Crews at Mount Rainier National Park have been busy clearing the road to Paradise.

After fighting blizzard conditions Sunday and Monday, the road is clear today, based on Webcam views.

Folks looking for something to do this holiday weekend might want to consider a trip to the mountain. There was 65 inches of snow on the ground this morning, plenty for snowshoeing, skiing or snowboarding. In case you didn’t see my earlier post, the snowplay area will not open until Dec. 19.

The Jackson visitor center will be open 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort will be the last of the Cascade ski areas to open when it begins operations Friday. The area will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday.

“It is still early season conditions for us with limited terrain on Chair No. 1 and the Liberator Express, Jerri Barkley, director of sales and marketing, said in a prepared statement.

“The snowmaking team has once again really stepped up again to get the area open. They have not missed an hour of production time since Nov. 1 as the temps allowed,” Barkley added.

Lift …

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I was checking out the National Parks Traveler blog and came across this video of a minor explosion at at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The event took place in the Halema`uma`u vent at 9:20 a.m Saturday.

Since we live in such a volcanic area ourselves, I thought you might be interested.

Here is the blog’s link to the video.

Those eager to ride their sleds at the Paradise snowplay area will have to wait before the runs are groomed. Plans call for the area to open Dec. 19, Chuck Young, the park’s chief ranger, said when I talked to him yesterday afternoon.

“The reason is the machine we use to groom the run needs to go in the shop and made ready for the season,” Young said. “We’re also doing the hiring for the extra rangers who man the area.”

Young said he appreciates that people are eager to use the area, especially with more than 80 inches of …

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An landslide has closed Forest Road 25 at Benham Creek 5 miles north of the Forest Road 99 junction to Windy Ridge on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

A large landslide closed the road last winter, and a temporary bridge was installed
in June to provide access on this major north and south access route.

Recent heavy rains are dislodging additional material at the Benham Creek site causing Forest officials to call for a complete closure to protect public safety.

Wakepish Sno-Park which is located at the junction of Forest Road 25 and Forest Road 99 will be closed …

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The Summit at Snoqualmie just announced Summit Central will open Saturday, operating from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Summit Central’s opening also includes operating the Silver Fir high speed quad-chair.

The Summit Central base area will remain open seven days a week for the foreseeable future, the release said. Additionally, the Summit Tubing Center also will be open this coming weekend.

The Summit West base area will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. With Summit Central going to a seven- day-a-week schedule, Summit West will be closed after Sunday, and will reopen Nov. 27.

Further …

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With more storms in the weekend forecast, it’s good news for folks wanting to head to the slopes before the holiday next week.

Here is a brief rundown of what you might find at the Cascade areas, based on this morning’s reports:

Mount Baker: The base is almost a mid-season levels, with 74 inches at the Heather Meadows base. More snow is expected through Sunday.

Stevens Pass: Even with new snow, the area is recommending folks stay on the groomed runs.

Summit at Snoqualmie: Even with just two lifts open, the area is reporting powder conditions. Powder, in November!?!?

Crystal …

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A number of park roads are closed on the west side of Olympic National Park as crews are clearing roads blocked by downed trees and assessing storm impacts. Some park roads, including the Graves Creek, North Fork and Upper Queets Road have not been fully assessed for storm damage.

Here is a summary of the known damage:

Hoh Road – The Hoh Road is closed at the park boundary as park crews are removing downed trees.

Quinault Valley –The North Shore Road is closed due to downed trees and electrical lines. The Graves Creek and the North Fork Roads are …

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