Part of hill closed to sledders

Sledders at Valley Mission Park found fewer options for downhill thrills Friday when city workers closed off part of the hill for safety reasons.

“Especially with that early snow, we really had a huge turnout in sledding,” said Spokane Valley parks and recreation director Mike Jackson.

Behind the city’s former senior center at the east end of the park, signs and strategically placed sand now discourage sledders from taking one of the steeper hills in the area.

That hill and another converge at the bottom at about a 45-degree angle, which was dangerous, Jackson said.

Icy conditions, accidents, more sledders and areas where they had damaged the grass prompted the city to close the steeper of the two hills.

The closure is not unprecedented. Spokane County occasionally shut down the steeper hill in years past based on the conditions, Jackson said.