Hurricane Ridge ski area to be closed weekdays
PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - The Hurricane Ridge ski area will be closed on weekdays this winter.
Olympic National Park says it can't justify the expense of keeping the 17-mile road from Port Angeles open through the week, but it will continue to clear snow for weekend visitors.
The National Park Service, with contributions from Port Angeles, Sequim and others, spent more than $325,000 each of the past two winters clearing the road on weekdays as an experiment.
Spokeswoman Barb Maynes says Hurricane Ridge averages 219 vehicles on a winter weekend day, Friday-Sunday. Officials were hoping to average about 100 on four week days, Monday-Thursday, but the average was 43 cars two years ago and 38 last winter.
The Hurricane Ridge ski area is operated on winter weekends by a sports club.
Olympic National Park says it can't justify the expense of keeping the 17-mile road from Port Angeles open through the week, but it will continue to clear snow for weekend visitors.
The National Park Service, with contributions from Port Angeles, Sequim and others, spent more than $325,000 each of the past two winters clearing the road on weekdays as an experiment.
Spokeswoman Barb Maynes says Hurricane Ridge averages 219 vehicles on a winter weekend day, Friday-Sunday. Officials were hoping to average about 100 on four week days, Monday-Thursday, but the average was 43 cars two years ago and 38 last winter.
The Hurricane Ridge ski area is operated on winter weekends by a sports club.
See freehurricaneridge.blogspot.com for answers/rebuttals to some of the comments. The short answer is that people visiting Hurricane Ridge spend more money than it costs to keep open per the parks own study http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/products.cfm#MGM, as well as other benefits not counted in the model. Also, Clallam County offered to plow the road for $75,000, but ONP wouldn't allow that option.
Close it down.
why not just close it for the winter and save money.
 @wynooheeman Why not leave the gate open and let volunteers maintain the road or at least have access up the unplowed road?   What makes the park think it needs rangers in the wilderness at every tree and rock?
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Sounds like a solution that saves money and provides access to those who want it during the week. Â Win win!Â
 @wynooheeman I kinda agree. Close it, it isn't used that much.  We have a deficit, when things are flush again or there can be some way of making it pay for itself than great but right now stop plowing the road.  Heck if the people really want to go up there snow mobile or some other snow travel.
@APenny4MyThoughts @wynooheeman The ski area is operated by permit from the forest service to a private company (its the only private ski area operated in a national park). I have a friend that was an instructor there last year, she said it wasnt worth keeping open during the week.
@Lady J @APenny4MyThoughts @wynooheemanÂ
It still costs money to maintain the roads, and the park service presence. It may be a private operation itself, but its a national park and it does cost money.
Some of the cost is offset by donations. Not everyone who works up there is a volunteer; like I said a friend of mine worked there last winter.
@Lady J @northwestsurfer @APenny4MyThoughts So lets see it costs each city, the city of Sequim and Port Angels and the Federal Government 325,000 dollars. That is tax payer moneys that could be used to hire some new teachers 6 to each city to be exact. What I can't fathom is how you say this is not tax payer money?
 @northwestsurfer  @APenny4MyThoughts  @wynooheeman The ski area is run by a non-profit group. As long as the park keeps the ridge open on the weekends anyway, and the non-profit is willing to keep their volunteers up there working, there's no reason to shut it down. It's not costing the taxpayers a penny. The opening of the ski area is dependent on whether the park opens the road, which they do because it's still a popular place for tourist visits.
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