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10-05-2007, 08:30 AM
by JEFFREY P. MAYOR
The News Tribune
Published: October 5th, 2007 01:00 AM
The early snow blanketing the Cascade Range has slowed exterior work on the new visitor center at Paradise, but the project is nearly on schedule. Eight inches of snow greeted crews arriving in Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday. All week they have had to contend with rain, sleet, snow and winds.
Welders are using their torches to dry and heat the steel before they weld the metal framework. Carpenters have to contend with cold tools and wet materials.
“The consensus from the guys is it’s better to work in the snow than the rain,” said John Stolp, assistant superintendent for John Korsmo Construction Inc. “Tuesday was just unrelenting rain and it was about 30 degrees.”
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/10/05/01/475-NWS1005_RAINIER_P1.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
photo by DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE Snowfall was an unwelcome early October guest Thursday for workers building the new visitor center at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park.
The center is part of a $39 million joint project that will conclude with the opening of the 20,000-square-foot visitor center next fall and a major renovation of the Paradise Inn, expected to open next May.
The priority at the center is to complete the roof, so interior work can proceed during the winter. Crews still need to finish the joists and then put down a layer of plywood. On top of that will go a tar paper-like material to protect against water and ice.
“We’re confident we’ll have the roof on and dry by the end of October,” Stolp said.
“Once we get the exterior envelope buttoned up, they’ll be working in there all winter,” said park superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/10/05/01/643-NWS1005_RAINIER_P4.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
photo by DEAN J. KOEPFLER THE NEWS TRIBUNEIronworkers at the visitor center use torches
Across the parking lot, work on the inn is faring better, though the early snow means a delay in finishing the exterior painting. Crews also have begun boarding up the windows to protect them from the 40 to 50 feet of snow that falls during a typical winter at Paradise.
The effort now turns to rebuilding the interior, which was gutted to allow crews to spend the summer shoring up the foundation, rebuilding the stone fireplaces and protecting the historic inn from earthquakes.
“Right now we’re putting tiles in, doors, the kitchen will go back together, the reception desk, the log stairs,” said Bob Enemark, the assistant superintendent on the inn job site. “It depends on where you stand in the building, but overall the consensus is we beat the snow, so we’re on time,”
Twenty to 25 workers will spend the winter getting the inn ready to reopen after a two-year closure.
Like most massive projects, there have been setbacks. Manufacturing of some of the steel was delayed by design changes. Flooding last November kept crews off the site for 20 days.
Despite the setbacks, Uberuaga said most of the lost time has been made up. The remainder will be before the start of next year’s summer construction season.
“I go up there at least once a week,” he said. “I’m happy with where we are at. We have a good team working on this.”
In the meantime, workers at the visitor center are donning chains on their boots to keep from slipping. They use umbrellas to shield their torches from the rain and the snow. They also shovel plenty of snow so they can maneuver their lift trucks around the site.
“Last week we were getting snow flurries,” Stolp said. “Monday we had a couple of inches of slush. Yesterday was the first day we had any accumulation. I had two guys throw in the towel yesterday. Some people just can’t deal with it.
“The snow does impact us, but it is something we just deal with. We just have to make sure we batten down the hatches before the snow really comes.”
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/10/05/01/19-NWS1005_RAINIER_P3.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
photo by DEAN J. KOEPFLER,THE NEWS TRIBUNE.Thursday’s wet slippery snow forced workers at the new visitor center at Paradise to use shoe chains for traction and welders to work under oversized umbrellas.
Snow play areas at Paradise will be open this winter, but the question is much how much parking space will be available.
Mount Rainier National Park officials are working with contractors busy on Paradise Inn and the new visitor center to determine how much space will be available to the public. But parking could be reduced by as much as two-thirds, which could create problems on busy winter weekends.
Park staff members are reviewing options, including looking at how far people could walk to reach the play area, parking at places such as Longmire, or temporarily closing the road when spaces are full.
“There are just limits. Some of it is a safety concern. They need a place to put their heavy equipment. They’re bringing in materials and they need a safe place to put it,” said park spokeswoman Alison Bullock.
This will be the first time visitors will be allowed at Paradise since construction began. The park was closed all of last winter as the park recovered from the fall flooding.
Although there were 8 inches of snow at Paradise on Thursday morning, park officials have time before making a final decision.
They generally don’t open the play area until 5 feet of snow is on the ground, to protect vegetation in the area.
“Our priority is to have snow play and let people continue that tradition. We’re just figuring out how are we going to coordinate access, parking, snow removal and safety,” Bullock said.
source: http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/171916.html
The News Tribune
Published: October 5th, 2007 01:00 AM
The early snow blanketing the Cascade Range has slowed exterior work on the new visitor center at Paradise, but the project is nearly on schedule. Eight inches of snow greeted crews arriving in Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday. All week they have had to contend with rain, sleet, snow and winds.
Welders are using their torches to dry and heat the steel before they weld the metal framework. Carpenters have to contend with cold tools and wet materials.
“The consensus from the guys is it’s better to work in the snow than the rain,” said John Stolp, assistant superintendent for John Korsmo Construction Inc. “Tuesday was just unrelenting rain and it was about 30 degrees.”
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/10/05/01/475-NWS1005_RAINIER_P1.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
photo by DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE Snowfall was an unwelcome early October guest Thursday for workers building the new visitor center at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park.
The center is part of a $39 million joint project that will conclude with the opening of the 20,000-square-foot visitor center next fall and a major renovation of the Paradise Inn, expected to open next May.
The priority at the center is to complete the roof, so interior work can proceed during the winter. Crews still need to finish the joists and then put down a layer of plywood. On top of that will go a tar paper-like material to protect against water and ice.
“We’re confident we’ll have the roof on and dry by the end of October,” Stolp said.
“Once we get the exterior envelope buttoned up, they’ll be working in there all winter,” said park superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/10/05/01/643-NWS1005_RAINIER_P4.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
photo by DEAN J. KOEPFLER THE NEWS TRIBUNEIronworkers at the visitor center use torches
Across the parking lot, work on the inn is faring better, though the early snow means a delay in finishing the exterior painting. Crews also have begun boarding up the windows to protect them from the 40 to 50 feet of snow that falls during a typical winter at Paradise.
The effort now turns to rebuilding the interior, which was gutted to allow crews to spend the summer shoring up the foundation, rebuilding the stone fireplaces and protecting the historic inn from earthquakes.
“Right now we’re putting tiles in, doors, the kitchen will go back together, the reception desk, the log stairs,” said Bob Enemark, the assistant superintendent on the inn job site. “It depends on where you stand in the building, but overall the consensus is we beat the snow, so we’re on time,”
Twenty to 25 workers will spend the winter getting the inn ready to reopen after a two-year closure.
Like most massive projects, there have been setbacks. Manufacturing of some of the steel was delayed by design changes. Flooding last November kept crews off the site for 20 days.
Despite the setbacks, Uberuaga said most of the lost time has been made up. The remainder will be before the start of next year’s summer construction season.
“I go up there at least once a week,” he said. “I’m happy with where we are at. We have a good team working on this.”
In the meantime, workers at the visitor center are donning chains on their boots to keep from slipping. They use umbrellas to shield their torches from the rain and the snow. They also shovel plenty of snow so they can maneuver their lift trucks around the site.
“Last week we were getting snow flurries,” Stolp said. “Monday we had a couple of inches of slush. Yesterday was the first day we had any accumulation. I had two guys throw in the towel yesterday. Some people just can’t deal with it.
“The snow does impact us, but it is something we just deal with. We just have to make sure we batten down the hatches before the snow really comes.”
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2007/10/05/01/19-NWS1005_RAINIER_P3.standalone.prod_affiliate.5.jpg
photo by DEAN J. KOEPFLER,THE NEWS TRIBUNE.Thursday’s wet slippery snow forced workers at the new visitor center at Paradise to use shoe chains for traction and welders to work under oversized umbrellas.
Snow play areas at Paradise will be open this winter, but the question is much how much parking space will be available.
Mount Rainier National Park officials are working with contractors busy on Paradise Inn and the new visitor center to determine how much space will be available to the public. But parking could be reduced by as much as two-thirds, which could create problems on busy winter weekends.
Park staff members are reviewing options, including looking at how far people could walk to reach the play area, parking at places such as Longmire, or temporarily closing the road when spaces are full.
“There are just limits. Some of it is a safety concern. They need a place to put their heavy equipment. They’re bringing in materials and they need a safe place to put it,” said park spokeswoman Alison Bullock.
This will be the first time visitors will be allowed at Paradise since construction began. The park was closed all of last winter as the park recovered from the fall flooding.
Although there were 8 inches of snow at Paradise on Thursday morning, park officials have time before making a final decision.
They generally don’t open the play area until 5 feet of snow is on the ground, to protect vegetation in the area.
“Our priority is to have snow play and let people continue that tradition. We’re just figuring out how are we going to coordinate access, parking, snow removal and safety,” Bullock said.
source: http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/171916.html