[Anne Elk]

I was up on the Mt Loop for a day trip yesterday, mostly sightseeing w/a friend unfamiliar with the area and doing short trail jaunts. I knew about the recent trail closures up the N Fork Sauk that Kim had reported on, here. We stopped at the Verlot station and had a very nice chat with the 2 staff members. Since I hadn't been up that road before, I inquired about FS49 road conditions and if it was passable w/a low-clearance vehicle. The ranger said, "it's not bad, a lot better than some other roads". We got up there to discover the road blocked by two construction vehicles and closure signs. The maintenance guys said they were just beginning work on slumped area of the road, were hoping to have it done in a week but weren't certain of that. Although we had a flexible agenda, accurate info would have saved us the slow trek over the chuck-holed MLH east of Barlow Pass. See my other thread w/details - and just know that Verlot doesn't necessarily know what's going on in the Darrington district, and maybe vice versa. Giving Verlot the benefit of the doubt, it looks like the road closure notice wasn't posted until the day it began.

[iron]

my experience is that the ranger stations have no valuable information on current conditions. completely clueless and inexperienced with simple topics that are slightly outside of their normal operating terrain. i suspect they just have the job, but don't actually get out there.

[Anne Elk]

If that's true, most unfortunate. I'd like to think they do more than sell souvenir tchotchkes and day use passes. Perhaps others experiences vary? Ski seems to get a lot of good info (and sometimes inside dirt) from FS/NPS staff.

[Kim Brown]

It would seem reasonable that the trails and roads bordering districts, or those it’s reasonable for both Districts to know about – would know about them. It wouldn’t be reasonable for Verlot to know much about Rat Trap Pass, for instance – but the N Fk Sauk is popular enough and near enough to the Verlot border that I would expect Verlot to know, esp. with the well-advertised work being done there. A permanent, long-time Front Line officer would likely know quite a bit about both districts, but a seasonal employee from Florida - perhaps not. I suspect the person you talked with was seasonal. I know that doesn’t solve anything or make it better. My guess is that the staff person spaced, and as soon as you drove off, it was one of those “Doh! Wait wait wait! Arrrgh! ” moments for her (assuming it was the seasonal woman you spoke with). She is working what is likely the busiest, most annoying desk in Region 6. Hats off to her. Some of those information officers at the USFS desks really really know their stuff. Climbing advice, off-trail suggestions, destinations, and conditions – many of them are quite adept at wandering their Districts. One reason I like to stop in a ranger station when I can is to get to know who they are. If they’re new, seasoned, etc. That way I know what to take with a grain of salt, and whose word is bible. If I'm not sure about their expertise, I might ask more probing questions, like "so...the blasting on the PCT is done? They did say the road was going to be closed X and X dates; I was wondering if it was delayed or extended..." to prompt filed-away knowledge about any road information. This is how Ski gets his information as well, no doubt. I still think about the guy who I advised to turn left at the next to get back to his car, but I should have said to turn right. But I figure anyone would turn right when I tell them to turn left, so whatever his fate was, it was his fault.

[Foist]

Ignorance about trail conditions is to be expected. But I am surprised they wouldn't know about actual closures for road work. Who is directing/authorizing this work besides the Forest Service?

[Anne Elk]

Unknown. The workers weren't FS staff, looked like subcontractors. Since the ranger offices have computers, you'd think they'd look for and print out new bulletins or at least look things up when they get specific questions.

[Cyclopath]

I've never seen the Darrington ranger station open, in all the years I've been driving through.

[Schroder]

Darrington is the District office. Verlot was a district once upon a time but it's now a "service center" and every time I've stopped there in recent years they were volunteer staff. Darrington Ranger Station is open 8-4:30 Mon-Sat; Verlot is open Thurs-Mon 8-4.

[Canyon1]

The issue with the FS is that there is a lacking of cross communication amongst the various departments in a region. Common sense tells you to let your fellow FS associate know what is happening that will impact the public, but more often then not this is not the case with the FS. I know this from actual hands on experience. That is the culture at the FS. The best way to get around this is to have key contacts in the various FS departments like Wilderness Rangers, Fire, Front Liners, Engineering and so on. The FS has great people working within the agency. However, they need to take the blinders off and start thinking with a professional corporate mind set.

[Anne Elk]

Thanks for that clarification, Schroder. But couldn't even volunteers be more "with it" in this computer age?? I feel like I could a better job walking in there "cold" despite having been rated as "unqualified" for an entry level seasonal job at the visitor center near Mt. Baker some years ago when I wanted a break from my "real" job.

[treeswarper]

[HikerJohn]

The consolidation of districts and the reduction of budget (and staff) have hit the districts in MBSNF pretty hard-- but to give credit (at least in the Snoqualmie District) the front desk folks usually have a pretty good idea of trail and road conditions. I know in Enumclaw they keep an up to date list of road and trail reports and maintain it pretty well based on patrol reports. They don't always know what the contractors are going to do, so sometimes that is a surprise.

[SwitchbackFisher]

Understaffing is a serious issue. The FS typically does 1 hiring period for the entire season. All to often people are leaving them for better paying jobs leaving them with a shortage for the entire season.

[Cyclopath]

[BigBrunyon]

Whenever I ask the rangers about conditions I always go into the conversation with my own prediction already. It is based on exhausting all sources of weather research! But I want to hear theirs. I always feel like I'm more in the know about the locations being discussed than the rangers and my prediction is almost always more right!