Magic Man
04-21-2009, 12:42
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Rainier hikers shouldn't get to excited about warm weather (http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure/2009/04/21/rainier_hikers_shouldn_t_get_to_excited_)
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:33:11 am
Most of the trails at Mount Rainier National Park are still deep under snow, but park officials already have an idea of the damage.
Carl Fabiani, the park’s trail foreman, said “there is a little more trail damage than normal.” During a recent helicopter flight park officials found several washed out bridges around the park.
Fall flooding washed out a bridge in Stevens Canyon and another over Devil’s Dream Creek near Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground.
Compounding the damage is the fact the park is still trying to repair the damage from the epic 2006 flood.
[More:]
One of the biggest remaining projects from ’06 is the Carbon
River Road, which remains almost entirely washed out cutting off driving access to Ipsut Creek Campground. The road sustained more damage this fall.
A crew of 15 people is currently working to repair the trail that replaced the road.
The snow still needs to melt before repairs can begin on most of the other trails.
Usually the snow has melted on many lowland trails by now, but there is more snow than normal this year.
Fabiani says the trails remind him of last season when lingering snow meant a late start to hiking season.
He’s had to delay bringing on some seasonal workers just as he did last year.
There are currently 50 inches of snow at Longmire according the National Weather Service. The average April snow depth at Longmire is six inches according to Western Region Climate Center. The NWS predicts more snow this week.
Fabiani said the snow was so deep on the Trail of the Shadows – a short loop hike in Longmire – hikers on the trail were crossing the bridges above the level of the hand rails. Crews shoveled off the bridges last week.
Fabiani hopes the trails will start emerging from the snow in early May. Snow is typically gone in May at Longmire according to the WRCC. Crews still need to scout the trails for downed trees.
While it might seem like repairing Rainier’s trails over and over again, might get frustrating Fabiani doesn’t see it that way. He’s been the trail foreman for 40 years and still loves his job.
“I don’t get tired of it,” Fabiani said. “It’s a nice place to go to work.”
HIGHWAY UPDATE – Efforts to reopen Highway 410 on the east side of Mount Rainier started Monday, said Mike Westbay of the Washington Department of Transportation.
Westbay says the highway, which closes between Crystal Mountain Boulevard and Hells Crossing Campground at milepost 85 in the winter, should reopen shortly before Memorial Day.
Highway 123, also on the east side of Rainier, should also reopen before the May 23-25 holiday weekend, Westbay said.
However, Highway 123 could open sooner because it’s located at a lower elevation and typically has less snow to clear, Westbay said.
Rainier hikers shouldn't get to excited about warm weather (http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure/2009/04/21/rainier_hikers_shouldn_t_get_to_excited_)
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:33:11 am
Most of the trails at Mount Rainier National Park are still deep under snow, but park officials already have an idea of the damage.
Carl Fabiani, the park’s trail foreman, said “there is a little more trail damage than normal.” During a recent helicopter flight park officials found several washed out bridges around the park.
Fall flooding washed out a bridge in Stevens Canyon and another over Devil’s Dream Creek near Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground.
Compounding the damage is the fact the park is still trying to repair the damage from the epic 2006 flood.
[More:]
One of the biggest remaining projects from ’06 is the Carbon
River Road, which remains almost entirely washed out cutting off driving access to Ipsut Creek Campground. The road sustained more damage this fall.
A crew of 15 people is currently working to repair the trail that replaced the road.
The snow still needs to melt before repairs can begin on most of the other trails.
Usually the snow has melted on many lowland trails by now, but there is more snow than normal this year.
Fabiani says the trails remind him of last season when lingering snow meant a late start to hiking season.
He’s had to delay bringing on some seasonal workers just as he did last year.
There are currently 50 inches of snow at Longmire according the National Weather Service. The average April snow depth at Longmire is six inches according to Western Region Climate Center. The NWS predicts more snow this week.
Fabiani said the snow was so deep on the Trail of the Shadows – a short loop hike in Longmire – hikers on the trail were crossing the bridges above the level of the hand rails. Crews shoveled off the bridges last week.
Fabiani hopes the trails will start emerging from the snow in early May. Snow is typically gone in May at Longmire according to the WRCC. Crews still need to scout the trails for downed trees.
While it might seem like repairing Rainier’s trails over and over again, might get frustrating Fabiani doesn’t see it that way. He’s been the trail foreman for 40 years and still loves his job.
“I don’t get tired of it,” Fabiani said. “It’s a nice place to go to work.”
HIGHWAY UPDATE – Efforts to reopen Highway 410 on the east side of Mount Rainier started Monday, said Mike Westbay of the Washington Department of Transportation.
Westbay says the highway, which closes between Crystal Mountain Boulevard and Hells Crossing Campground at milepost 85 in the winter, should reopen shortly before Memorial Day.
Highway 123, also on the east side of Rainier, should also reopen before the May 23-25 holiday weekend, Westbay said.
However, Highway 123 could open sooner because it’s located at a lower elevation and typically has less snow to clear, Westbay said.