WMC Update 2012

Yammadog...

Are you saying that there is an area adjacent to this area shown in WMC's (again I refer to the user "WMC") Media photo that is off limits to snowmobiles?

How difficult is it for human powered transport to get to this location from parking lots?

Any pics of that non-motor area adjacent to this one in the photo??

CLARA LAKE AREA

The area in this photo is within 15 to 20 minutes of a non-motorized trail head and 5-10 minutes if accessed from the ski area(Mission Ridge), many user who would never  participate on this forum complain about the overwhelming presence of sledders in this area. The trailhead is at the entrance on Mission Ridge ski area and is non-motorized in summer. It is 20 minutes at the most from downtown Wenatchee.

that's what's so annoying to me. They have the capability of reaching terrain where they won't bother anybody, but they insist on tearing up the road runs first. I don't get it. Is fuel really that expensive?

that's what's so annoying to me. They have the capability of reaching terrain where they won't bother anybody, but they insist on tearing up the road runs first. I don't get it. Is fuel really that expensive?

I know most guys I ride with get off trail as soon as possible. Usually the areas nearby the snowpark have little off road access due to tree cover drainages or running in to off limits area. I ride the Gold Creek access at snoqualmie and the shortest road distance is 7 miles to off trail legal riding....

With regard to the above picture, I've not been over that side of the ridge that backs up to the ski area, not sure how they would access it, must be local Wenatchee folks. The website I mentioned before says it's legal riding above the lake. Nice drop line in the middle of the pict..looks big.

To be fair, pristine means "unspoiled"

I enjoy the pristine snow of a mountain as I float down the slope on my Snowboard, B3's or Snowmobile.

If the area is suppose to be getting tore up by snowmobiles, how "pristine" could it be?

Skiers are encouraged to contact USFS and let them know which areas of the Forest are used for skiing, snowshoeing, winter camping, snowmobiling, any winter uses. The Forest Planning Team is here:  r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us  We were also informed that Districts are involved so also please let the Districts (see p 23) know where you ski, snowshoe, winter camp, other winter Forest use. The civil comments and input from citizens are appreciated, I am told, by USFS personnel.

Some of us at WMC have helped with this process and find that the Team is generally aware of types and locations of winter Forest uses. We are told that a Draft is being produced that USFS will put out for public comment.


Aside from the above process, WMC is advocating for new and significant winter non-motorized areas on the pristine crest of the Wenatchee Mountains. Part of the proposal is contiguous to the Wilderness Boundary which allows a corridor for skiers and snowshoers to access the Wilderness and also provides excellent areas for skiing, snowshoeing, winter camping and quiet winter use. The east portion of the WMC proposal enlarges the existing Tronsen Non-Motorized Area at Blewett Pass and continues on the ridge to connect with the Mission Ridge Ski Area and include the areas for receation that are very close access to the parked car.

"The vast majority of the 400,000 acres (of public land) in Kittitas County are available to snowmobiles"- a past quote in the local paper from Todd Stiles of USFS Cle Elum. The current Tronsen Non-Motorized Area, primo skiing, appears to be about four sections or around 2500 acres (in Chelan Co, bordering Kittitas Co). What would be the total of all of the Designated and Voluntary Non-Motorized areas in Kittitas County- 10,000 or 15,000 acres?

The WMC Executive has eyeball estimated roughly that the Teanaway crest Wilderness Boundary portion of our proposal at around 20, 500 acres, and the Blewett to Mission portion at around 5800 acres.

Simply put out the Wenatchee NF map and observe all of the area to the south of the Wenatchee mountains crest open to snowmobiling, that could not covered on that map by outstretched hands, compared to the primo-skiing Wenatchee Mountains crest area at Tronsen Non-Motorized area at Blewett Pass- which on the map would be covered by a Quarter coin.

What the Wenatchee Mountains Coalition (WMC) asks for is parity. There are significant numbers of non-motorized winter recreationalists, yet the non-Wilderness portion of the Wenatchee National Forest allows a disproportionate amount of the Forest to be monopolized by one use - snowmobiles. We do not wish to prohibit snowmobiles on the Forest (some of us are also snowmobilers), but because motorized and non-motorized uses are incompatible on the same terrain, we ask for more non-motorized terrain. We invite all winter recreationalists to share their thoughts about this issue and this need with the Forest Supervisor and Forest Planning Team.

Page 1 of this thread has more information about the Wenatchee Mountains Coalition and the Thousand Skiers Project.

Thank you.

You want parity, look a the state map and count the millions of acres of non-motorized already available.

Scotsman had the best suggestion, cut this movement off at the knees. Write your legislators. Don't let one special interest group control your access.

As for the rest of you guys let's work on a real plan that gets you better access perhaps realignment of other areas to achieve the seperation you wish without excluding a large user group from one fo the most popular areas in the state. Then we can present the USFS a workable plan that both sides can support.