March 27, 2003, Van Trump Park
3/27/03
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2551
1
Since Paradise had received only 6" new snow, Ed, Maxine and I arrived at Longmire at 10:00, only to find out that the road would not open until 12:00, "maybe not at all", although the road was bare and wet. Ed who is an "insider" stated that he thinks their new policy is never to open before 10:00; due to their shortage of rangers they can only carry one 8-hour shift. This needs to be verified with the superintendent.
So, we decided to head up the Rampart Ridge trail to the Mildred Point part of Van Trump. Carried skis for quite a while until we had enough snow to skin up the trail. There were several inches of new, heavy snow, it was warm and sunshine, and we got hit by numerous snow bombs falling off the trees. High up where the grade leveled out we lost the trail and kept going downhill through the trees for quite some time. Ed who is very good at route finding and had done this trip in winter several times, finally got us back on the trail. Traversed through steep, treed NW facing slopes which held great powder. Due to our detours we didn't get up into Van Trump Park, at 5,200 ft, until 3:00, and realized it was too late in the day to go all the way to Mildred Point. Skied down partway on the trail, then were able to do nice turns through the trees on the steep NW facing slope with our uphill switchbacks as way markers. Back on the highest point of Rampart Ridge the formerly heavy snow had cooled and dried out, good skiing, but tricky on the narrow trail. After a while we were back in areas of low snow coverage and carried our skis out the rest of the way. 7 hr round trip (due to route finding), about 3,000 el. gain if you count the detours we made. Great trip.
[Edit by Charles: I have copied below from another thread updates about the opening of the Longmire gate]
Skinut wrote on 4/1/03: "Contacted the ranger at Longmire to clarify their supposedly new policy re opening time of the road to Paradise. (see posting on Turns-All-Year dt 3-27 by Skinut). The ranger assured me that there has not been any new policy, they are still opening the road at 9:00 in winter, or as early as they have it cleared and safe, today, for instance, at 9:00. He stated that on 3/27 a large slide had come down on the road two miles up from Longmire, which took till 12:00 to clear. Later in the season, the road will again be open all night as in past years."
acarey wrote on 4/1/03: "Was open early this a.m. and early Sat a.m. abc"
So, we decided to head up the Rampart Ridge trail to the Mildred Point part of Van Trump. Carried skis for quite a while until we had enough snow to skin up the trail. There were several inches of new, heavy snow, it was warm and sunshine, and we got hit by numerous snow bombs falling off the trees. High up where the grade leveled out we lost the trail and kept going downhill through the trees for quite some time. Ed who is very good at route finding and had done this trip in winter several times, finally got us back on the trail. Traversed through steep, treed NW facing slopes which held great powder. Due to our detours we didn't get up into Van Trump Park, at 5,200 ft, until 3:00, and realized it was too late in the day to go all the way to Mildred Point. Skied down partway on the trail, then were able to do nice turns through the trees on the steep NW facing slope with our uphill switchbacks as way markers. Back on the highest point of Rampart Ridge the formerly heavy snow had cooled and dried out, good skiing, but tricky on the narrow trail. After a while we were back in areas of low snow coverage and carried our skis out the rest of the way. 7 hr round trip (due to route finding), about 3,000 el. gain if you count the detours we made. Great trip.
[Edit by Charles: I have copied below from another thread updates about the opening of the Longmire gate]
Skinut wrote on 4/1/03: "Contacted the ranger at Longmire to clarify their supposedly new policy re opening time of the road to Paradise. (see posting on Turns-All-Year dt 3-27 by Skinut). The ranger assured me that there has not been any new policy, they are still opening the road at 9:00 in winter, or as early as they have it cleared and safe, today, for instance, at 9:00. He stated that on 3/27 a large slide had come down on the road two miles up from Longmire, which took till 12:00 to clear. Later in the season, the road will again be open all night as in past years."
acarey wrote on 4/1/03: "Was open early this a.m. and early Sat a.m. abc"