Snowmobiles on Amabilis -- A Request

Snowmobiles are not allowed on the lower part of Amabilis. It is my understanding that they are allowed on the upper part. I know there are some folks on here who snowmobile, so I am making a friendly request (more of a plea, actually) that these folks sled elsewhere. Here is why:

1) Amabilis is one of the best beginning level logging road ski tours in Washington. The lower reaches are usually groomed, which makes it much easier to ski (beginning skiers can snow plow). The upper section is rarely groomed, but it is fairly moderate, and the snow is usually good. Yesterday, the snow was outstanding, despite the lack of anything new in the last few days. It stays pretty cold there, because of the pass effect and the influence of the (typically) colder air to the east. On the upper area, you can wander away from the roads a bit and try skiing through the trees on moderate terrain. Advanced skiers can find chutes and more challenging steep forested areas to ski. In other words, the area has a bit of everything, but is especially nice for beginning touring skiers.

2) The views are great.

3) There are other places for the snowmobile folks to go. Specifically, I can think of Keechelus Ridge. There are similar (if not better) views from there as well as miles of snowmobile accessible roads and some good open country. I'm sure there are plenty of backcountry skiers who would trade Amabilis for Keechelus, but that isn't going to happen. I would prefer that the sledders simply avoid Amabilis. Which gets me to the next point:

Why I don't like being around snowmobiles (in general) but specifically on Amabilis:

1) The noise.

2) The exhaust. Generally speaking, I am rarely bothered by both of these at the same time, but I'm usually bothered by one. On the roads, the smoke tends to hang in the air, which makes it tough to breathe. Out in the open, the exhaust dissipates, but the noise is more prevalent. The last time at Keechelus, it was the noise at the top that bothered me the most (and got my friends to swear they would never be back).

3) Snowmobile tracks make it more difficult to ski. This is debatable, of course. If you have really big skis, and the alternative is breaking trail, you may welcome a snowmobile track (because it makes things faster). However, for a beginner skier, the snowmobile track just makes it harder. Without a snowmobile track, skiers push a nice narrow track through the snow. This ski tracks take up only a small part of the road, while the rest of the road is soft snow. While skiing downhill, this makes things relatively easy. You can just stay in the track. If you get going too fast, you head for the soft snow (which will slow down those skinny skis). Eventually, there a few side tracks as a result, but just about everyone can find a way down without going too fast. Unfortunately, a snowmobiles track just don't match a ski track. Snowmobiles tend to wander a bit more as well. The end result is that a path that has had snowmobile traffic tends to be have a lot more ruts and is much harder to ski.

I want to be clear that this is not an anti-snowmobile rant. I've met plenty of guys (and gals) snowmobiling and everyone I've met has been really nice and courteous. Folks seem to slow down when they see a skier, which I very much appreciate. I would gladly share a beer (or two) with sledders after the day is done. They can tell me how great Keechelus Ridge was, and I can tell them how great (peaceful and easy) Amabilis was.

Wait, let me get the popcorn.         

Anytime there is shared terrain you will always find complaints. Skiers vs snowshoers vs snowboarders vs sleders. In the summer it is hikers vs bikers vs dual sport vs atv's. You can't expect everyone from various sports to know the proper protocols of other sports they do not participate in. I know when I ride my dual sport in the mtns I try to be as polite as possible when I come across hikers but I will still get the dirty looks just for the fact of being there. As long as people are not being careless to themselves or others, and obeying the law then just accept each other and get along. Each sport trying to ban one another is not the way to go..... :]

I talked to a sledder near the summit of Amabalis a couple years ago -- he had come up from the Lake Kachess (east) side and he indicated that his usage was mostly an early season thing because there a section that fills once the snowpack is deep, requiring sidehilling.

I wonder what it would take to get the grooming council snowrec.org to designate the west side of Amabalis a voluntary non-motorized area (not just the last 200 yards before the Cabin Creek groomed track area) To me it doesn't seem like there is much value for sled use below a particular viewpoint near the summit on the West side and I don't think hardly any skiers every use the east side of Amabalis.

FWIW: I skiied Amabalis on 1/1 and the road was XC groomed all the way up -- but I did see one old snow machine track on the road that had been groomed over.

I agree Randy. I think that would make a lot of sense. I really like the word "voluntary" which fits with my request. I am OK with sledders going around the mountain and playing on the east side, I would just prefer they stay off the groomed area and the main parts of the 'Y'. They rarely go there, so I guess I don't see this as such a big request (unlike if I suggested that sledders avoid Keechulus).

I was also there on New Years. I was there with a friend, which prompted my message. He is an intermediate touring skier, but his skis are quite skinny. My skis are a bit fatter (although still only 68-58-64). But mostly I'm just more experienced and I've been out a lot this year. This was his first time out, and he probably goes years without skiing. Basically, this was an introduction to the sport, and the only negative was the track. He knew about ungroomed road skiing (he was familiar with the outrigger approach, where one ski is in the track and the other is in the soft snow). He also cruised down the groomed section (he knows how to snow plow). I'm convinced that the snowmobile track made it harder (of course, I could be wrong). I'm pretty sure that if there was no sno-mo track, then there would be a simple ski track (or two). I might have laid them, actually. I was out on Amabilis a week ago as well (and noticed the sno-mo tracks). The funny thing is that the worse thing that day was the lack of grooming (on the lower section). Fortunately, the groomer got fixed, the blow down got removed, and everything was smooth until the 'Y'.