OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing officially begin Saturday at Hurricane Ridge — if nature cooperates.
Olympic National Park’s guided snowshoe walks begin and the Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area is scheduled to open as long as the weather allows the road to be opened, according to park officials.
Opening weekend at the park will include two rope tows, but the Poma lift and snow tubing area remain closed, ski area managers announced this week.
The Poma lift needs 5 to 8 feet of snow for operations, and the tubing area needs to be groomed before it can be used, said John Fox, mountain manager for the ski area.
As of Monday evening — the most recent day park employees measured snow at Hurricane Ridge — there were 48 inches of snow at the snow stake, according to the park.
Additional snow fell through the week but has not been measured. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a forecast that included about 2 inches of additional snow possible at Hurricane Ridge by Saturday morning.
“Anything is great. We’re open before Christmas, and hopefully it will be a good sign and we will have a great year,” Fox said.
Fox said the early season snowpack could be thin in places and there could be some rocks showing through the snow, but he noted that such rocks should not be a problem on the two small hills that will be open.
This is among the earliest openings for the ski area in recent memory, despite its imperfections.
However, any opening is better than last year, Fox said.
“Last year, we did not open for a single day,” Fox said.
The winter of 2014-15 had the smallest snowpack on record, with a height of only 22 inches in January, whereas the annual average is 88 inches.
Ski lessons will begin Dec. 26. For lesson registration and prices, lift ticket prices and season lift ticket purchases, go to www.hurricaneridge.com.
The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area opened in 1958, replacing a defunct ski area at Deer Park, which operated from 1936 through 1957.
It is one of only two ski areas remaining of 58 that historically operated inside the boundaries of U.S. national parks.
The other remaining national park ski area is Badger Pass in Yosemite National Park.
Ranger-guided snowshoe walks begin this weekend and continue through the end of March.
Walks begin at 2 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
Registration for the hike begins at 1:30 p.m. at the information desk.
The cost is $7 for adults, $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 and last about 90 minutes, said Barb Maynes, spokeswoman for the park.
“There are frequent stops to look at things and for the ranger to talk with the group,” she said.
Animal tracks are often seen in the snow, including snowshoe hare, bird and weasel tracks, she said.
Maynes said snowshoe walks allow people to experience walking close to or among the treetops of the subalpine firs and mountain hemlocks and to see the effect wind has on how the snow drifts and deposits.
The visitor center includes a snack shop, gift shop and rental shop, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The former ski lodge has public restrooms and is heated.
All vehicles traveling to Hurricane Ridge must carry chains.
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.
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.
A shuttle runs to Hurricane Ridge twice daily on days when the road 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. at 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.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
