Editor’s note: A phone number in this story has been corrected.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The road to Hurricane Ridge is scheduled to open Friday as Olympic National Park prepares for winter operations.
“I think with all this snow, people are pretty excited,” said Penny Wagner, park spokeswoman. “It’s winter up there.”
On Wednesday, a sensor at Hurricane Ridge recorded 34 inches of snow, and according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, snowpack was at about 300 percent of average.
The park is preparing to have Hurricane Ridge Road open Fridays through Sundays and holiday Mondays throughout the winter. For Thanksgiving weekend, it will be open Friday through Sunday.
All vehicles must carry tire chains during winter. Call 360-565-3131 or check @HRWinterAccess on Twitter for current road conditions.
Wagner said the Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area had not yet confirmed when it plans to begin operations.
Efforts to reach the Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area for comment this week were unsuccessful, but the group posted on Facebook that crews hoped to begin operations Dec. 3, depending on road and weather conditions.
“The Park starts winter plowing operations [Friday], which should give us plenty of time to move our equipment in and get it set up and operational,” the post says. “Hopefully it will keep dumping snow so we can get the Poma side of the area open as soon as possible.”
Rope tows
The plan is to start with two rope tows, but “this could be one of the rare seasons we have enough snow to operate the Poma lift in December.”
Private ski and snowboard lessons will be available starting Dec. 15 with advance reservations only. Full school operations start Jan. 6.
For more information, call the Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area at 848-667-7669.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
