The snowplay area at Paradise will open Saturday. How many runs there are for the opening depends on how much snow falls between now and then.

Chuck Young, chief ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, told me this afternoon the area would definitely open this weekend. Road access and openingtime will be dependent on how much snow will need to be plowed on Saturday morning, he reminded visitors.

If enough snow falls – Paradise got about a foot of new snow Tuesday – Young said the park staff will be able to use a snow machine to carve the runs. …

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I am trying to localize a wire story about letterboxing. If you or if you know someone who participates in this activity, please give me a call at 253-597-8640 or send me an e-mail at jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com.

Eight inches of snow has fallen at Paradise in the last day, and more is on the way, making the Saturday opening of the snowplay area more likely.

The Paradise snowpack is now at 62 inches, which should be enough to open the area.

The week’s forecast is filled with snow, good news for sliders and sledders. There is supposed to be more snow early in the week, including perhaps another foot of snow tonight. By late in the week, there is a chance of some rain.

Chuck Young, the park’s chief ranger, is monitoring the situation.

“Right now, we …

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Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest just announced the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road, Road 56, has reopened to vehicular traffic.

Last winter’s floods closed the road, blocking access to the Middle Fork and Snoqualmie Lake trailheads.

The Upper Middle Fork Road remains closed until next summer for repairs just beyond the Middle Fork Campground and Taylor River Bridge, from mile post 12.5 to its end at Dingford Creek Trailhead.

For a change, even sitting in our chilly office seems to be a better option than being at Mount Rainier National Park.

Here are some temperature and wind readings from the park in the last day.

Paradise: At 6 a.m. today it was -1 degree, with maximum wind of 36 mph. That’s a wind chill of -21 degrees.

Camp Muir: At 11 a.m. Sunday it was -6 degrees with maximum wind speeds hitting 84 mph. That’s a wind chill of -46 degrees.

At 7 p.m, the temperatures had fallen to -13 degrees, but the wind speed dropped to 32 …

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