WEEKEND: Hurricane Ridge to open for three-day weekend

Published 12:01 am Friday, February 15, 2013

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Some 8 feet of snow awaits visitors to Hurricane Ridge this holiday weekend.

Hurricane Ridge is 17 miles south of Port Angeles, at the end of a road, accessible via Race Street.

The road will be open form 9 a.m. to dusk, weather permitting, today through Monday.

Downhill ski and snowboarding activities using tows begin Saturday.

Ski tows will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Bunny lift

The bunny lift rope tow costs $12 for both all day and half-day.

Half-day starts at 1 p.m.

Intermediate and bunny lifts are $24 for all day and $22 for half-day.

The Poma lift, which costs $32 for all day and $30 for half-day, has not been open so far this season, according to Olympic National Park information.

Ski lifts are operated by the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club.

The ski area also will have a tubing park open at rates of $10 for a two-hour session and $6 for one hour.

Tubing and sliding are permitted only for children 8 and younger at the Small Children’s Snowplay Area just west of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.

Cross-country equipment is available to rent at the Hurricane Ridge Ski Shop for $32 a day, while downhill equipment is $37 a day, $42 a day with helmet.

Snowshoes are $17 a day or $22 a day with poles.

For more information, visit www.hurricaneridge.com.

Ranger-led walks

Ranger-led snowshoe walks will be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The walks last 90 minutes and are less than 1 mile in length.

Space on the walks is limited, so people should sign up at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center information desk beginning at 1:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the scheduled walk.

Suggested donation (to repair gear) is $5.

Group snowshoe walks for groups of 7-30 people are available at 10:30 a.m. weekends and holidays for those who have made reservations at 360-565-3136.

The visitor center — which has restrooms, exhibits, a movie, a warming area and an information desk — is open when Hurricane Ridge Road is open.

But the snack bar and ski shop, which offers both ski and snowshoe rentals, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. only on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Tire chains needed

On Hurricane Ridge Road, all vehicles, including four-wheel-drive vehicles, must carry tire chains when traveling above the Heart O’ the Hills entrance station until April 1.

Entrance fees are collected at Heart O’ the Hills entrance station whenever the road is open.

A seven-day entrance pass, which allows a private vehicle to enter any of the park’s roadways, costs $15.

The Olympic National Park Annual Pass, good for one year after the purchase date, costs $30.

Charter transportation

Van service also is available from All Points Charters & Tours, which offers twice-daily van service from downtown Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge any day the road is open through March 31.

The round-trip fare is $20 per adult, $10 for children 6 to 12 and free for children younger than 6.

Each rider also must pay a $5 entrance fee to the park.

To reserve a spot on a van, phone 360-460-7131 or email tours@goallpoints.com.

For more information about ski and snowshoe routes and trails, check park visitors centers, the Olympic National Park website at www.nps.gov/olym or the park’s visitor newspaper, the Bugler.

Road and weather condition updates are posted at www.nps.gov/olym and on the park’s hotline at 360-565-3131.

The Olympic National Park Visitor Center & Wilderness Information Center can be reached at 360-565-3100 or 360-565-3130.