HomeMy WebLinkAbout060525 email - Re_ Upper Hoh Road - ThanksALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
My son and I got to enjoy the Hoh Visitor Center area again on Tuesday and wanted to thank your County again for stepping up to get the Upper Hoh Road repaired and open again. As we
drove up, we noticed the sign near the County Road shop about 5.5 miles from US 101 read "Parking Lot Full Up to Two Hour Wait Turn Around Ahead". Fortunately, we ignored the sign
and proceeded to the park. We only had one car ahead of us at the check point and the parking lots at the Visitor Center had plenty of parking. We enjoyed a beautiful roll around
the area. But I wondered how many potential visitors missed out by paying attention to the sign and turned around?
I understand the sign is controlled by the ONP, but seems to be left on when not warranted. I assume it is in the County's ROW for the Upper Hoh Road. Is there anything the County
can do to encourage the ONP to maintain the accuracy of the sign and/or provide a more accurate message to potential park visitors? Does the sign require a permit from the County to
be in the ROW? If so, are there requirements that signs in the ROW be accurate? I understand visitors should be aware of long lines/wait times, but gross misinformation is not helpful
or good for public relations either.
It seems a bit counterproductive to work so hard to get a road open to still turn visitors away unnecessarily.
I ask the County to consider working with the ONP to encourage them to find a better approach to alerting visitors to the potential for long wait times.
Thanks again,
Glen Chipman
Forks Resident
On Sat, Mar 15, 2025 at 12:50 PM Glen Chipman <gcchipman@gmail.com <mailto:gcchipman@gmail.com> > wrote:
Thanks for all your hard work as Commissioners and county staff in acquiring funding for the repairs to the Upper Hoh Road. As a former budget director for a small Washington county,
I recognize and appreciate this was no small feat especially to get the Governor's attention and action to the issue during the chaotic frenzy of a legislative session.
My son and I have been exploring and enjoying the trails on the Olympic Peninsula for the past three years since retiring. The Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center area is our second most
frequented trail. We now have over 100 trails we have rolled. We THANK YOU for your County's support of trails! And, you as Commissioners for funding them given all the other competing
issues the County faces.
For more on our trail adventures, I have created a blog to share the free online maps I've created to share with others so they can get outside and enjoy this beautiful area as we have
and continue to do. Blog link: https://t-chairadventures.blogspot.com/p/maps.html.
Thanks again for your ongoing support of the community! Yours is not a job I would take on. Lots of demands and opinions for and against virtually ever issue you face and never enough
money or time to take them all on. The great balancing act is yours. THANKS!
Glen and Tanner Chipman,
Now residents of Forks, WA