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04-25-2007, 08:46 AM
A reawakening RainierBuffetted by winter storms, Mount Rainier National Park prepares to welcome crowds again after millions in repairs – with more still to be done.
by CRAIG HILL; The News Tribune
Published: April 21st, 2007 01:00
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/04/21/01/451-NWS0421_RAINIER_P1.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
PHOTOS BY LUI KIT WONG/THE NEWS TRIBUNE National Park Service maintenance worker.
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Just a few steps off Nisqually Road and into the woods near Kautz Creek, Mount Rainier National Park seems like anything but a national park.
The smell of diesel fuel overpowers the scent of trees. Two loud pumps fill large orange hoses winding through the trees with water redirected from what soon will be the creek’s new bed.
This work site, about four miles inside the park, is the last obstacle to getting the park reopened for the first time since flooding forced its closure Nov. 6. Officials plan to reopen the park May 5.
During the flooding, Kautz Creek jumped its bed about two miles above the road and started running through the woods. Instead of passing under the Kautz Creek Bridge, the river swept over the Nisqually Road about a quarter mile away.
Instead of redirecting the creek, park officials decided to install two 12-foot culverts under the road.
“This had less of an impact on the environment than redirecting the creek back under the bridge,” park spokesman Kevin Bacher said Friday. “We would have lost a lot of trees if we had to take all this heavy machinery two miles upstream.”
The flood did an estimated $36 million damage in the park. So far, crews have fixed a quarter-mile of Nisqually Road that washed away near Sunshine Point Campground and another section undercut about seven miles before Paradise.
Much work remains, including fixing an estimated $1.7 million in trail damage, some of which still is being discovered as the snow melts.
“We are still getting about three reports a week of new trails damage,” park trails foreman Carl Fabiani said.
Less than half a mile up the Kautz Creek Trail, the path ends with a 15-foot drop to the creek bed.
Park officials say visitors can expect many differences like that in the park once it opens.
A long section of Highway 123 and Stevens Canyon Road likely will be closed all summer, making it impossible to travel between Paradise and Sunrise visitor centers without leaving the park.
Other dramatic changes will be noticeable just a few minutes inside the Nisqually entrance. On the slope above the road, huge trees have been blown over. And less than a mile inside the park a once-shaded bend in the road now basks in sunlight.
“My jaw still drops whenever I come around that bend,” said park spokeswoman Lee Taylor, who led a tour for journalists Friday.
The flooded Nisqually River washed away 41/2 acres of Sunshine Point, including the trees and more than a third of the 18-site campground. The small campground will not reopen this year because the entry road washed away. The campground could be fixed next year, Taylor said.
The park closure is the longest since all national parks were closed during World War II, and park officials are eager to reopen. Crews even worked on Easter to stay on schedule.
Friday, crews at Kautz Creek were building forms to pour concrete to hold the two new culverts in place. Dozens of white, 1-ton sandbags lined the creek, temporarily redirecting it away from the work site.
Once the concrete sets, new road can be built over the culverts and the masses can return to the park just in time for its busiest season.
The park already has 3,000 volunteers to help with repairs. Most will be assigned to help fix trails. Park officials suggest visiting their Web site, www.nps.gov/mora, if you want to volunteer.
“We have had an immense number of offers to volunteer,” said Bacher, who is coordinating the volunteer effort. “There is a huge amount of work that needs to be done, so it’s good to have so many people who want to help.”
source: http://www.thenewstribune.com/154/story/44508.html
by CRAIG HILL; The News Tribune
Published: April 21st, 2007 01:00
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/04/21/01/451-NWS0421_RAINIER_P1.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
PHOTOS BY LUI KIT WONG/THE NEWS TRIBUNE National Park Service maintenance worker.
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/04/21/01/901-NWS0421_RAINIER_G.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
Just a few steps off Nisqually Road and into the woods near Kautz Creek, Mount Rainier National Park seems like anything but a national park.
The smell of diesel fuel overpowers the scent of trees. Two loud pumps fill large orange hoses winding through the trees with water redirected from what soon will be the creek’s new bed.
This work site, about four miles inside the park, is the last obstacle to getting the park reopened for the first time since flooding forced its closure Nov. 6. Officials plan to reopen the park May 5.
During the flooding, Kautz Creek jumped its bed about two miles above the road and started running through the woods. Instead of passing under the Kautz Creek Bridge, the river swept over the Nisqually Road about a quarter mile away.
Instead of redirecting the creek, park officials decided to install two 12-foot culverts under the road.
“This had less of an impact on the environment than redirecting the creek back under the bridge,” park spokesman Kevin Bacher said Friday. “We would have lost a lot of trees if we had to take all this heavy machinery two miles upstream.”
The flood did an estimated $36 million damage in the park. So far, crews have fixed a quarter-mile of Nisqually Road that washed away near Sunshine Point Campground and another section undercut about seven miles before Paradise.
Much work remains, including fixing an estimated $1.7 million in trail damage, some of which still is being discovered as the snow melts.
“We are still getting about three reports a week of new trails damage,” park trails foreman Carl Fabiani said.
Less than half a mile up the Kautz Creek Trail, the path ends with a 15-foot drop to the creek bed.
Park officials say visitors can expect many differences like that in the park once it opens.
A long section of Highway 123 and Stevens Canyon Road likely will be closed all summer, making it impossible to travel between Paradise and Sunrise visitor centers without leaving the park.
Other dramatic changes will be noticeable just a few minutes inside the Nisqually entrance. On the slope above the road, huge trees have been blown over. And less than a mile inside the park a once-shaded bend in the road now basks in sunlight.
“My jaw still drops whenever I come around that bend,” said park spokeswoman Lee Taylor, who led a tour for journalists Friday.
The flooded Nisqually River washed away 41/2 acres of Sunshine Point, including the trees and more than a third of the 18-site campground. The small campground will not reopen this year because the entry road washed away. The campground could be fixed next year, Taylor said.
The park closure is the longest since all national parks were closed during World War II, and park officials are eager to reopen. Crews even worked on Easter to stay on schedule.
Friday, crews at Kautz Creek were building forms to pour concrete to hold the two new culverts in place. Dozens of white, 1-ton sandbags lined the creek, temporarily redirecting it away from the work site.
Once the concrete sets, new road can be built over the culverts and the masses can return to the park just in time for its busiest season.
The park already has 3,000 volunteers to help with repairs. Most will be assigned to help fix trails. Park officials suggest visiting their Web site, www.nps.gov/mora, if you want to volunteer.
“We have had an immense number of offers to volunteer,” said Bacher, who is coordinating the volunteer effort. “There is a huge amount of work that needs to be done, so it’s good to have so many people who want to help.”
source: http://www.thenewstribune.com/154/story/44508.html