June Reports

I have updated the photo guide for June for the news, access and conditions in Mt. Rainier NP, along with some updates for seasonal information for other pages. More updates for June are forthcoming within the next week on some of the topic Web pages about the seasonal conditions.

June is the month everything changes in the NP, both as the snowmelt continues through the month, slowly moving the snow-free elevation from the lower to the mid and upper elevations. The lower than normal snowpack was later peak snowpack and onset of snowmelt and is close to the normal time trend and should be completely snow-free in the 5-6,000 foot elevation sometime in about the second week in July (my forecast).

June, from late May, is when the roads clear and the facilities open for the summer visitors season, from Memorial Day through the Labor Day weekend. By mid-late June everything will be open except the Sunrise Road and visitors center and the Mowich Lake road, currently shut at the Paul Peak trailhead. These open in early July before the July 4th holiday weekend.

That aside, even with the best opportunities for hiking and photography, it's generally still cool and frequently rainy, so as I always mention, be prepared for all weather conditions and be flexible with your plans if the weather turns bad. This is standard practice for experienced hikers and backpackers, but this is important even with day hikes because you could be caught miles from the trailheads in a rainstorm.

That said, go and enjoy the NP.

May Update II

I have updated several Web pages with the Mt. Rainier photo guide for the changes in the news, conditions and access reflecting the Memorial Day holiday weekend when many of the roads and facilities will be open and the first wave of visitors come to the NP over the summer. In addition I have updated several other pages regarding day hikes and hiking tips listed in the guide.

In short, it's the start of the visitors season, from the Memorial Day holiday through the Labor Day holiday, when everything becomes accessible and very much enjoyable. The June reports will be on-line next week, but they won't be significantly different from the May reports except accounting for the mid-to-late June period not in the May reports.

I hope the photo guide helps your visit, experience and photography of the NP, and please feel free to send me e-mail with your questions. And photographers are free to send me request for reseach and information with your work in the NP, see a description of available services.

May Update

Jackson Visitors Center May 22

I have updated the news and information Web pages for the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide for the changes in the roads and facilities which the NPS begins opening May 21-28th. Some of planned openings, namely roads, haven't occurred as planned, as the opening date for those is based on the snowpack and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Currently this is primarily Highway 410 from the northeastern boundary to Cayuse and Chinook passes, and Highway 410 from there east to Yakima. The highway was expected to open May 21st but will likely be before or near the Memorial Day holiday weekend. It is the major route to the NP from Seattle. Otherwise, they have to use the Tacoma route on Highway 7 to Elbe and Highway 706 to the Nisqually entrance.

All of the rest of the roads and facilities are opening on schedule, which you can find on the map of current access or the latest NPS Tahoma spring newsletter (PDF).

So, if you plan a visit to the NP, be prepared for cold weather. It's still spring in the NP, cold and snow at the upper elevations, above 4,000 feet, and cool and possible rain in the rest of the NP. There will be some periods of sunny days into mid-late June as the consistent summer weather doesn't show up until late June and more so into July.

The facilities will slowly open through the Memorial Day holiday to the Indepdence Day (July 4th) holiday. The snowmelt, which started May 14th, will progress through June and into July with the higher elevations, at and below the 5,500 foot elevation, will be snow free in mid-July, and later through July at the higher elevations.

Enjoy your visit this spring and you're always welcome to send me e-mail for additional information, to ask questions or report problems with my photo guide.

May Reports

This is the view of Paradise the morning of May 4th.

Well, at long last the updates reports pages for Mt. Rainier NP photo guide. I apologize for the failures and delays, but life kept sticking itself in between this work from late March to now. It's still there but I've managed to get the Web pages done, if only initially. They'll be reviewed and updated again this week, as I'm known to make mistakes. But for now they're there now.

So what is there? Ok, the latest news, the conditions and access, and the monthy report Web pages. I also added the April reports for historical purposes (besides they were almost ready, just not uploaded).

So what's new for May? Well, the NP and the NPS transistions from winter to spring. The month starts with winter and under winter rules except the snowplay area has been closed for over a month. The month transistion to late spring as the snowmelt begins and the facilities open for the start of the visitors season from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

This transistion will continue through June and into July if the snow doesn't melt sufficiently to open the higher elevation roads and facilities, namely the White River road and campground and the road onward to Sunrise. These areas open late June to early July. Otherwise, almost everything opens from late May to late June.

The one signficant difference this year over previous years is that the open carrying of firearms is legal in the NP. This change is noted in the news, conditions and reports Web pages along with my opinion about it. Remember the guns can only be carried in open areas and not in facilities. Also the guns can not be unholstered or discharged (fired) anywhere in the NP at any time, even in self-defense.

In short, there is no reason to bring them to the NP and endanger everyone else with the open display of guns, especially considering the many of out-of-state and foreign visitors. The NP is not the place to scare people with guns simply to make a personal statement about your rights. Please keep your guns at home.

Anyway, good luck and please enjoy your visit.

April Update

Update.--Obviously a few days has passed. I apologize, it wasn't an April fool's joke. Life got away from me and I, while I had the new updates written, I hadn't transcribed them to the Web pages. It was a series of unexpected events, like a broken water heater in the back of the storage closet among others, and unintended extra work, like working on some music files for a friend and preparing my camera equipment for sale (14 cameras, 41 lenses and other stuff). Anyway, I should get the updates done soon.

The April update for the news, access and conditions Web pages will be a few days late this month. I got caught up in some other work, some I chose to do and miscalculated the time, and some which chose me and had to interrupt work on the former, and also the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide work. It's the reality of being a one person life, work and business - or what seems like a business to me, but really isn't, just projects.

April is also the month when things begin to change in the NP, the weather, the snowpack into snowmelt, the access, the roads and trails, and almost everything. It's when springs starts in the lower elevations and proceeds through the month into May to the higher elevations. This is especially true this year with the 70-75% snowpack and warmer weather, although late March and early April hasn't been warm, the continuation of March adage, "In like a lamb out like a lion."

That aside, I will get the Web pages updated soon, probably by early next week. Overall now though, the lower elevations are good to visit and hike. The trails are clear up to 4-4,500 feet before snow. That means the Carbon River trail is good for most of the distance to the Ipsut Creek Campground. The Longmire area is open for the local trails.

The weather, however, will be totally and quickly dynamic, from warm and sunny to cold and snowy, or the other way, so plan and prepare accordingly. Paradise is still snow, and lots of it, and winter operations as is the whole east, north-central and south-central part of the NP. Only the west side is really available.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted here on the progress of things and yes, the photo guide too.