A lack of snow has slowed the start of winter activities at Mount Rainier National Park.
“We usually have about 50 inches of snow on the ground at Paradise by Dec. 1,” ranger Julia Pinnix said in a park news release. As of Monday afternoon, there were just 15 inches of snow on the ground at Paradise.
That means park visitors wanting to go skiing, snowshoeing and sledding are going to have to wait, or head higher on the mountain.
The snowplay area at Paradise, for example, will not open until at least 5 feet of snow has accumulated to protect the plants beneath.
The park is planning to offer guided snowshoe walks beginning during the holiday break.
Park rangers will teach participants how to snowshoe and talk about how the plants and animals of Mount Rainier adapt to the heavy snowfall each year.
If there is not enough snow for snowshoeing, interpretive programs will still be offered at the scheduled times and dates.
During the Christmas-New Year’s break, the walks will be offered daily from Dec. 20 through Jan. 4. From Jan. 10 through March 29 the walks will be conducted on weekends and holidays.
The walks are offered at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors should sign up at the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise beginning one hour before the start time.
The walks cover approximately 1.5 miles and take up to 2 hours. Snowshoes are provided, or visitors may use their own. A donation of $1 per person is asked to help defray the cost of snowshoe maintenance.
Snowshoeing is a moderately strenuous activity, and participants must be at least 8 years old. Remember to wear sturdy boots and dress in layers.
Organized groups of 13 to 25 people may reserve a snowshoe walk in advance. Group snowshoe walks begin at 10:30 a.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 360-569-2211, ext. 3314.
Curriculum-based snowshoe education walks are available at no charge to school groups on weekdays through the park’s education program.
These programs are tailored to meet the teacher’s identified learning objectives. Contact Fawn Bauer at 360-569-6037 for more information or to schedule a field trip.
Because of the lack of snow at Paradise, park visitors are inadvertently trampling the vegetation around the new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center.
The plants were recently transplanted as part of the construction of the new visitor center.
“Thousands of dollars and many hours of volunteer efforts went into this effort,” said Roger J. Andrascik, chief of natural and cultural resources at the park.
Andrascik said park staff is trying to protect the plants by talking with visitors, putting up signs and using ropes to cordon off sensitive areas.
Jeffrey P. Mayor, The News Tribune
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.