The Adventure Guys - Skate Creek Road opening delayed

The inside story on outside recreation

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:31:26 pm

It will likely be early June before Skate Creek Road opens.

Record low elevation snowfall over the past several months and several large slides have covered the road, also known as Forest Road 52, between Ashford and Packwood.

This road, which provides visitors with an access route across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest from Packwood to the west entrance of Mount Rainier National Park normally reopens in mid-May for summer and fall travel.

This year’s unseasonably deep snow has slowed and halted at times the plowing effot. In addition a large slide/avalanche on the road near Packwood, will have to melt further before it can be removed and repairs can be made to the road.

Based on available information and snow conditions, Forest Service officials estimate that Forest Road 52 will not be opened to public traffic for the Memorial Day holiday, but should be open in early June.

With snow still falling throughout the Mount Rainier area, this probably won't be the only road to open later than is traditional.

Click here for additional information about the status of this route and other
Forest roads.

Categories: Jeffrey P. Mayor, Fishing, Mount Rainier, Hiking, Adventure Guys

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The Adventure Guys

We admit it. We've got great jobs. How many people get told by their bosses to go out and play? We write about those experiences each Thursday in The News Tribune’s Adventure section. But there's always more to the story. Here, Craig Hill and Jeffrey P. Mayor will share the inside stories on their adventures - including their misadventures - plus post news and answer your questions.

CRAIG HILL

Craig Hill is The News Tribune’s injury-prone Adventure writer. After eight years covering college football and basketball, he started writing about adventure sports in 2004. He writes about everything from mountaineering and cycling to skiing and camping. You can reach him at craig.hill@thenewstribune.com

JEFFREY P. MAYOR

Jeffrey P. Mayor has been The News Tribune’s Adventure editor since 2003, and oversees our weekly Adventure section. His coverage focuses on fishing, hunting, Mount Rainier and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can reach him at jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com