Lahars, 9:15 Opening and Paradise Parking

If you live near Mt. Rainier, take note that there is a problem with the lahar emergency warning system (TNT). Speaking of early warnings, check out the forecasted weather for "re-opening" weekend (NOAA):

Saturday Through Monday: Variable high clouds otherwise mostly sunny days and mostly clear at night. Freezing level rising to 9000 feet...then falling to 7500 feet Monday.

They've pushed forward the opening time 45 minutes; now the gates will swing at 9:15 a.m.! U.S. Congressman Norm Dicks and Superintendent Dave Uberuaga will be there to cut ribbons and welcome visitors. If you're headed to Paradise, be forewarned that there is a limited amount of parking (I suspect that the parking lots will fill really fast). Why?

• The park is expecting a lot of visitors this weekend.
• The Paradise construction project continues, and most of the upper lot is fenced off.
• The overflow parking (i.e., the one way road out of Paradise) remains closed.

Therefore, get up there and grab a spot early. If you're parking overnight, use the Paradise picnic area just below the Jackson Visitor Center. There is a good chance for that parking lot filling up too, so park first and then get your permits at the Jackson Visitor Center. As mentioned in the previous post, save yourself time by printing the climbing permit from this website, filling it out, and bringing it with you.