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07-05-2008, 09:04 AM
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com
Published: July 3rd, 2008 01:00 AM | Updated: July 3rd, 2008 06:20 AM
The days of driving through the inland rain forest along the Carbon River Road are likely over. Preliminary alternatives developed by Mount Rainier National Park staff for dealing with the flood-damaged road call for its removal at some point.
Motor-vehicle access to the road in the northwest corner of the park stopped when the rain-swollen Carbon River jumped its banks and damaged two miles of road in five different sections during the historic flood of November 2006. Park management officials have been struggling over what to do with the road that washes out frequently and is costly to repair.
On Tuesday night, park staffers explained the three alternatives to about 25 people at a meeting at the Tacoma Mountaineers clubhouse. A similar meeting was held Monday in Enumclaw.
The meetings and the public comment period, which runs through July 31, are part of the process of writing an environmental assessment that will detail the park’s proposals including a preferred alternative.
“The conclusion is the upper section of the road has suffered a major washout, thus it triggers the General Management Plan,” said park superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
That plan, which took effect in 2002, calls for administrative facilities, a campground and a picnic area to be located in land the park is acquiring outside the existing boundary.
“Deciding it was a major washout and the gradual pullout of facilities is not an easy decision,” he told the audience. “Reopening the road in its entirety is not among the options we’re discussing tonight.”
Of the three preliminary alternatives, only one allows for the lower section of the road to be reopened, and just for the short-term.
The first two options call for creation of a hiking and biking trail along the existing road corridor to the Ipsut Creek Campground. The third option calls for reopening the road to the Chenuis Falls trailhead area, with a trail leading to the campground. (For more details see accompanying box.)
Paul Harrington of Enumclaw preferred the trail options, questioning the value of repairing a road that eventually will wash out again.
“It would be nice to have a corner of the park to have a wilderness experience. You’re not going to get that at Paradise or Sunrise,” Harrington said. “Someone walking in to Ipsut will have that feeling that ‘Wow, I’m out there.’ I don’t see it as losing something, but gaining a trail.”
But Karen Schick of Puyallup felt eliminating the road would take away one of the park’s unique hikes, to the foot of the Carbon Glacier. That hike went from about seven miles round trip to 16 miles with the closure of the road.
“Not even the Boy Scouts go up there any more because it’s such a long trek. I intend to hike when I’m older, but I don’t know if I could do that,” she said.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure To learn more
The plans will be posted at parkplanning.nps.gov/mora, then click on The Carbon River Road link.
To comment
Those wishing to comment should submit them:
In writing: Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave. E., Ashford, WA 98304-9751
E-mail: mora_superintendent@nps.gov
Online: parkplanning.nps.gov/mora Preliminary Carbon River Road alternatives
Alternative 1
• Create an informal, rough hike/bike trail along the existing road corridor.
• Parking would be at the park entrance.
• The patrol cabin at Ipsut Creek Campground would be moved to the entrance or elsewhere at Ipsut Creek.
• Picnicking would continue at Chenuis and Ipsut areas.
• As stated in the General Management Plan, a picnic area would be added at the entrance.
• Under the plan, eventually entrance facilities would be relocated to new park land being purchased outside the existing boundary.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would remain a hike/bike campground.
Alternative 2 – Short-term
• A formal hike/bike trail would be built in the road corridor and outside the nearby wilderness area.
• Parking would be at the entrance.
• The patrol cabin would be at Ipsut Creek.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would remain a hike/bike campground.
• Picnicking would continue at Chenuis and Ipsut areas.
• Over time the Ipsut Creek area would be decommissioned, with the removal of the bridge and vault toilets.
Long-term, would include these additional steps:
• More sections of the trail would link intact sections of the roadway.
• Following the plan, eventually remove the entrance station and maintenance facility, and relocate the bunkhouse, to create more parking.
• The intent is to maintain hiking and biking access to Ipsut Creek. But if future flood damage is too severe, the route would be moved into the wilderness area, precluding the use of bikes.
Alternative 3 – Short-term
• The road is reconstructed from the entrance to near the Chenuis Falls trailhead. It would be one-lane with turnouts.
• There would be parking at the entrance, Old Mine trailhead and Green Lake trailhead.
• There would be expanded parking and a turnaround near Chenuis.
• Hiking/biking would be allowed on the rebuilt road, and beyond on a new trail in the road corridor to the Ipsut Creek Campground.
• The patrol cabin would be moved to near the Green Lake trailhead.
• Picnic opportunities at Chenuis would likely decrease as parking is expanded.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would remain a hike/bike camp until the area was decommissioned.
Long-term, would include these additional steps:
• Parking would be at the entrance.
• Following the plan, eventually remove the entrance station and maintenance facility, and relocate the bunkhouse, to create more parking.
• Beginning near the Old Mine trailhead, construct a new hiking trail on higher ground in the wilderness area. It would access the Green Lake and Chenuis Falls trails.
• Bicycles would not be allowed on the new trail since it would be in wilderness area.
• New loop trails would link sections of the old roadway and the new trail.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would be shut down and replaced with a new backcountry campground at a new location in the area.
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/403919.html
Published: July 3rd, 2008 01:00 AM | Updated: July 3rd, 2008 06:20 AM
The days of driving through the inland rain forest along the Carbon River Road are likely over. Preliminary alternatives developed by Mount Rainier National Park staff for dealing with the flood-damaged road call for its removal at some point.
Motor-vehicle access to the road in the northwest corner of the park stopped when the rain-swollen Carbon River jumped its banks and damaged two miles of road in five different sections during the historic flood of November 2006. Park management officials have been struggling over what to do with the road that washes out frequently and is costly to repair.
On Tuesday night, park staffers explained the three alternatives to about 25 people at a meeting at the Tacoma Mountaineers clubhouse. A similar meeting was held Monday in Enumclaw.
The meetings and the public comment period, which runs through July 31, are part of the process of writing an environmental assessment that will detail the park’s proposals including a preferred alternative.
“The conclusion is the upper section of the road has suffered a major washout, thus it triggers the General Management Plan,” said park superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
That plan, which took effect in 2002, calls for administrative facilities, a campground and a picnic area to be located in land the park is acquiring outside the existing boundary.
“Deciding it was a major washout and the gradual pullout of facilities is not an easy decision,” he told the audience. “Reopening the road in its entirety is not among the options we’re discussing tonight.”
Of the three preliminary alternatives, only one allows for the lower section of the road to be reopened, and just for the short-term.
The first two options call for creation of a hiking and biking trail along the existing road corridor to the Ipsut Creek Campground. The third option calls for reopening the road to the Chenuis Falls trailhead area, with a trail leading to the campground. (For more details see accompanying box.)
Paul Harrington of Enumclaw preferred the trail options, questioning the value of repairing a road that eventually will wash out again.
“It would be nice to have a corner of the park to have a wilderness experience. You’re not going to get that at Paradise or Sunrise,” Harrington said. “Someone walking in to Ipsut will have that feeling that ‘Wow, I’m out there.’ I don’t see it as losing something, but gaining a trail.”
But Karen Schick of Puyallup felt eliminating the road would take away one of the park’s unique hikes, to the foot of the Carbon Glacier. That hike went from about seven miles round trip to 16 miles with the closure of the road.
“Not even the Boy Scouts go up there any more because it’s such a long trek. I intend to hike when I’m older, but I don’t know if I could do that,” she said.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure To learn more
The plans will be posted at parkplanning.nps.gov/mora, then click on The Carbon River Road link.
To comment
Those wishing to comment should submit them:
In writing: Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave. E., Ashford, WA 98304-9751
E-mail: mora_superintendent@nps.gov
Online: parkplanning.nps.gov/mora Preliminary Carbon River Road alternatives
Alternative 1
• Create an informal, rough hike/bike trail along the existing road corridor.
• Parking would be at the park entrance.
• The patrol cabin at Ipsut Creek Campground would be moved to the entrance or elsewhere at Ipsut Creek.
• Picnicking would continue at Chenuis and Ipsut areas.
• As stated in the General Management Plan, a picnic area would be added at the entrance.
• Under the plan, eventually entrance facilities would be relocated to new park land being purchased outside the existing boundary.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would remain a hike/bike campground.
Alternative 2 – Short-term
• A formal hike/bike trail would be built in the road corridor and outside the nearby wilderness area.
• Parking would be at the entrance.
• The patrol cabin would be at Ipsut Creek.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would remain a hike/bike campground.
• Picnicking would continue at Chenuis and Ipsut areas.
• Over time the Ipsut Creek area would be decommissioned, with the removal of the bridge and vault toilets.
Long-term, would include these additional steps:
• More sections of the trail would link intact sections of the roadway.
• Following the plan, eventually remove the entrance station and maintenance facility, and relocate the bunkhouse, to create more parking.
• The intent is to maintain hiking and biking access to Ipsut Creek. But if future flood damage is too severe, the route would be moved into the wilderness area, precluding the use of bikes.
Alternative 3 – Short-term
• The road is reconstructed from the entrance to near the Chenuis Falls trailhead. It would be one-lane with turnouts.
• There would be parking at the entrance, Old Mine trailhead and Green Lake trailhead.
• There would be expanded parking and a turnaround near Chenuis.
• Hiking/biking would be allowed on the rebuilt road, and beyond on a new trail in the road corridor to the Ipsut Creek Campground.
• The patrol cabin would be moved to near the Green Lake trailhead.
• Picnic opportunities at Chenuis would likely decrease as parking is expanded.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would remain a hike/bike camp until the area was decommissioned.
Long-term, would include these additional steps:
• Parking would be at the entrance.
• Following the plan, eventually remove the entrance station and maintenance facility, and relocate the bunkhouse, to create more parking.
• Beginning near the Old Mine trailhead, construct a new hiking trail on higher ground in the wilderness area. It would access the Green Lake and Chenuis Falls trails.
• Bicycles would not be allowed on the new trail since it would be in wilderness area.
• New loop trails would link sections of the old roadway and the new trail.
• Ipsut Creek Campground would be shut down and replaced with a new backcountry campground at a new location in the area.
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/403919.html