THINGS MIGHT CHANGE for Hurricane Ridge Road this winter.
Just don’t expect that to affect Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club operations that much.
Even if the road remains open daily during the North Olympic Peninsula dark period (weather permitting, of course), that probably won’t translate into 24-7 organized skiing/snowboarding activities at the Ridge.
The Winter Sports Club, a non-profit that operates both rope tows and the Poma lift atop the mountain, simply could not afford it.
“Financially, it just wouldn’t work,” club president Joe Gladfelter said.
“In our agreement with [Olympic National Park], we’re set up to run only on the weekend: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
“During the winter break we have some flexibility to operate [during days outside of the weekend], and we’ve done that in the past.
“But in regards to [daily operation of the lifts] . . . that’s not in the plan.”
Winter Sports Club board members have been part of a recent fundraising effort to keep the road open 24-7 from late fall to early spring. It’s expected to be successful.
Port Angeles City Council member Cherie Kidd said she hopes to announce at a Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce weekly luncheon Monday that the $75,000 needed to supplement federal dollars has been collected.
The federal Department of the Interior pledged $250,000 to keep the road open daily.
The idea is to see whether more access to the Ridge could translate into more revenue in winter months for area hotels and other businesses.
It would appear that increase would have to be supported by other user groups (at least during weekdays) like back country hikers, snowshoers and cross country skiers.
(And those skiers/snowboarders crazy enough to hit the hillsides and hike back up.)
Kidd said she believes that could be enough.
“People are already asking to come during the week,” Kidd said. “We have people that want year-round recreational [opportunities at the Ridge] in Port Angeles and throughout the state.
“This way we’ll be able to welcome more visitors.”
Added Gladfelter, “We’re supportive of [the road being open all winter].
“This is kind of a small piece of the big picture of getting people looking at Port Angeles as a winter [sports] area.
“It gets people thinking about the Ridge.”
The Winter Sports Club raises money each year — most notably during Winterfest in November — to help pay for its weekend operations from mid-December through March.
Board members are usually happy if the club simply breaks even.
Unless the club could entice the same number of visitors during the week, it would be hard to generate enough money to justify operating.
“We’d lose money,” Gladfelter said. “That’s not us.
“We’re not set up to be a ski resort.”
Recently, the club has begun focusing on improvements at the hill. That includes the possibility of replacing the aging Poma lift with a chair lift.
Plans for such an upgrade are permissible under Olympic National Park’s new general management plan.
Raising money for that is the club’s main focus in the near future, according to Gladfelter.
Some like it hot
A trip to Olympic Hot Springs will be a lengthy one starting this Monday.
That’s when Olympic National Park will temporarily close upper Hot Springs Road and Boulder Creek Trail at the Glines Canyon Dam to all foot and vehicle traffic while contractors complete rehabilitation work on Boulder Creek Trail.
The Boulder Creek project is expected to last into late fall/early winter, a park news release stated.
Access to the Lake Mills Boat Ramp will remain open through Aug. 25, although the ramp is set to close to make way for a sediment management project after that.
As part of the rehabilitation project, the park plans to remove asphalt from a 2.2-mile section of the former Boulder Creek Road, reduce trail width to between 24 and 30 inches and install foot bridges at stream crossings.
The project was originally scheduled for 2011, but funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) allowed the timeline to be moved forward.
SAYBR Contractors, Inc. of Tacoma will handle the $1,037,000 project.
Those jonesing for some Olympic Hot Springs action can still reach it from the Sol Duc trailhead via Appleton Pass.
All it takes is a 13-mile trek with a 2,500-foot elevation change to take in the hot springs’ odious confines.
Have fun with that.
Endangered trail?
Lower Big Quilcene Trail was included on Washington Trails Association’s recently released list of top 10 endangered trails.
The popular multi-use trail has four significant bridges that are failing, according to Washington Trails, making it impassible in some areas.
Two of the major bridges are over the Big Quilcene River on each side of Townsend Creek and Bark Shanty Camp, and are well past their expected life span.
The more major of the bridges was hit by a blowdown last winter, cracking one of the three stringers and increasing the bridge lean.
This bridge is currently closed to stock and motorized passage, and is being evaluated for hikers and bicycles.
For more information on the trails and how to save them, visit http://tinyurl.com/27mwedx.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.