Mark your calendar for these fee-free days in 2011:

• January 15-17
  (Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday weekend)
• April 16-24
  (National Park Week)
• June 21
  (First day of summer)
• September 24
  (Public Lands Day)
• November 11-13
  (Veterans Day weekend)

Making the fun even more affordable, many national park concessioners are joining the National Park Service in welcoming visitors with their ownspecial offers.

Here’s a tip – many of your 394 national parks NEVER charge an entrance fee. So start Planning Your Visit!

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

From the National Park Website

Sunrise Lodge, Snack Bar and Gift Shop are scheduled to open July 2.

The Sunrise Visitor Center will remain closed for the season for interior
rehabilitation and installation of new exhibits. Visitor information and
book sales will be located in the Sunrise Ranger Station and Lodge for this
season.

Sunrise, at an elevation of 6,400 feet, is the highest point in the park that
can be reached by road. With approximately six feet of snow still on the ground,
hiking trails in the Sunrise area remain snow covered.

White River Campground also will open to camping at noon Friday.

The Mowich Lake Road is tentatively scheduled to open July 2. Visitors can
expect to find 4 to 5 feet of snow at the parking lot.

Most trails in the park are snow covered. For detailed information on
trail conditions, check the Mount Rainier web page and click on Quicklinks/ Hiking and Climbing/Current Trail and Backcountry
Conditions – or stop at a park visitor center.

and dining in the park.

Pre-recorded park information is available by calling 360-569-2211 and
choosing the menu of interest.

Read more: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/street/2010/06/23/sunrise-road-at-rainier-opens-friday/#ixzz0rilcW1Me

Due to heavy snow accumulation on the roadway, DOT crews temporarily closed Chinook Pass just after 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. Crews assessed the stability of the hillside on Sunday morning, and determined the avalanche risk is too great to allow traffic to safely cross Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass.

Since Friday, Chinook Pass has received more than three feet of snow. More snow is forecast.

The Highway 410 Chinook Pass closure points are at Morse Creek (five miles east of the summit) and at Crystal Mountain Boulevard (eight miles northwest of the summit). Access to the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort from Highway 410 remains open.

DOT and the Mount Rainier National Park staff agreed to close Highway 123 (Cayuse Pass) for the season. The highway is closed within Mount Rainier National Park from the 4,675-foot Cayuse Pass summit at the junction of Highways 410 and 123 to Steven Canyon Road. DOT closes each pass for the winter due to high avalanche risk and hazardous driving conditions.

What a great trip, be sure to stop by my Eyehike.com Gallery for all the photos!

And a review of the first week has been posted by my hiking buddy Switchback Steve here

Being a “Mount Rainier VIP” (did you realize that volunteers are labeled “VIPs” because they are “Volunteers In Parks?”) allowed me to recently take a private tour of the new Jackson Visitor Center and remodeled Paradise Inn.

Both are still under construction (which has consumed the Paradise upper lot for the last 2 summers) but thankfully, that construction is drawing to a close this year. The Paradise Inn will re-open in May and the new Jackson Visitor Center is scheduled to re-open this October.

Exploring the bowels of a major construction site was a fascinating and educational experience. The first notable surprise was how many people were actually involved in the project, and the variety of different tasks they were all doing.

Project safety manager Derek Burr (my tour guide) says there are about 30-40 people working on the visitor center site on any given day. The various specialists include (but are not limited to!):

• Heavy equipment operators
• Carpenters
• Pipe fitters
• Sprinkler pipe fitters
• Plumbers
• Electricians
• Sheet rock workers
• Earth workers
• HVAC technicians
• Iron workers
• Sheet metal workers

Another interesting fact about the visitor center construction site is that it features a “Dance Floor.” Not your Saturday Night Fever variety, but a giant platform — nicknamed the Dance Floor — that is suspended 24 feet in the air. Above that false floor is another 24 more feet of scaffolding that enables workers access to the fifty-foot high pitched ceilings.

Burr notes that working on the high ceiling was one of the most challenging elements of the project. The Dance Floor was created because they couldn’t fit a “lift” inside the doorway of the building.

Another cool feature of this project — designed to address the weather challenges of Paradise — is a scaffolding that extends beyond the roof-line by 10 feet. “That way that people can work on the outside of the building from the inside, without being killed by snow falling off the roof,” says Burr.

There are even more people working at the Paradise Inn– 40-50, says Burr. The goal is to rehabilitate the 86-year old building so that it retains its rustic feel but can better withstand the ravages of time and weather.

To make the building stronger while keeping the historic atmosphere, many of the original beams, planks, and logs in the walls and floors were taken out, reinforced with concrete and steel, and then put back. The Inn has seen a lot of wear and tear over the years. Earthquakes and large snow-loads have made the floor uneven, pushed on the walls and created gaps and even some trenches throughout the structure.

One such trench in the corner of the dining room was so big that Burr wondered if “they were gonna dig up some skeletons?” Seriously though, an NPS archaeologist did examine the area and thankfully, no skeletons were found (Remember… Redrum…).

One big challenge for this type of construction project is to keep employees working at Paradise. “It’s not an easy job,” says Burr. To those of us who visit Paradise for those gorgeous views and hikes, it might be hard to imagine what could be so difficult about working there. (It beats a cubicle, doesn’t it?) But the commute is quite long and many of the workers reside in temporary housing. And then of course, there is always the threat of crashing your truck on a slick icy road that is threatened by avalanches, or the joy of digging it out of the snow daily.

Burr, however, has enjoyed the job and his surroundings. “Some people don’t even like to look at the view. But I take as many pictures as I can.” Photos by Burr, Agiewich and NPS.

re-printed from Mount Rainier Climbing

posted by Rebecca at Thursday, March 27, 2008

1792
British explorer Captain George Vancouver names the mountain Mount Rainier for his friend Rear Admiral Peter Rainier. (Rainier never visited his namesake peak.)

1833
Dr. William Tolmie, a Scottish physician at nearby Fort Nisqually, organizes an expedition to gather medicinal herbs. Guided by five Native Americans, he is probably the first white man to venture into what is now the park.

Late 1850s
James Longmire, an early Washington Territory settler who farms near Yelm Prairie, establishes the rough-hewn Packwood Trail. He guides many aspiring mountain climbers on this route from the Pacific Coast to Mount Rainier’s slopes.

1857
Army lieutenant August Valentine Kautz and his party travel for eight days to climb the summit. His Nisqually guide becomes snow-blind, his companions give up, and despite his perseverance, he is just 400 feet shy of the summit. However, he proves that Mount Rainier can be climbed.

1870
General Hazard Stevens and Philemon Van Trump make the first well-documented ascent of Mount Rainier. For more information on that intrepid group, click here.

1883
At age 63, James Longmire climbs to the summit with Philemon Van Trump and George Bayley. On the trip, Longmire’s horse wanders from camp to a mineral spring on Mount Rainier’s south side. When Longmire discovers his horse, he decides then and there to return to the idyllic spot. In 1884, he and his wife build Mineral Springs Resort, Mount Rainier’s first hotel.

1890
Fay Fuller, a schoolteacher from a small town near Olympia, becomes the first woman to climb the mountain. As visitation rises, a campaign is led to protect Mount Rainier by establishing it as a national park.

1899
Led by local communities and supported by scientific and conservation organizations, including the National Geographic Society, the campaign triumphs. President McKinley establishes Mount Rainier as the the nation’s fifth national park.

1911
President William H. Taft travels to Paradise in the first automobile to reach the area. (The auto has to be towed by horses the last several miles.)

1916
A trail system encircling the mountain, known today as the Wonderland Trail, is completed.

1929
“The Greathouse Accident” occurs when an entire six-person climbing party falls into a deep crevasse after sliding down Mount Rainier’s upper slopes. Ranger Charlie Browne leads efforts to save the injured climbers and recovers the bodies of a guide and client. He is awarded the first citation for heroism ever given by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

1930s
The Civilian Conservation Corps builds and repairs many park buildings, trails, and bridges, which are still used today.

1940s
The U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Ski Division trains on Mount Rainier during World War II.

1962
Mount Rainier is the training ground for the successful American expedition to Mount Everest.

1981
Project Pelion, a large group of climbers with disabilities, sets out to climb to the summit. It includes 7 visually impaired members, 2 hearing-impaired members, a one-legged Vietnam War veteran, and an epileptic member. Of the 11 members of the group, 9 reach the summit. The highest death toll in U.S. climbing history occurs when an ice avalanche on Ingraham Glacier kills 11 members of a 29-member climbing party.

1990
8,335 climbers attempt to reach the summit of Mount Rainier, and 4,534 are successful. “The Mountain” continues to be a mecca for climbers and sightseers from around the world.

2006

The Great Flood — A deluge dumps 36 inches of rain on the park, causing almost $40 million in damage.

2007

Mount Rainier National Park celebrates its 108th Anniversary.

Summary:
Siouxon Creek is well known in the area for having easy access, miles of nice trails, good camping spots scattered along the trail, and many options to make side trips. There are many spots to sit and reflect on the beauty around you as you are swayed by the music of the river. Be careful on the upper end of the trail as steep switchbacks make it a little risky for children. Bugs can be a problem in the summer. Make an overnight adventure for you and your friends, and explore the many side trails. Hikers be aware the many mountain bikes use the trail as well, so be advised. I like the early springtime the best as there are no bugs, and no people.

Trailhead:
Drive either north or south along Hwy 503 to the small town of Chelatchie, and turn East onto NE Healy road. Follow this route for 9.2 miles, and turn left on Rd. 57 After another mile or so, turn left again onto Rd. 5701, still following only the paved road to the trailhead in a little more than 4 miles. (Lat:45.94618 Lon:-122.17826) Some Reviews of his hike
Reviewed by Pat on 9/27/2007
Took my wife a ways up the trail. No other hikers today. Had a good time and she wants to go back.
Reviewed by Anna37 on 7/26/2007
This is a 1.5 hour drive from Portland, and can be hard to find. Once you pass Calamity Peak, it’s still a good half hour drive down 57 to the trailhead. Seems desolate at first, but we passed several couples and mtn bikers during the course of about five hours. It’s just beautiful here. The river runs all along the first few miles, with gorgeous waterfalls and swimming holes to cool off in. The trail is good for running and hiking, and is by far one of the better mountain biking trails on the area. I didn’t do this whole trail, but am excited to return and get farther out to the views of Mount St Helens. With so many options, it’s a bit like spending the day at an outdoors-themed fun park. Amazing experience.

Reviewed by Kristen on 6/25/2007
For horse users, stay at the first parking area! The second one is too narrow and almost impossible to get turned around (especially if cars are there). Also, first parking lot will only fit 3-4 rigs. Trails were okay, some creek crossings, some steep slopes on one side of the trail dropping off to the creek. Trail guide describes bridge but its for foot traffic only (not horses) and you come to it right away. Trail was a little narrow in a few spots (for horses) but in most places okay. Trails were cleared of logs and such. Lots of pretty waterfalls. Water was crystal clear. Lots of hikers on the trail. Trails were fairly well marked. Quite a bit of tree cover.

Reviewed by RT on 10/2/2006
Forest service road was being paved today (Oct 2nd). Took an hour before I could get through. Also, made it to a waterfall lookout and had something growl at me…Couldn’t see what it was, possibly a coyote??? Other than that, a peaceful hike. Tried to get up Horseshoe Ridge but it was too strenuous for me…Nothing gradual about that trail! Maybe next year!

Reviewed by tz on 8/18/2006
Great for camping with kids. It is a short hike in (about a 1/2 mile) to a place to pitch a tent. Then you can hike, swim and explore with the kidlings. This was the first backpacking trip we took our baby (6 months) on, and is a good trip for first time packers–short but big trees, a creek, waterfalls, and a sweet bridge to jump off of into icy water.

Reviewed by Zack on 5/17/2006
Me and my friends first came here on a day hike, and we’ve gone back since to camp, and just recently (5/15/2006) to do some mountain biking. Beautiful surroundings and views of Siouxon Creek as the trail snakes along the water’s path. There are several great spots to take an icey dip to cool off and eat a little snack as well!

Reviewed by Rema on 4/3/2006
What a great hike! I think my dog loved it as much as I did. Not crowded at all, only saw 4 other people. I have no complaints! Directions were good, trail was nice and all one could hear was the sound of flowing water. I will definitely return and try going further, or attempt Horseshoe Ridge. Waterfalls were very pretty!

Reviewed by Jim on 1/16/2006
Nice teaser! Limited on time, we went only two miles in from the TH to the second bridge. The hike took a mix of experienced and novice hikers less that 90 minutes roundtrip. Winter allowed us to have the extremely accessible trail virtually to ourselves. This also provided us a short, picturesque drive to and from the TH. My sister lives in Amboy so we will be back.

The Trail Crew clearing a large tree from the Wonderland Trail

NEWS: August 3, 2007 – The park is now accepting Wonderland Trail reservations.

The park experienced severe flooding in November 2006. Travel here for more information.

Mount Rainier can receive 700 or more inches of snow each winter. When spring comes to the mountains it is a very busy time for Park Rangers. The previous fall usually brings the rainy season which causes damage to trails and camps by raging waters, high winds and falling trees. All this damage gets covered by 10-20 feet of snow, and there it sits until melt-out which often does not occur in earnest until late June or early July. The snow usually starts melting in high volumes, causing more damage to trails and camps. The Trail Crew may have to clear hundreds of trees from the trails each year. Replacing footlogs and bridges is also a major project. Footlogs are also prone to being washed out anytime there is a prolonged period of rain regardless of the season.

Wilderness Rangers and Trail Crew members are out and about early in the season trying to assess the damage. Given the vastness of the trail system and the volumes of snow, this is a large task. As we get reliable information on the status of a trail, a section of trail or a backcountry camp, that information will be posted here on the website.

trail signs

Trail signs like these will be a common sight around the park this summer (2007) because of flood damage.

TRAVEL HERE FOR A MAP OF KNOWN TRAIL DAMAGE (Large PDF, 1600 KB)

TRAIL ADVISORY:Throughout the summer, park trail crews will be working to repair and rebuild sections of trail that were damaged by the November floods. This effort may take several years. Rangers have established temporary reroutes around damaged trail sections until the trail has been rebuilt or repaired to trail standards. The temporary reroutes are identified by following Yellow, 3 inch wide “Caution Caution” flagging. Reroutes identified are generally the easiest and shortest path around existing trail obstructions. However, these reroutes are often very rough, involve steep side hills, and may require extensive climbing over logs and river banks. Travel on reroutes is not trail hiking and is identical to crosscountry travel. These temporary routes are not for everyone. Please visit a Wilderness Information Center for specific trail information or assistance with planning your hike.

When hiking, be especially careful at river crossings. Many bridges are damaged or missing. Until all bridges can be repaired, hikers will face the additional challenge of unassisted river crossings. Some temporary reroutes will lead hikers to existing downed logs across rivers. These log crossings which are often used in crosscountry travel may be hazardous and are not to be confused with footlog trail bridges with a flattened tread and handrails. If no log or bridge crossing exists, hikers must decide for themselves if they are able to ford the river. Many people have underestimated the power of moving water. If you must make a crossing, go in the early morning when river levels are generally at their lowest. Look for a straight wide area with slow moving water below knee height and a smooth bottom. Scout downstream for strainer or waterfall hazards and potential exit points. Wear good foot-ware, expect slippery rocks, utilize a stout stick to maintain two points of contact at all times, and unbuckle your backpack waistbelt in order to quickly shed your pack should you fall in. Most importantly visit a Wilderness Information Center or park website for updated trail conditions so you know what to expect before you go hiking.

BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS AND CAMP REPORTS

A wilderness camping permit is required year around for camping or climbing in the park. Car camping does not require a wilderness permit.

GENERAL CONDITIONS UPDATE: August 26, 2007

Wildflowers are passed peak. Bugs are still biting.

By JEFFREY P. MAYOR

ASHFORD – A Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane thundered over Mount Rainier National Park, lifting more than 50,000 pounds of steel I-beam bridges to three backcountry locations.

The bridges, and the $104,000 bill for the Sikorsky, are part of the park’s $36 million effort to recover from flooding in November. The work is progressing faster than expected, said park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga.

“I’ve had only continuously good news on every project this summer,” he said.

The heavy-lifting ability was necessary to replace three bridges along the Wonderland Trail.

But the weather affected even that effort. While Tacoma basked under blue skies, the Siller Brothers Aviation crew of eight and 35 park employees had to wait for clouds over the park to clear.

The Sikorsky is part of a fleet of heavy-lift helicopters owned by the Yuba City, Calif., company. It was flown into Morton on Sunday and arrived at the park’s Kautz Creek helipad Monday morning.

As morning passed, pilot Vic Pendleton opted to nap on a picnic table while co-pilot Ken Fritz read a book and ate his lunch. Finally, shortly before noon, the go-ahead came.

With two 4,500-horsepower engines driving the six-blade rotor, the Sikorsky lifted off amid a cloud of dust driven by the 115 mph rotor wash.

Park employees on the ground attached the first bridge to the 200-foot cable hanging beneath the aircraft. With a surge of power, the 13,540-pound bridge was on its way to a spot over Stevens Creek in the park’s southeast corner.

Within 25 minutes, the chopper was back for the second load. This bridge, bound for the North Puyallup River crossing, weighed 17,000 pounds. The weight became an issue as Pendleton and Fritz flew toward the site. Unable to clear a high ridge, they had to return to the helipad so crews there could quickly disassemble the bridge.

The final two trips delivered the two sections of a 19,700-pound bridge at Martha Falls in Stevens Canyon.

All three bridges were hauled in by 4:30 p.m. That meant Pendleton and Fritz could head to their next job – hauling gear and materials to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

For park crews, the North Puyallup bridge is the priority. They were to put it back together and position it Tuesday. Installing the deck and other work should be done within a week, said Rich Lechleitner, who headed the helicopter operations for the park.

Once the bridge is ready, it will allow the park to reopen the west side of the Wonderland Trail.

Work to be done

But don’t make plans to circle the mountain along the 93-mile trail yet. The stretch of trail between the two bridges lifted into Stevens Canyon is still impassable.

Lechleitner said trail work has begun on that stretch, but there is no date for its completion.

While the crews were waiting for the weather to cooperate, Uberuaga was meeting with other park supervisors. They gather each Monday to update flood recovery efforts.

So far the news has mostly been good. Among the reports was the news that:

1 Work to repair large slides on Highway 123 on the east side is about three weeks ahead of schedule.

2 Repair of the road into the White River Campground is complete.

3 Crews have been repairing the Mount Freemont Lookout, which had its roof torn off by 121 mph winds in December.

Still, there are major issues to contend with.

The park must prepare an environmental assessment before determining how to fix the 1 1/2 miles of trail leading into Glacier Basin. A temporary route exists for climbers going through Camp Schurman, but park officials want a new trail that is out of the flood plain of the Inter Fork of the White River. It will take at least four months to complete that process.

Uberuaga is pleased with the park’s recovery after being closed 180 days by the flooding. Credit for the recovery goes to park employees, the hundreds of volunteers who have given their time, energy and sweat, and the money to make the repairs happen, he said.

“Having the money to do (the work) has been critical,” Uberuaga said. “If we didn’t have the money, we’d just be sitting here talking about it.

“Looking back over the last eight months, I didn’t think we would be where we are at right now.”

Marmots posing

Originally uploaded by hikingdrew
Taken on Rainier Aug 2003

These shots were taken along the Wonderland Trail in Moraine Park. These little guys were everywhere, and listening to them throw out alerts to the other creatures in the area was really cool. They have a distinctive call that sounds like a child whistling. With the amount of traffic along the trail, they are not very shy anymore, so shots like this are fairly easy to get.