OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Hurricane Ridge Road has been closed north of Heart o’ the Hills entrance station, cutting off access to the campground nearby and the Hurricane Ridge ski and snowplay area about 12 miles farther south.
A 100-foot portion of road about five miles south of Port Angeles slipped out during a storm between Saturday and Monday.
Repairs could take from between one month to six weeks to complete, said Barb Maynes, Olympic National Park spokeswoman, in a statement.
The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard School is scheduled to begin classes on Jan. 30-31. Snowshoe outings — a popular activity at the mile-high snowplay area 17 miles south of Port Angeles — have been going on for several weekends, but the slipout has jeopardized those, possibly for the winter season.
Craig Hofer, manager of the Hurricane Ridge ski area, told the Peninsula Daily News that he believes it is too early to determine how a washout could affect the ski season.
“I think that they’ll be able to get something together a lot sooner than four to six weeks,” he said.
“Of course, fixing the road completely might not get done until the summer, but as far as it being passable, I think that there will be a bypass done possibly next week.
“It is way too early in the game to tell how it will affect the ski season.”
Engineers are expected to evaluate the washout on Wednesday, and staff will evaluate any possible fixes as quickly as possible, Maynes said.
“We will get information out as quickly as we get it in,” Maynes told the PDN.
“At this point it is all very preliminary.”
Park staff first saw signs of damage to the road late on Saturday afternoon, when members of the road crew noticed cracks and slight slumping in the road’s northbound lane just north of Heart o’ the Hills entrance station, said Barb Maynes, Olympic National Park spokeswoman, in a statement.
A safety inspection early Sunday confirmed the initial reports, and travel was reduced to one lane only, using the southbound lane of the road, as crews began repair work.
The location is just south of the intersection to homes around Lake Dawn, an enclave just outside the national park boundary. Access to Lake Dawn is unaffected.
Crew members cut and removed several small trees on the slope beneath the road on Monday, and had hoped to reopen one lane of the road later that day. However, the slope failed and slid downhill, taking most of the road bed with it.
The soils that make up the slope are saturated from recent heavy rains, Maynes said. It is just above the headwaters to Ennis Creek, which flows north to Port Angeles.
The road closure applies to all types of entry, including bicycle, foot, stock and vehicle, Maynes said.
The land is continuing to slide, undercutting what is left of the asphalt on the 100-foot portion of roadway, Maynes said.
The road, which extends from Race Street and Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge, was opened in 1958.
For information, visit www.nps.gov/olym or phone the park’s visitor center at 360-565-3130 or the recorded weather and road hot line at 360-565-3131.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
