would be green colored.
get gator back!

A better Paradise winter handout map is a fine idea, but I'm puzzled by the Superintendent's suggestion to involve LEOs.  During my career, law enforcement rangers were about the least likely NPS employees to be found in the backcountry.  Most of them seldom 'ranged' out of sight of their patrol vehicles.  One was much more likely to see park office staff on a trail than LEOs.

Ron j has a quite elaborate Paradise topo ('The Holy Grail') with waypoints that might form a basis for both paper and digital versions of such a map.  A lot of visitors would probably pay a few bucks for such a level of detail.

I'd like to see a free oblique-view map for Paradise similar to those given out by downhill ski areas. It could even color-code the routes by difficulty: green, blue, black.  Maybe Dee Molenaar could be enlisted to draw it or enlarge a portion of his park map?  I'll try to check with his friends at Ashford Creek Pottery.

On the subject of improving Paradise winter safety, does anyone know how much a beacon park would cost?  It could be located at Barn Flat, where there is already power to the restrooms.  I'd bet enabling donations would pour in if it were dedicated to Margaret Anderson.

A better Paradise winter handout map is a fine idea, but I'm puzzled by the Superintendent's suggestion to involve LEOs.  During my career, law enforcement rangers were about the least likely NPS employees to be found in the backcountry.  Most of them seldom 'ranged' out of sight of their patrol vehicles.  One was much more likely to see park office staff on a trail than LEOs.

Ron j has a quite elaborate Paradise topo ('The Holy Grail') with waypoints that might form a basis for both paper and digital versions of such a map.  A lot of visitors would probably pay a few bucks for such a level of detail.

I'd like to see a free oblique-view map for Paradise similar to those given out by downhill ski areas. It could even color-code the routes by difficulty: green, blue, black.  Maybe Dee Molenaar could be enlisted to draw it or enlarge a portion of his park map?  I'll try to check with his friends at Ashford Creek Pottery.

On the subject of improving Paradise winter safety, does anyone know how much a beacon park would cost?  It could be located at Barn Flat, where there is already power to the restrooms.  I'd bet enabling donations would pour in if it were dedicated to Margaret Anderson.

Nice suggestions, Gary. The LEO in question is Dan C.; he's on some sort of safety committee; I've talked with him a lot, he likes bc skiing; he approached in the Paradise lot a couple of years ago and asked me for any suggestions I might have with regard to informing the general pubilc about safe travel in the bc. I brought up an improved map at that time. Also suggested marking a couple of snowshoe trail with wands or posts--he said they were reluctant to interfere with the bc experience with too much signage given it is a wilderness area.

I'm not convinced that any amount of maps, rangers, wands, electronics, signage, discouragement, etc. will alter the decision-making of some folks. My fear is that this sort of carefully couched phraseology lays the groundwork for further restricting access. ...

I brought up the topic with Randy K. I suggested the map because I have helped numerous folks in the bc (and rescued some) who were having a rough time interpreting the present handout map. Regine (my wife) brought up reinstalling the post at the crossing through the trees that helped people locate that crucial trail junction (in the summer, the Lakes trail with the Skyline trail) that once missed leads people astray. Randy was surprised that it was not there this winter.