Hiker Headlines: Rainier Roads, Wildfire Season, Powerful Partnerships

It’s Thursday, June 27. Hikers will be happy to know several Mount Rainier roads will open soon. It's definitely fire season — and it's really dry out there. WTA leaders took a hike with a King County Executive to celebrate our decades-long partnership. And the USDA Forest Service wants to change some rules on environmental reviews. 

Higher elevation roads at Mount Rainier National Park expected to open this weekend. Photo by Jacob Cummings. 

Here’s some hiker news you may have missed while out on trail this week:

Another sign of summer: Mowich Lake Road in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, Sunrise Road in the northeast and Paradise Valley Road, which connects Paradise and Stevens Canyon Road, are set to open tomorrow, weather permitting.  Recent trip reports for trails in the surrounding areas can give you an idea of conditions before you head out. And if you hit any of these roads and newly opened trails, we’d love to hear about it. 

Droughts and fires: Olympic National Park and Olympic and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest are in a moderate-to-severe drought with above-normal potential for forest fires. Also, a small lightning-caused fire is burning above Pyramid Lake in North Cascades National Park; trailheads and climbing routes are still open. 

The power of partnerships: Celebrating the work that can be accomplished when government agencies partner with non-profits, King County Executive Dow Constantine took a hike with WTA staff on Margaret’s Way, a trail in the Issaquah Alps built in cooperation with WTA, King County Parks and the Issaquah Alps Trails Club. 

New rules? The U.S. Forest Service is considering revising its National Environmental Policy Act regulations, a process the agency follows for projects that may have an environmental impact, such as road work, maintenance on bridges and trails and permits for outfitters, among other issues. The Forest Service says it is attempting to streamline processes on items have no significant impact to the environment, therefore requiring less of a review process. If you’d like to speak up on the issue, a 60-day public comment period began on June 13. 

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