Hikers warned about dangerous park conditions caused by winter storms

State and federal authorities are warning outdoor enthusiasts to take extra precautions while visiting storm-ravaged public lands after the deaths last week of two hikers in Mount Rainier National Park.

The rain and wind that snarled traffic and flooded homes in Western Washington last year also caused millions of dollars in damage to parks in the state and altered terrain and trails.

		Karen Ducey / P-I
	A suspension bridge lies in shambles across the White River on the Buck Creek Trail in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

"People need to call the ranger stations before they go," said Gary Paull, trails and wilderness coordinator for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. He said hikers could find that they have a 12-mile walk just to get to a trailhead.

The flood damage to roads and trails has forced the closure of most of Mount Rainier National Park. At least 10 bridges on the park's Wonderland Trail were destroyed.

In Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar said the Nisqually Road, the park's main year-round corridor, will open May 1 even as repairs to the rest of the park continue.

At least four sections of the road were damaged or obliterated in severe floods in November.

The total cost for repairs could approach $100 million, Bomar told a House Appropriations subcommittee. Bomar called damage from the storms unprecedented and said the full extent may not be known until the snow melts. "We have been working diligently to make repairs," she said.

Locally, Seattle parks lost about 700 trees and sustained more than $300,000 in damage in 2006, in which a record 15.63 inches of rain fell in November, Seattle Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Dewey Potter said. But all parks maintained by Seattle or King County remain open.

Roads and trails in North Cascades and Olympic national parks and in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee national forests also were damaged extensively.

That wreckage compounds more than $10 million in damage to public lands in Western Washington caused by storms in 2003, with Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest being hardest hit. About $2.7 million in damage to roads and trails still has not been fixed, Washington Trails Association Executive Director Elizabeth Lunney said.

Numerous forest roads in Western Washington remain closed, which is expected to limit access to dozens of trails this year.

"Much of the specific damage to trails is unknown as it lies waiting to be discovered under a blanket of snow," said Lauren Braden, a spokeswoman for the trails association.

There could be danger for hikers and more damage this spring when rainfall and snowmelt deluge streams and rivers.

"People need to be real aware of unstable conditions along river banks," Paull said. "Some of these could collapse, and there are lots of downed trees along the trails."

He also warned against using improvised bridges.

"People are going to be tempted to get across high-velocity waterways, and we all just saw what can happen when people try to do that on logs."

Robert and Frances Blakely of Puyallup were killed March 19 after falling off a makeshift log bridge while trying to cross Ipsut Creek in Mount Rainier National Park.

The water the couple fell into was about waist-deep, but it was fast-moving and very cold, park spokeswoman Lee Taylor said.

In addition to researching conditions before departing, Braden said, outdoor enthusiasts should carry essential survival gear, such as a compass, extra food, waterproof matches and a first-aid kid.

Hiking poles can help on snow-covered patches and with crossing downed logs, she said.

Hiking experts advise that shoulder straps on packs be loosened and waist belts be unbuckled before fording a stream, so the pack can be jettisoned in the event of a fall.

Two hikers can cross a stream together arm-in-arm for better stability. Many hikers find it safer to cross a slippery log by sitting on it.

Leaving an itinerary with someone at home and planning a return time also is recommended.

BEFORE YOU GO

Washington Trails Association: wta.org

Mount Rainier National Park: nps.gov/mora

Olympic National Park: nps.gov/olym

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs

North Cascades National Park: nps.gov/noca

Wenatchee National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee