OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The projected six-week closure of Hurricane Ridge because of a washout of its access road was bad news this week not only for snow lovers, but also for retailers who sell or rent gear for the mountains.
Those in the outdoor recreation business, particularly in Port Angeles, said they expect to lose revenue over the closure of the road to the mile-high peak 17 miles south of town, which may have ended the ski season early this year.
The road to Hurricane Ridge was closed just north of the Heart O’ the Hills campground — about five miles south of Port Angeles — late Sunday after about 100 feet of roadway crumbled into the Ennis Creek valley.
Since then, the road has continued to fall away. The roadbed was on fill used to build Hurricane Ridge Road about 52 years ago.
The closure cut off access to the popular Hurricane Ridge winter recreation area, as well as the campground.
Organized skiing and snowboarding at the area began Dec. 19.
Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman, said Wednesday that park personnel had discussed possible detours around the slipout, but had no details.
After consultation with Federal Highway Administration engineers, park officials announced that the road would be closed for an estimated six weeks while repairs are made.
Biggest losses
The biggest economic losses during such a closure are expected to come from decreased equipment rentals, whether snow shoes, snowboards or skis.
“I’m extremely concerned and extremely upset,” said North by Northwest Surf Co. owner Frank Crippen.
“Ninety percent of my business this time of year is all snow-related.”
Crippen said the closure will hit businesses like his in Port Angeles because Hurricane Ridge is the most easily-accessible place for Peninsula residents to play in the snow.
“There is nowhere else in the park without at least a five-mile hike,” he said.
Erick Brown, co-manager of Brown’s Outdoor in Port Angeles, said that about a dozen people from outside the area have called his store this week asking about Hurricane Ridge, and then deciding to cancel planned trips after being told the road is closed.
“For most people coming over from Seattle, Hurricane Ridge is the destination area,” he said.
Brown said that out-of-towners make up about 10 percent of the store’s business during the winter.
They spend their money mostly on renting snow shoes and buying winter gear that they don’t have or that they need to replace, he said.
“It’s definitely going to impact us,” Brown said.
Swain’s store managers in Port Angeles and Sequim also said they will be affected, but likely to a lesser extent.
In Port Townsend, Sport Townsend Sales Associate Jon Page said the store may see a drop in snow shoe rentals, but he doesn’t’ expect it to be significant.
Mostly for locals
While Brown’s Outdoor does get some customers from off the Peninsula because of Hurricane Ridge, the area is much less of a tourist attraction in the winter than it is in the summer months, said Russ Veenema, Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director.
Veenema said it’s mostly a destination for locals during the late fall and winter because the road is open only Friday through Sunday and holidays then, and often is closed because of heavy snow or high wind.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a huge hit to the community just because Hurricane Ridge is not the draw in the winter that it is in the summer,” he said of the closure.
Park Superintendent Karen Gustin told the Port Angeles City Council on Tuesday that the road has been closed eight times so far this winter because of harsh weather.
Veenema said the chamber does less to promote Hurricane Ridge outside the Peninsula during the winter because of the risk of the road being closed because of bad weather when visitors come.
“Well, the ridge is always a tough thing to market during the winter due to the difficulty of knowing if it’s going to be open or not,” he said.
“We personally don’t spend a lot of effort or a lot of money to market the destination just because of that.”
“People have been frustrated when they can’t get there,” Veenema added.
“It’s harder to get them back into the community if they have a bad taste in their mouth.”
Gustin told the council that it doesn’t have the funds to keep the road open every day of the week during the winter.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
