Reservations...

It's permit reservation season! If you need to ensure that your high camp and route are reserved, now is your time. The wilderness reservation office won't start working on reservations until April 1st, however, if you'd like to avoid the April 1st phone/fax rush, send in your request now (after March 15th). Those sent before April 1 are randomly mixed together, so what matters most is getting your permit in by April 1st! Here are some FAQ about climbing reservations. Last year I also offered these tips. Reservations aren't mandatory, and they aren't for everyone, so check it out.

Road Repair: The repairs at milepost #9, where the Nisqually River eroded the embankment next to the road during the flood, are going well. It looks as though the road surface and embankment have been repaired. If I had to guess, it's getting close to being repaved... Which is good news, because MP #9 was the most significantly compromised section of road between Longmire and Paradise. The primary obstacles to opening the south side of the park remain below Longmire; they are at MP #5 and Kautz Creek.