[Foist]

My wife was at a different part of the park today and there were signs that both Hurricane Ridge and Deer Park are closed, and a ranger said there was a violent incident. Does anyone know what happened?

[reststep]

Park service posted something at Washington H & C. Sounds like it might be an on going situation. https://www.facebook.com/groups/washingtonhikersandclimbers/

[Foist]

Right I saw that. Very mysterious and useless. How are people supposed to know what activity is "suspicious" if they don't even remotely know what is going on?

[RumiDude]

Maybe if a person sees something out of the ordinary, that may qualify as suspicious. Rumi

[chilge]

From ONP Facebook page:

[kiliki]

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/armed-man-flees-into-olympic-national-park/ PORT ANGELES — Hurricane Ridge Road, the popular Olympic National Park thoroughfare, remained closed this morning after an armed man fled into the woods in the Deer Park campground area Sunday morning, authorities said. “There’s no known immediate threat to local residents, at least at this point,” Brian King, Clallam County chief criminal deputy, said this morning. Park spokesperson Penny Wagner said as of Sunday night there were no injuries. The incident occurred Sunday morning, King said. Wagner said the park would have an update on the incident later this morning. A recording on the park’s 360-565-3131 information line this morning said the roads remain closed today — Deer Park Road at the park boundary and Hurricane Ridge Road above the Heart o’ the Hills campground.” The park enlisted the help of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, King said. King said a North Olympic Peninsula-area man armed with a long rifle whose friends said had been using methamphetamine fled into the woods in the Deer Park campground area some time Sunday morning. King did not know this morning if the man is still at large. “His last known location was in the park,” King said. “They are looking for him in terms of his mental instability or concerns over his mental instability and that he is armed.” A friend of the man alerted authorities to his behavior by calling 9-1-1, King said. King said the FBI is involved in the investigation of the incident. “There were concerns over access to trails from Deer Park. I assume there were concerns over trail access to all the locations in the park in the event he did head into the back country. “The information that we’ve got that we have known to us is that he was 6 or 7 miles into the park, which is a pretty significant distance. Law enforcement has in its possession “some writings” by the man, “some notes he had,” King said. “I don’t know if we’d call it a manifesto. It’s in the possession of law enforcement.”

[Foist]

Oy. Thanks.

[InFlight]

Random druggie runs from a car camping site into the woods with a rifle. Overnight temperatures in the mid 30s, no backpack or supplies, no food, and maybe a limited meth supply. Can't image he is going to last out there very long.

[Pyrites]

Not appropriate incident for the normal volunteer SAR.

[Cyclopath]

****ing meth heads. . What a horrible drug, it eats people's souls. I feel bad for everyone who was trying to enjoy what's left of summer in a beautiful place.

[RichP]

They are also staging out of Deer Park CG for goat removal right now.

[Cyclopath]

Is this still ongoing?

[chilge]

Yes, still ongoing per ONP website. https://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm Had a five day loop (Obstruction -> Cameron Pass via Grand Valley -> Deer Park via Cameron Creek -> Obstruction) planned in this area for Labor Day weekend... looking increasingly unlikely that our trip will move forward as planned. Dagnabbit!

[Kim Brown]

I wish agencies would put DATES on alerts. This doesn't give me the warm fuzzy that it's actually accurate today. As slow as some are to update anything, it would be good for us to know that they really are on the ball. Put the date on, and update the date daily.

[chilge]

Fair point, it would be nice if the website included specific dates. FWIW the recorded message when one calls for road status updates (360-565-3131) does note a specific date and time, and as of 8/31 at 8:30 AM both Hurricaine Ridge and Deer Park were still closed. Would be nice if that info was included on the website, too!