Snoqualmie Master Develop. Plan-Feb.21 deadline

Anybody know why one high-speed quad to replace the Eidelweiss lift wasn't proposed?  It would go a long way to ease the congestion there.  Are high-speed quads that expensive vs two other lifts or trams/gondolas?

<br><br>I don't know the exact reason, but a while ago I remember hearing they couldn't put in a high-speed quad to replace the slow Pacific Crest quad at Snoqualmie because it would put too many people on the mountain at once. I am guessing maybe replacing Eidelweiss with a high-speed quad would do the same.<br>

Back when Sunday River in ME was starting its big wave of expansion, they started replacing some slow chairs with high speed quads, and it was amazing how much this change filled certain key bottlenecks with people. Where the people could spread out onto either wide trails or multiple littler trails, no big deal. But where there were funnels that the whole or most of the flow of traffic from the chair had to go through, it was bad news - frankly way worse than waiting on longer lift lines (and I hate lift lines). I can picture a few such potential bottlenecks coming down from the Edelweiss chair.

About the old growth - I wouldn't be surprised if it actually has been cut over a couple of times. Most of the mature looking stuff you see from the major highways is actually 80 years or younger. There's very little mature old growth (a la the 300 year plus stuff, or even 150 plus for that matter) left in WA. <br><br>A better question is how to create better long term incentives for conservation. In another 10 years Booth or someone else will come up with some other interesting and maybe valuable modifications they want to implement. Maybe there should be a habitat off-set for this activity? Even a small one might be worthwhile if it lasts.<br><br>In fairness to Booth, the USFS has probably done more to hack up the Snoqualmie viewshed than anyone. Maybe they should provide part of this offset.<br><br>BTW, I think some expansion is OK, especially if it doesn't hinder access. The gondola seems weird but the other lift at Alpental might be fun. In any case, making sure I can still park somewhere and head off to Kendal, Red Peak, etc.. will probably be my main focus when I comment.<br><br>