OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Poma lift has begun operating and is expected to be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The lift to the Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area’s longer, steeper runs began operation Jan. 9, and plans are to open it again for the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
“You need to be at least an intermediate-level skier,” said Russ Morrison, a past president of the Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Club, which operates the ski area in Olympic National Park.
Hurricane Ridge Road will be open, weather permitting, Friday through Monday, although the Poma lift will not be open until Saturday.
Monday will be a free entry day to the park.
The ski area needs about 2 more feet of snow for the best possible ski conditions, but the current snow is excellent for so early in the season, Morrison said.
During the past week, some snow has fallen, but it was not certain how much because the automated weather station on Hurricane Ridge is broken, and no one has been to the area since Sunday, he said.
As of Wednesday morning, the park service reported 70 inches of snow — 5.8 feet — with at least 3 inches of new snow at the snow stake.
Morrison said last weekend’s Poma opening is among the earliest he could remember, and he has been skiing at Hurricane Ridge since 1968.
The combination of the early opening and clear weather has produced very busy ski weekends, he added.
When the parking lot is full, long lines can form at the Heart o’ the Hills entry station because only one car is allowed up for each car that exits the parking lot at the Ridge.
The parking lot often has been full by noon lately, Morrison said. He recommends visitors arrive at the park earlier in the day.
The road is scheduled to be open Friday through Monday, 9 a.m. through 4 p.m., as conditions allow.
All vehicles traveling to Hurricane Ridge must carry chains.
For road conditions and closures, call the road condition hotline at 360-565-3131 or check the park’s Twitter account at www.twitter.com/HRWinterAccess.
Entry is free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Monday — but fees are collected at Heart o’ the Hills every other day.
Park fees increased at the beginning of the year. Entry to the park is $25 per vehicle for a seven-day pass. An annual pass is available for $50.
A lifetime senior pass is available for $10 for park users 62 and older, and an active-duty military member or dependent pass is available for free.
For those who prefer to leave their cars at a lower elevation, All Points Charter & Tours provides a shuttle bus to Hurricane Ridge twice daily each day the road to the Ridge is open.
The shuttle departs at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from The Landing mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave, and at 9:05 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. from the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St.
Return trips from the Ridge depart at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Recent trips have been near capacity for the service’s smaller bus, but a larger bus is available as needed, said Willie Nelson, operator of the shuttle service.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Nelson said of the number of people wanting to visit Hurricane Ridge this winter.
Shuttle rides are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 7 to 12, with children 6 and younger riding for free.
Individual entry to the park is $10 per person 16 and older and is not included in the shuttle fee.
For reservations on Hurricane Ridge shuttle buses, phone 360-460-7131.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.