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Park re-opening


Mike_Gauthier

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The telemetry is still down (needs consistent power and doesn't have it). But we are manually measuring the snow each day.

 

Yeah, I wondered if Rainier really had more snow back in 1999. There were numerous days when it snow so much, we weren't able to even get the weather. On a few ocassions, this went on for days... Which greatly reduces the snowfall measurement, as much of the fresh snow gets compacted, and in a few cases, it even rained. Oh well, it's still looks great up here regardless of the record...

 

BTW, records (any type) can be interesting, but as we know on cc.com, they can also lead to problems/disputes... Next thing you know, we'll have to have third party snow measurers... ;)

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not that it really matters, but what are the chances that park fees will increase. It seems reasonable.

Maybe they could take some of the million$$$ they're wasting bulldozing and rebuilding the perfectly good visitor's center and use THAT to fix the roads. Then they wouldn't have to raise the pass costs.

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not that it really matters, but what are the chances that park fees will increase. It seems reasonable.

Maybe they could take some of the million$$$ they're wasting bulldozing and rebuilding the perfectly good visitor's center and use THAT to fix the roads. Then they wouldn't have to raise the pass costs.

 

Damn Good Idea Tom! From time to time we actually speak the same language. :tup:

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not that it really matters, but what are the chances that park fees will increase. It seems reasonable.

Maybe they could take some of the million$$$ they're wasting bulldozing and rebuilding the perfectly good visitor's center and use THAT to fix the roads. Then they wouldn't have to raise the pass costs.

 

The visitor center sucked ass. It leaked, was a bitch to heat, and cost more to maintain for three years than to tear down in three months. The only reason it hasn't happened sooner is that the Park couldn't get the funds budgeted to replace it. Good riddance.

 

Hey Mike, are you guys back in Longmire yet? What happened with you permanent residents - are you back at home? Is there some sort of access from the back road? Is the bridge to the community center OK?

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That visitor center has been something of a maintenance issue for a number of years. The roof, as noted, isn't appropiate for the environment. And there is truth to the fact that the NPS needs to keep the snow off of it for threat of damage. But we don't manually shovel it, there is a complicated heated water system that does... But when the power is down, so is the system.

 

Seems that March is being thrown around as the date things may open to Paradise. I wonder how much the winter weather will monkey with that?

 

As for Longmire, the required occupants never moved out; we're living through the inconsistancy of power and sewer. There was an offer to move, but that seemed far more inconvenient than using a honey bucket. :) The generators still power the place, hopefully, the power will be connected over the next few weeks. Other than the maintenance employees and a few rangers, there are no NPS employees regularly working in Longmire.

 

As for a road, the back road was quickly fixed after the storm. It provides one lane access (via snow-covered dirt/4WD road). At it's current state, the road could not handle public usage (or continued usage by employees either).

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Since it's not on Mike's blog yet, I thought I'd post this crucial info here:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2003479825_webrainier15.html

 

That's right, just in time for Arc's epic outing, people are free to enter the park!

 

Hey Sky

 

Actually, I did hint at the opening to the Westside road on Dec 11th. ;) I just wasn't officially released yet. I also heard that they are allowing visitors to the National Park Inn in Longmire to be shuttled up over the holiday stretch. So if you've got a reservation for the hotel, you can get to Longmire. These days, however, I'm in VT. They's why my pipeline of Rainier info is limited. More on the park when I return.

 

Hope you folks are all well out there w/ all the wind storms. My thoughts are mostly w/ the 3 climbers on Hood, and Christine and Charlie.

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