OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A huge snowfall last week at Hurricane Ridge delayed downhill skiing this weekend, but organizers plan to make up for it this week with additional days of rope tow operation.
The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area, which opened on Dec. 19, was closed Saturday while it was dug out and packed after the Ridge received some 4 feet of snow last week for a total of some 6 ½ feet of early season snow.
he rope tows are expected to be open today and Monday — as well as Wednesday through next Sunday, Jan. 3.
Members of the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club, which manages the area, changed their plans and added the days in light of the optimum snow conditions.
They will add more if sufficient operators are found.
Russ Morrison, past president of the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club, said he hasn’t seen such an early volume of snow since December 1998.
“It’s been wild,” he said.
As of 9 a.m. Saturday, Olympic National Park reported the Ridge had 79 inches of snow.
The rope tow lift equipment was buried in snow and had to be dug out and the area prepared for a safe ski environment, Morrison said.
Ski area crews worked Saturday to prepare the area. It was not certain if the terrain park and snow tubing area would be ready today because of the huge volume of snow, Morrison said.
Operators are needed for the ski lifts and other work. No experience is necessary. Anyone wanting to work at the ski area should visit the club’s website, www.hurricaneridge.com, for more information on ski area jobs.
The Poma lift is being considered for opening at a later date after snow conditions are checked and lift maintenance is complete.
The National Weather Service forecast is for an additional inch of snow adding to the snowpack on Hurricane Ridge today into Monday.
Ridge Road
Hurricane Ridge Road, a 17-mile drive south of Port Angeles to the Ridge, was expected to open for visitors at 9 a.m. Saturday after a Christmas Day closure and will be open through Jan. 4, weather permitting, according to the Olympic National Park information hotline.
However, road opening is dependent on park crews’ ability to clear the road and parking lot, and access may be limited when the parking lot is full.
For road conditions and closures, call the road condition hotline at 360-565-3131 or check the park’s Twitter account at www.twitter.com/HRWinterAccess.
The lodge is open when the road is. The visitor center, food service and equipement rentals were open on Saturday.
Guided snowshoe tours, cross-country skiing and other usual park activities are available.
Snowshoe walks
Ranger-guided snowshoe walks will be offered at 2 p.m. today and Monday and also will be available this coming Friday through Jan. 4.
Registration for the 90-minutes hikes is at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center information desk, beginning at 1:30 p.m. each day.
The cost is $7 for adults and $3 for youths ages 6 to 15, while children 5 and younger are admitted free.
Snowshoe walks are less than a half-mile on mostly level terrain, with frequent stops to enjoy the view and for the ranger to talk with the group.
Cross-country skiing
Opportunities for cross-country skiers and snowshoers range from open, level meadows near the visitor center to extreme terrain in the park’s wilderness backcountry.
Anyone skiing or snowshoeing beyond the immediate Hurricane Ridge area should sign in at the registration box in the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center and be prepared for steep terrain and the possibility of avalanches.
Information about ski and snowshoe routes and trails is available at park visitor centers, the Olympic National Park website at www.nps.gov/olym or the park’s visitor newspaper, the Olympic Bugler.
Overnight camping
Overnight wilderness camping is permitted in the Hurricane Ridge area with advance registration.
Winter camps must be at least one-half mile from the Hurricane Ridge parking area.
Overnight parking is not permitted at Hurricane Ridge; parking and shuttle options are explained at the time of registration.
More information is available by calling the Olympic National Park Visitor Center & Wilderness Information Center at 360-565-3100 or 360-565-3130.
Information about weather and avalanche risk is available from the Northwest Avalanche Center on the web at www.nwac.us or by calling 206-526-6677.
Snotel measurement
On Friday, the Snotel weather station at Waterhole, 4.6 miles southeast from Hurricane Ridge, measured 81 inches of snow late Friday — 158 percent of average for the date.
The snowfall was shy of the 97-inch record set for Dec. 2013, according to Snotel snowpack records.
Waterhole’s measurement is usually similar to that at Hurricane Ridge, Morrison said.
“The Ridge is more windswept so there is usually a little less there,” Morrison said.
Avalanche danger is expected to be moderate today, said Garth Ferber of the Northwest Avalanche Center, which tracks snow conditions.
Early birds who hit the backcountry slopes early Friday reported deep powder, Ferber said.
“If you’re going to the back country, do not go out alone. Always go with a partner and proper safety equipment; a shovel, probe and an avalanche beacon,” he said.
Park entry
All vehicles traveling to Hurricane Ridge must carry tire chains. Road conditions were reported as being icy on Saturday.
Entry to the park is $20 per vehicle for a seven-day pass. An annual pass is available for $40.
A lifetime senior pass is available for $10 for park users 62 and older, and an active-duty military member or dependent pass is available for free.
Shuttle to snow
For those who prefer to leave their cars at a lower elevation, All Points Charter & Tours provides a shuttle bus to Hurricane Ridge twice daily each day that the road to the Ridge is open.
The shuttle departs at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from The Landing mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave, and at 9:05 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. from the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St.
Return trips from the Ridge depart at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Shuttle rides are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 7 to 12, with children 6 and younger riding for free.
Olympic National Park individual entry is $7 per person 16 and older and is not included in the shuttle fee.
For reservations on Hurricane Ridge shuttle buses, phone 360-460-7131.
________
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
