Area guides

I have updated the area guides for the three currently online (SW, NW and Paradise, SE and NE coming in the spring) for the winter season (December through April). I've updated the overview guide (above link) also for the season. I won't update these monthly because you can get that information from the other news, access, conditions and monthly report Web pages.

The winter is probably the most consistent and the most dynamic of the seasons on and around Mt. Rainier, and it's the longest, usually from early-mid November through mid-late April. All the rest fit into the remaining months with the only exceptions for years where the spring is early from a low snowpack or the fall is later into November. And in some years winter will last into June at higher elevations.

The winter is the most consistent because of snow. Once into winter (late November to early December) the seasonal snow is almost present throughout the NP, the only excpetions will be at the lower elevations, about 2,000-2,400 feet near the entrances. But even snow will be there when major snowstorms drop the snow level to 1,500 feet elevation throughout the Puget Sound region.

The winter is also the most dynamic for weather, from clear, sunny days for a few days to a week to major rain-on-snow storms and flood events and major snowstorms. This is why you have to be prepared, meaning your vehicle, your photography and hiking gear and yourself. You also have to be flexible with your plans and schedule and always be prepared to change them during your visit.

Winter is also the time the NP is in winter operation mode where everything is closed save one entrance and two visitors areas. The only entrance open is the southwest, Nisqually, entrance along with the facilities at Longmire. The road from Longmire to Paradise is controlled at a gate east of Longmire. The road to Paradise is checked and cleared of snow before the gate is opened, usually about 9 am, meaning snowstorms will force the closure until after the storm and clearing. It closes at 4 pm.

And even then only the Jackson Visitors Center at Paradise is open, and only on weekends and holiday (10 am to 5 pm). Everything else there is closed. And all that is available are winter activities, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding and the snow play area for kids, the last two after at least 5 feet of snow is present.

That said, winter is a good time if you love winter, and especially snow. And you still have two entrance, southweste and Carbon River ones, where snow isn't always present and you can get some winter hiking in, at least to the snow where you can snowshoe from there if you want. These areas with the Mowich Lake entrance offer excellent snowshoe routes.

December Update

Updated December 10th.--I've updated the news, the access and conditions, and the monthly report Web pages for the photo guide to Mt. Rainier NP. It's easy to describe the NP in December, and that is winter and more winter to come. The snow level is 3-4,000 feet elevation present throughout the NP above 4,000 feet, with 3-4 feet at 5,000+ feet elevation.

This mean the NP is in full winter operation mode, with all entrances closed at the NP except the Nisqually (southwest) entrance, open to Longmire and daily cleared to Paradise (weather permitting), and the Carbon River (northwest) entrance which is open to hikers. This entrance is open almost year around due to the lower elevation (~2,000 ft) at the entrance. All the facilities are closed except at Longmire (all open weather permitting) and Paradise (visitors center open weekends and holidays).

Paradise is currently open to winter activities for skiers and snowshoers. Snowboarders will have to wait until there is the minimum 5 feet of snow in the snowplay areas at Paradise. That should happen later in December, hopefully for the Christmas and New Years weekends. You can also snowshoe or ski into the Mowich Lake area when sufficient snow exists on the road.

Otherwise, for photographers, plan for all weather, be flexible with your plans and schedule, and be prepared with the clothes for the weather. And make sure you're familar with the winter driving rules in the NP. They control the road to Paradise just east of Longmire but also operate a chain-up area at the Nisqually Bridge parking if the road from the bridge to Paradise restricts access to vehicles or chains.

In addition I have updated the winter photography guide, with a map of places, activities and conditions. That's it for now. It's a simple word now, snow.

2010 Photo Guide plans

Over the month of December I'll be working on the 2010 plans for the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide. At this juncture I'd like to ask folks to send in or add comments with their ideas and suggestions. Topic, activities, information, resources, etc. you'd like to see with the photo guide. I still have some unincluded topics on the to-think-about list, so you can add to that or improvements to ones already there.

That said, the 2010 plans have several directions with the Website (version 3.0 for a new overall design) but more importantly for new Webpages and products or services for the photo guide. These are as follows.

The first is to finish the existing sections, as noted in the photo guide table of contents. These include guides for trees and forest, the two remaining quadrants (NE and SE), and a short history of the effort for NP designation, 1890-1899. New sections for wildlife, climbing and whatever else I find or is suggested will be added. In addition, the history projects have a lot of work left with the pre-NP history, the 1896 expedition and the first maps.

These are the highest priority for 2010, to complete the basic photo guide. Next is the always on-going updates, once or twice a month. And after that is the expansion, improvement and enhancement of the existing sections for more information, more resources or new applications for the Web pages. This will more than likely continue into the next few years after the basic guide is done.

Following that I want to focus on two other topics. One is the early photographers, 1890-1900, after the introduction of nitrate-based sheet film for large format (4x5 and 5x7 known to date but likely 8x10 too) by Kodak. The number of photographers exploded after 1890. The other is the early history of changes in the NP through the maps and available documents. The roads and trails changed over the years, and the maps are interesting to see those changes.

Second is to develop better interactive maps and better descriptive downloadable maps. The goal with the book (next) is to have folding maps of the NP and each of the five areas with locations and notes for photo opportunities. Right now I haven't found the right base map or learned the application to produce them. Yeah, the learning curve there.

In additon, I working to find more early maps and make the maps available. Right now, all the digital files are large, 200-500 Mbytes for each one, useful for work but not the Web. And reducing them loses a lot in translation of the details and the sheer beauty of them, such as the first USGS topographic map in1915.

Third, is the production of a draft book. The goal was to find a publisher, but considering the times and demand for print books, I'll still try it, as several produce similar books for the NP's, but I will look to produce the first draft as an on-line version for public comment. Yeah, yikes. But it's part of the process to develop a useable book for photograhers visiting the NP.

Right now, the book is planned to be a general guide with the maps, maybe 80-100 pages. The Website will still have the same information but it will enchance the book with more and updated information. The two will be overlapping and linked so the photographer can use either or both. That will, hopefully, interest a publisher for a print version, at which time the on-line book will be dropped or modified.

Fourth is the newest idea I saw. That's an Apple iPhone/iTouch app for the photo guide. This idea is just that so far, an idea. I saw one for Arches NP and talked with the photographer/developer of the app, and it really sounds like a cool and neat idea for the device. But that means more learning to see the work and process to develop the Web pages for the app.

So far, that's the 2010 plan. You're welcome to e-mail me your suggestions and ideas.

New Webcam

I've updated the Webcam Web page for the latest Webcam at the Mountain Climb Center at Paradise. It is east of the Jackson Visitor Center between the center and Paradise Inn, image above. This is now six they operate at Paradise for their work and the public. Kudos to the NP staff for their work to provide and especially maintain them year around.

So, you still want to go?

Website problems

Update.-- It's back and current. Please let me know if you encounter any problems with Web pages. The short version of the long story is my Website host moved all the Websites to a third-party mega-server in Florida over the weekend and things got screwed up and lost when they reloaded the old version after I updated it with their ok.

Orignal post.-- Please see my photo blog for information about my Website which is experiencing serious problems caused the host/isp. All was supposed to be done by Monday, which I uploaded an update of the entire Website, only to find by Tuesday it was gone, back to the old version. And now (Wednesday 4 pm) it's back to February 2009. I can't access the server to fix it and I can't access the new server to upload the Website.

In short, my host/isp just screwed my Website and my work. And if it doesn't improve, they'll get a very angry face at the front desk.