Judge OKs White Pass ski resort expansion

I am always glad to see more ski development.....

As much as I admire the Sierra Club, they should stay in California... this still could go to the wacky 9th Circuit Court (based in California of course).

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...s1stldwritethru.html

A sad day...

Another classic backcountry ski locale lost to mechanized 'wreckreation' that only a few can afford.

The most interesting thing about the Hogback development is that the area was formerly part of the Goat Rocks Wilderness and it was removed from the wilderness in 1984. This was done to get Rep. Sid Morrison (acting on behalf of the ski area) to support inclusion of the Cougar Lakes area in the Washington Wilderness Act. That's a remarkable precedent.

I have mixed feelings about this decision. White Pass is a beautiful area for the reasons that it is not overly developed. Having skied there twice over the last two years, my impression was that the snow was of better quality and I enjoyed the low-key environment. My other feeling was that the long, though scenic drive, and lack of much challenging terrain made it borderline worth-it. The resort could use a shot of more terrain and lifts, which of course would impact the scenery and habitat. Such is the dilemma of lift-served skiing.

The proposed plan will, with two lifts and a lodge in the meadow area of the approach to Hogback create a scene of alpine skiers where previously only those willing to tour were the recipients of a true natural place to ski with no machines in the picture. Now it will become something like a base area up in the pristine wilderness, so the ski company can have a product that will be marketable in the near future to a huge corporation and everyone will be able to make their retirement money off of the sale. The area has always been accesable to those with the spirit to enjoy it and now it will be thrown to the masses who have always been too lazy or too frightened to go there on their own.

I think that Washington is blessed with some great back country skiing, so why be so stingy about giving something up to lift served?

If the demand is there... folks willing to pay for lifts, then we should accommodate the demand.   Maybe Hogsback is not the right place... so where is a better location?

Wouldn't the new lifts give more access to even more back country?

Here is a trip report on Hogsback... nice pics:
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...fefa514&topic=3379.0

Discussion at Tele-tips:
www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php...1882ef3e937bfc48daba

Link to Record of Decision Documents Page:
www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/projects/white-pass/

http://yakimaherald.com/images/photos/2008/9/11/062707white_pass_expansion.jpg?086bc527c14d