WMC Update 2012

No bluff from me, since I'm not among the group that would decide. Hey - I have no trouble with thoughtful disagreement with moderators. I think that your unique mix of mud-stirring and moderator critiquing, though, has taken on the characteristic of mosquito buzzing for me, to be honest, but perhaps Marcus and crew have found it to be more thought-provoking and constructive...

Well then stop bringing up the fact that I have repeatedly refused to be a moderator in your arguments. You can't have it both ways.

I am a BC skier and snowshoer who lives in the Wenatchee Valley. We have a very active and close-knit group of winter non-motorized users in the valley and we support the WMC in its efforts. The lack of winter travel management on the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF is really at a critical state so we support the idea of a letter writing campaign. It doesn't really matter where you BC ski or from what part of the world you are from because the same situation is happening all across our Western National Forests and worse in Canada. I recently saw an add in a snowmobile magazine where they are now using helicopters to fly in snowmobiles to remote mountain locations - that's right using helicopters to transport snowmobiles!
As per the choice of WMC to protect their identity, they are correct in doing so. Who wants to be harassed with hate mail? That is not being a coward, that is just plain smart! This is about the issue not the person.
Myself and many of the area locals will be contributing our personal letters to the Thousand Skier Project and I encourage all you BC users to do the same.

Anyhoo to get back to the subject.

This is where I have some more issues.with WMC's approach.

Now Andy Dappen is a great writer and I love his stuff but he is part of an organization called Wenatchee outdoors that promotes human powered recreation. No problem with that. However its a private group, gets some of its revenue from ads( presumably) and grants to promote tourism( fact vfound on the interebz) and presumably therefore pays his wages and provides a living. No problem with that either.
He writes detailed trip reports with maps for BC skiers next to Mission ridge. These encourage Bc tourers to certain areas. His TR's here encourage you to visit their site, presumably increasing this private groups hit count and therefore adding to the commercial value of ads placed there etc etc.

Then a group WMC is formed that wants more non-motorized areas from the FS and says there are more backcountry skiers than smowmobilers and that even if there isn't there should be parity calculated not upon demographics but based upon the relative amount each sub group can track out the snow. The writer for WMC is gifted, well informed historicaly and persuasive.

I guess my question is this. Is there a connection between WMC and the private group Wenatchee Outdoors and if there is shouldn't it be disclosed?

If not, great, I'd be much better knowing that as well.

I recently saw an add in a snowmobile magazine where they are now using helicopters to fly in snowmobiles to remote mountain locations - that's right using helicopters to transport snowmobiles!

So?

Are you proposing that be made illegal?

(While apparently not knowing where it was actually happening?)

Well then stop bringing up the fact that I have repeatedly refused to be a moderator in your arguments. You can't have it both ways.

What are the "both ways," pray tell, that I'm trying to have it? ???

Myself and many of the area locals will be contributing our personal letters to the Thousand Skier Project and I encourage all you BC users to do the same.

If you have enough "area locals" who love the area in question, life should be fine. If you need "all us BC users" to join in, get us more excited about what's at stake here! Nice but vague stories of your past fun don't really help me taste what's at stake here.