Randy King Named Superintendent

SAN FRANCISCO – Randy King has been selected as the new superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park, located approximately 85 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington.  King has been serving as acting superintendent of the park since July 17th.  He replaced Dave Uberuaga who was recently named superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

“Randy’s charisma, leadership and park experience make him a triple threat and the natural choice for this selection.  Having served as both the acting superintendent and deputy superintendent, Randy is extremely familiar with the park, its partners and staff and has demonstrated success in building partnerships and solving problems.  We look forward to his continued guidance,” said Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz.

Over the course of his 34-year National Park Service career, King has served in six national parks and the Intermountain Regional Office.  King also participated in a six-month work exchange between the Alaska Region and Western Australia’s Department of Conservation and Land Management.  He
and his family lived in Denham, Western Australia where he served as the district operations officer for Shark Bay World Heritage Area and adjacent national parks.  Since 2003 he has worked as Mount Rainier’s deputy superintendent, which included a 15-month detail as acting superintendent in 2009-2010.  King is a graduate of Michigan State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Park and Recreation Resources.  He and his wife, Sally, and their three children, Mackenzie, Dylan and Skylar, now make their home in Eatonville, Washington.

"From a resources standpoint – both natural and cultural – Mount Rainier is an incredible unit of our national park system.  It is a park beloved by generations of visitors, served by dedicated and talented employees, volunteers and concession operators; and strongly supported by its partners and gateway communities.  For all of these reasons, and many more, I am grateful for the privilege to serve this great park as superintendent,” said King upon hearing of his selection.

Mount Rainier National Park was designated as the nation’s fifth national park when President William McKinley signed a bill that was passed by Congress on March 2, 1899.  The boundaries of the park encompass 235,625 acres of forests, meadows and mountains, with 97 percent of the park designated as wilderness and the remaining three percent being part of the National Historic Landmark District.  Mount Rainier, the focal point of the park, is a large volcanic peak that rises to 14,410 feet, towering far
above any other peak in the North Cascade mountain range.
                                  -NPS-

Historic Chinook Pass Entrance Arch Restoration Nears Completion

  The Chinook Pass Entrance Arch, as drawn by the staff of the Historic American Engineering Record.

Mount Rainier park craftsmen have completed the year-long restoration work on the Chinook Pass Entrance Arch, a unique historic structure in the National Park system.  Spanning across the Mather Memorial Parkway (SR 410) at 5,432 feet in elevation on the eastern boundary of the park, the arch
was designed as both an entrance portal and an equestrian overpass, to convey hikers and riders on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Rustic Style arch had deteriorated due to the elements and nearly eight decades of use.  The final phase will take place on Monday, August 22, when the log stringers will be put in place.

The restoration project replaced inkind all of the deteriorated parts of the structure, including replacement of the log stringers that support the bridge deck and repair of the stone masonry abutments.  Deteriorated components of the arch were removed last season, including the log stringers and masonry to prepare for replacement.  Replacement logs were shaped and fitted according to National Park Service standards over the winter, in preparation for installation this summer.

The entrance will remain open, but visitors traveling on State Route 410 are advised that short traffic delays will occur as the logs are put in place.

When the project is complete, there should be no discernible changes for visitors, except the remarkable structure will be in good condition for another 80 years of service!

                                  -NPS-

Rehabilitation of 10 miles of Stevens Canyon Road Planned in 2011, 2012 and 2013

Mount Rainier National Park News Release
Mount Rainier National Park Acting Superintendent Randy King and Federal Highway Administration, Western Federal Lands Highway Division officials announce that Phase 1 of the planned rehabilitation of  Stevens Canyon Road was awarded to MidMountain Contractors, Inc. of Kirkland, WA for $2,322,367.90 with a Notice to Proceed issued for project start on Monday, August 15, 2011 and a contract completion date of October 30, 2011.

The National Park Service prepared an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), which was approved by the Pacific West Regional Director on July 1, 2010.  The FONSI calls for the resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of the Stevens Canyon Road and other related facilities, including bridges, tunnels, culverts, guard walls, retaining walls, turnouts and the short Wonderland Trail section adjacent to Reflection Lake. The improvements will occur along two segments of the road, totaling 10.09 miles of the 19 mile road.  Segment 1 begins at the Nisqually Paradise Road intersection and extends east for 4.83 miles to the Stevens Creek Bridge. Segment 4 begins at the Backbone Ridge Viaduct (just east of the Backbone Ridge Viewpoint) and continues for 5.26 miles to the intersection with Washington State Route (SR) 123.

Ten sites in Segment 1 and 35 sites in Segment 4 have been identified as needing subsurface stabilization to halt roadway embankment creep that has resulted in surface tension cracks and appreciable horizontal and vertical displacement. Two of the 10 sites in Segment 1 require full roadway embankment replacement down to 22 foot depth and retaining/guard wall replacements.  Most of the 35 sites in Segment 4 require either ¾- width or full road embankment replacement down to 5 foot depth, some of which require retaining/guard wall replacements.

Due to the scope of the extensive roadway embankment stabilization efforts, it will be necessary to close the east end (Segment 4) of Stevens Canyon Road from the gate located just west of the Grove of the Patriarchs (see attached map) to just east of the popular Backbone Ridge Viewpoint from September 6, 2011 to the end of the contract period on October 30, 2011. Pending weather conditions, the roadway will likely be shut down for the winter season upon project completion. The contractor will also be doing subsurface compaction grouting in both road segments to stabilize the roadway in 2011.  Visitors will be able to access the Reflection Lakes area, Box Canyon and Backbone Ridge Viewpoint area and adjacent trailheads from the west during the 2011closure period.


Under a separate contract yet to be advertised, Phase 2 will take place during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, which will involve subsurface stabilization work on the west end (Segment 1) and require closure from just east of the Paradise Valley Road to the Box Canyon Area immediately following Labor Day 2012 to when the road is shut down for the winter. The contractor will also be repairing the tunnel walls at milepost 6.9 and 8.5 during the closure period.  During this period, visitors will be able to access up to the Box Canyon area from the east.  From approximately June 2012 to just before Labor Day 2012 the contractor will be conducting work in both segments, at which time visitors should anticipate 20 minute delays Mondays through Fridays.

During the 2013 season, the contractor will focus on drainage improvements, repair/stabilization and reconstruction of historic rock retaining walls, milling/recycling the asphalt surface as road base; and resurfacing with new hot-mix asphalt which will be accomplished while the roadway is open to the public. At this time visitors should again anticipate 20 minute delays Mondays through Fridays until project completion estimated in September, 2013.

Stevens Canyon Road connects the east and west side of the park, extending for 19 miles from SR 123 at the east end to intersection with the Nisqually to Paradise Road at the west end, two miles south of Paradise. During the 2011 & 2012 closure periods, visitors are encouraged to access the Paradise area from the southwest via the Nisqually Entrance at east end of SR 706. Visitors traveling from the east via SR 410, SR 123, and/or US 12 who wish to visit the Paradise area have two detour options:  Via Gifford Pinchot National Forest Service Road 52 (Skate Creek Road) beginning on US 12 in Packwood and ending on SR 706 east of Ashford; or the longer route via SR 7 beginning in Morton on US 12 and ending on SR 706 at Elbe (see attached map).

While the construction and associated closures and traffic delays present an inconvenience, the rehabilitation work will not only improve the driving surface of the roadway, but ensure its longevity.

Updated information on this project may be obtained by calling Mount Rainier National Park at 360-569-2166. Information on this project, as well as general park information, is also available on Mount Rainier National Park’s website www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/newsreleases.htm.

                                   ###

NOTE:  Drivers can now get real time traffic and weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most cell phones. This new traveler information system builds upon the highly successful Washington State Highway hotline that manages 4.6 million calls each year.  Callers can also use 5-1-1 to get statewide construction, mountain pass conditions, and state ferry system information, as well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388.

                                  -NPS-

Night Sky Programs Aug 5 and Beyond!

Star Party and Night Skies Program at Paradise: 9:00 PM, Friday August 5, 2011.

Families and individuals of all ages are invited to the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park for a special program on Friday, August 5. The event starts at 9:00 PM in the lobby of the Paradise Inn with a short presentation about the National Park Service “Night Skies” program.  The National Park Service has come to embrace night skies as one of the many scenic vistas the agency is a steward of. It is essential to keeping a park whole and touches on almost every aspect that is important to us - from
sustainability to stargazers, and animals to ancient ruins.

At 9:45 PM there will be outdoor star gazing in front of the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center with Tacoma Astronomical Society (TAS) volunteers and their telescopes. Astronomy Society volunteers will also assist  with special children's astronomy activities.  All ages will be able to make astronomy devices called "star finders."

If weather makes star gazing difficult, the party will move inside the Paradise Inn lobby for a 45-minute film about the Milky Way galaxy.

Night Sky viewing at the park through Labor Day

Visitors are also invited to join Mount Rainier volunteer astronomer-interpreter Don West-Wilke for night sky viewing Thursdays through Sundays through Labor Day.  Don and his unique telescope will help visitors see the night sky (weather permitting) beginning at 10 PM at the following park locations:
Thursdays: Longmire Plaza in front of the National Park Inn
Fridays: Plaza in front of the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center
Saturdays: Plaza in front of the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center
Sundays: Backbone Ridge pull-out along Steven's Canyon Road
Mondays: Plaza in front of the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center

If you have questions please contact Park Ranger Curt Jacquot at (360) 569-2211, extension 6577.

Information about the Tacoma Astronomy Society is found online at: http://www.tas-online.org/

General park information is available at www.nps.gov/mora  or by calling 360-569-2211.


                                  -NPS-

MOUNT RAINIER NEWS UPDATES

Snow continues to melt slowly from the slopes of Mount Rainier as cool temperatures prevail.  Many trails park-wide are still under snow.  The current snowline is around 4,000 feet. The park experienced a very heavy snowfall this past winter (2010-2011) and melt-out is not expected until sometime in August.  Winter-like conditions exist in the backcountry.  Hikers should check the park’s webpage (www.nps.gov/mora) for current trail conditions before heading out for a trip.
Some wildflowers are blooming along park roadsides as the snow recedes, but given the current snowpack, the best estimates for wildflower blooms are mid-August!

Mowich Lake Road Opening
The Mowich Lake Road in the northwest corner of the park will open to the public on Friday, July 22.  In average snow years, this road would have opened on the 4th of July weekend.  Three to four feet of snow remain in the area, but the parking lot is clear and some picnic tables are melted out.

An Evening With Renowned Mountaineer Dee Molenaar
Join one of the legends of mountain climbing for two special programs at Mount Rainier National Park on August 2, 2011.  Mountaineer and author of “The Challenge of Mount Rainier”, Dee Molenaar will speak at the Jackson Visitor Center at 3:45 p.m. and at the Paradise Inn at 9:00 p.m.
Dee Molenaar was a park ranger and mountain guide at Mount Rainier and has climbed peaks throughout the western U.S. and Canada, Alaska, the Alps, and the Himalayas. He participated in major expeditions to Mount St. Elias in Alaska in 1946 and in the ill-fated 1953 American expedition to K2 in the Karakoram Himalaya. His artwork and maps have appeared in books and art shows all over the world. His book “The Challenge of Mount Rainier”, considered the definitive work on the climbing history of Mount Rainier, is in its ninth printing. At age 91 he continues to work on art and map projects, and writing and lecturing about mountaineering and geology.

General park information is available at www.nps.gov/mora  or by calling 360-569-2211.

Volunteers Wanted to Participate in Sunrise Archaeological Dig
Mount Rainier has been used by Native American people for thousands of years.  To better document the mountain’s archaeological record, Mount Rainier National Park is working with Central Washington University’s archaeology field school.  Under the direction of Dr. Patrick McCutcheon, the field school will be conducting an excavation in the Sunrise area to improve our understanding of the long-term human use of Mount Rainier’s higher elevation landscapes.

Volunteers will get a guided tour of the site and have the opportunity to shadow a field school student working on the excavation.  Volunteers will join in the daily operations, assisting with sieving excavated sediments, carrying soil and measuring sediment volume.  Participants will also have the opportunity to discover and learn about the artifacts and their uses. 

Opportunities are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:00 am to 11:30 am during the first three weeks in August.  The number of participants is limited each day to six people ages 16 and above.  Reservations may be made in person at the Sunrise Visitor Center or by calling 360-663-2425.

RAMROD BICYCLE RIDE – Thursday, July 28, 2011
On Thursday, July 28, the Redmond Cycling Club will be conducting their organized recreational bicycle ride called RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day). Up to 800 cyclists will begin their ride in Enumclaw, Washington traveling through Eatonville, Elbe and Ashford.  After entering the park at the Nisqually Entrance, they will proceed up the Paradise Road to the junction with the Stevens Canyon Road.  The route continues east on Stevens Canyon Road to State Route 123 and north on State Route 123 over Cayuse Pass.  The last leg of the ride follows State Route 410 westbound for a return to Enumclaw.  This is the 28th year that RAMROD has been conducted in the park. 

Motorists coming to the park that day should expect some traffic delays, congestion around designated checkpoints and support areas, and long lines of bicyclists sharing the roadway.

Park roads and facilities will remain open to the general public while the one-day ride is being conducted.  Drivers and pedestrians are cautioned that bicyclists in large numbers will be sharing park roadways including the road east from Nisqually Entrance, Stevens Canyon Road, SR 123 and State Route 410 throughout the day.  Slow traffic along the ride route should be expected, as road shoulders are narrow or non-existent along many sections.    Drivers may encounter bicyclists walking their bikes up the long grade or riding slowly to maintain control over sections of the roadway.   The park asks motorists to be courteous, use extra care when passing bicyclists, and to do so only when there is sufficient road clearance and an unimpeded line of sight to do so safely.

-NPS-

NEW WEBCAM SHOWS VIEW FROM CAMP MUIR

Mount Rainier National Park is excited to announce that a new webcam at
Camp Muir is now fully operational and available online to the public.
This is a unique location for a webcam as it is certainly the highest
webcam in Washington State and one of the most remote in the United States.
This project was a cooperative effort between the National Park Service,
the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, and Dan Howlett of NoHow, Inc.
The design and installation of this webcam involved some difficult
technical challenges, for which Dan “Howie” Howlett created a solution on
the backbone of the park’s existing weather telemetry equipment.  Think of
the webcam image as another weather parameter like temperature or wind
speed.  The image is transmitted down in the same data bursts as the
weather information.  After the initial installation by climbing ranger
Stefan Lofgren in mid-May, several unanticipated issues were hammered out.
Mark Moore of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center helped
troubleshoot some of these problems, coordinate the new data acquisition,
and dissemination.

The images from Camp Muir are expected to be very popular and broadly used
by a wide array of interested groups.  Climbers and hikers into Mount
Rainier alpine zones, of course, will be able to use the webcam to see
where the tops of the clouds are and will discover that often when it is
rainy at Paradise or lower down in the valley, it may be sunny and warm at
Muir!

Weather forecasting centers such as the National Weather Service will also
be able to use the images and data for forecasting purposes both for the
public and for pilots.  There are scientific opportunities associated with
the images as well regarding snowmelt, glacier mass-balance, and air
quality, to name a few.

As extraordinary as the images are, there are limits to how often we will
see clear images.  It will be common when there are clouds and/or blowing
snow that the camera will rime and the images will show only white.  This
is expected to be the case for much of the winter.  There is not enough
power at Camp Muir to operate any heating elements that could keep the
camera shedding rime ice.  As this is a newly developed application of
existing technology, we may encounter more unanticipated challenges.
Please be patient as you notice interruptions in service or problems with
the images.  We will also be immediately aware and try to fix it as soon as
practicable.

Currently, the image is set to a resolution of 1024 x 786 and it is
slightly pixelated.  We endeavor to increase the resolution so that greater
detail can be shown.  The camera is fixed and cannot be moved remotely, so
we must actually physically move the camera to change its view.  Another
item on the wish list would be to install a remotely moveable camera.

You can access the image on Mount Rainier’s webpage:
http://www.nps.gov/mora or the direct address of the image is:
http://www.nps.gov/webcams-mora/muir.jpg


                                  -NPS-

Work Begins This Week to Implement the Carbon River Access Management Plan in Mount Rainier National Park.

In response to flood damage to the Carbon River Road and Ipsut CreekCampground following the major November 2006 flood event and subsequent
flood events as recent as last winter, the Carbon River Access Management
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was
signed by the Pacific West Regional Director on February 3, 2011.

The selected Preferred Alternative #2 states that the Carbon River Road
would be reopened to private vehicles as far as a turnaround/drop-off at
the Old Mine Trailhead, 1.2 miles from the park entrance. Between the Old
Mine Trailhead and Ipsut Creek Campground, intact sections of the road
would be used as an improved trail and new improved trail sections would
be constructed through or around flood damaged sections.

Eventually the improved trail will provide sufficient width and sight
distance to safely accommodate hikers and bicyclists, and meet Universal
Access guidelines.  Existing road culverts will eventually be removed and
up to 9 wood trail bridges installed to improve fish passage. The Ipsut
Creek Campground will be converted to a hike-in/bike-in backcountry camp
with a minimum of 15 individual sites and 3 group sites.  The existing
vault toilets will be replaced with composting toilets and the former
Ipsut trailhead parking area will be recontoured and the historic Ipsut
Patrol Cabin will be reconstructed near the trailhead. At the Carbon River
entrance area, an entrance archway will be constructed, the existing
ranger station will be replaced with a new fee station/visitor contact
office, and additional parking will eventually be provided at the entrance
and in the former maintenance compound located 1/4-mile up the road.

This project will be multi-phased and time to complete is solely dependent
upon funding.  Work beginning this Summer/Fall will include:  Construction
of up to 5 log flood protection structures within the Carbon River
floodplain adjacent to the Carbon River Entrance Area and the former
maintenance compound; placement of log-span check dams in the damaged
Falls Creek area to protect the adjacent unimproved trail and location for
the future improved trail from future flooding; remove existing vault
toilets and install new composting toilets (likely this Fall); general
decommissioning of portions of the Ipsut Campground for downsizing (i.e.
remove fire grates, parking barriers, etc.); install bike racks and
bear-proof food boxes in the downsized campground; begin to clear/widen
unimproved trail in the Falls Creek area; begin construction of new trail
bridges; and remove dysfunctional culverts along the length of the old
roadway.

Visitors will be able to access the Carbon River area, continuing to park
in the limited parking area immediately inside the entrance and hike/bike
to the Ipsut Creek Campground.  Biking is only permitted on the unimproved
trail up to the Ipsut Creek Campground.  Please be aware of the
construction work going on in the area (during weekdays) and wait for
permission from the workers when it is safe to pass through the
construction zone.  Bikers, please be particularly aware of other bikers
and hikers using the unimproved and narrow trail, especially in areas of
restricted sight distance.

                                  -NPS-

Night Skies Program and Star Gazing at Mt Rainier-Paradise this Friday

Contact: Curt Jacquot, West Area Interpreter, (360) 569-2211 ext. 6577

Star Party and Night Skies Program at Paradise: 9:00 PM, Friday July 22,
2011

Families and individuals of all ages are invited to the Paradise area of
Mount Rainier National Park for a special program on Friday, July 22..  The
event starts at 9:00 PM in the lobby of the Paradise Inn with a short
presentation about the National Park Service “Night Skies” program.  The
National Park Service has come to embrace night skies as one of the many
scenic vistas the agency is a steward of. It is essential to keeping a park
whole and touches on almost every aspect that is important to us - from
sustainability to stargazers, and animals to ancient ruins.

At 9:45 PM there will be outdoor star gazing in front of the Paradise
Jackson Visitor Center with Tacoma Astronomical Society (TAS) volunteers
and their telescopes. Astronomy Society volunteers will also assist  with
special children's astronomy activities.  All ages will be able to make
astronomy devices called "star finders."

If weather makes star gazing difficult, the party will move inside the
Paradise Inn lobby for star finder making and a 45-minute film about the
Milky Way galaxy.

If you have questions please contact Park Ranger Curt Jacquot at (360)
569-2211, extension 6577.

Information about the Tacoma Astronomy Society is found online at:
http://www.tas-online.org/

General park information is available at www.nps.gov/mora  or by calling
360-569-2211.

                                  -NPS-

“Keep Wildlife Wild Day” at Mount Rainier

“Keep Wildlife Wild Day” at Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier National Park will host its third annual Keep Wildlife Wild
Day on August 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in an effort to educate
visitors on wildlife and the impacts we have on them.  The day will focus
on protection and education to keep Mount Rainier’s wildlife wild.

The park will celebrate the day with a number of short educational programs
in the Paradise area. Interpretive Rangers and Biologists will present
talks on native wildlife throughout the day.  Activities will be provided
for children to explore the interesting world of wildlife through artistic
expression.

Join Mount Rainier in helping to keep wildlife wild!

For more information, or to sign up to volunteer, contact
Sarah_Yates@nps.gov.

More information on the “Keep Wildlife Wild” program can be found at
http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/keep-wildlife-wild.htm.

For more information on volunteering for the park, visit Mount Rainier’s
volunteer website at
http://www.nps.gov/mora/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm


Contact: Sarah Yates, 360-569-6774