Snowmobiles in the Mt. Baker Wilderness

Fun watching TAYers deal with irony and sarcasm...

... you folks are sooo serious.

Thanks for the clarification. I suppose your other post was facetious too. "Bilers are generally friendly just not aware of how unfriendly it is to ruin the wilderness experience for non-motorized users"...well that is a paraphrase. I wish there was a solution to this issue...like making everyone pay $22 per day to be on St Helens. Maybe I could bring a radio controlled snowmobile and I wouldn't need to have permit for skiing St Helens.

Actually, most sledders are friendly, more so than a lot of ski tourers. That doesn't detract from the issue of not being aware and or not caring how what they do affects other backcountry users. There is no excuse for illegal wilderness incursion.

Actually, most sledders are friendly, more so than a lot of ski tourers. That doesn't detract from the issue of not being aware and or not caring how what they do affects other backcountry users. There is no excuse for illegal wilderness incursion.

easier to haul a cooler of rainiers on a biler than in a pack whilst touring?
less work makes me much friendlier!
bF

Wow.... Let the generalizations and stereotypes flow... Good stuff.

Under what category do sled-access skiers and snowboarders fall? I'm shifting into that category, so I'd like to start practicing my expected behavior.

Back to the Baker issue. You have my honest and sincere apology for sledders on the north side of the Mtn. Makes me sick every time I see something like this. The only answers that I can come up with are enforcement and self-policing. I think we all agree that enforcement is not likely. We've had pretty good luck with self-policing and education further south in the Central Cascades. Hopefully the local sled clubs and riders in the Baker area will realize how much damage this behavior is doing to their sport, and will start being more proactive.

So, my first set of craigslist AT gear included some older K2 Shuksans. I'm set with boots and bindings, but I'd like to find some fatties that are still light and climb/tour OK. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? Any good sources of used gear to start watching? Will trade gear hookup for sled access to Esmerelda Basin.... I'll even supply a respirator with P100s...

Thanks for posting this.  Your report is currently being passed around the sledding community.  There are a lot of us who are working hard to get our fellow sledders to follow the rules.  It's true that it only takes a few folks to make us all look bad.  The Canyon Creek closure for the past few years has probably made things worse on the north side of Baker, but that's no excuse.  Hopefully the USFS gets around to fixing that road; local contractors have volunteered time and equipment to no avail...

How does the Canyon Creek closure work so well? Just asking...

Thanks to the OP for speaking up!

Canyon Creek road is washed out below the snow line, so sleds can't (easily) get in there anymore. Glacier Creek is a well known snomo access skiing spot, but not considered a good snomo spot by the snomo community. I suspect the culprits in this case may actually be sled-skiers.

Newtrout - My friends and I go snomo accessed touring in the Teanaway and Salmon la Sac pretty much weekly. PM me if you want to come earn some turns (and roost some pow) with us.