Snowmobiles at Artist Point! WTF

Who is to say the snowmobile tracks were not made by the USFS checking the area? GEEEzzzz this entire thread is a bunch of built up 'what if' and 'might be' nonsense. Don't like tracks (and you don't know who made them), don't like snow shoers, don't like airplanes....how about dogs, I've seen plenty of complaints about that but not on this thread (yet).
If you look for problems I guess you can always have your cup half empty and your never going to be happy. Complain when there are REAL problems, otherwise you just look like a bunch of whiners and real complaints won't be taken serious.

The "ITS POACHING SEASON!!!" on the  SnoWest Washington riding areas forum is an interesting read.

www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=31725.0

I once skinned up to Table Mountain, booted to the top, and was skinning across Table toward our goal, Alaskan Amber (aka "the upper hourglass") when a helicopter landed a party at the top of our proposed line and we were treated to seeing six folks eat the treasure we had been sweating for.  The bird was flown by Ski Area Captain Duncan as a treat for some out of state dignitaries.

If we cannot have your entertainment in person, we are very happy to have it virtually. Duncan is a hell pilot as well, who knew (besides you)? A man of many talents.

We hope you are healing well, and enjoying W(ine)AY as well as enlightening us TAYers from time to t!me. Thanks.

Who is to say the snowmobile tracks were not made by the USFS checking the area?  GEEEzzzz this entire thread is a bunch of built up 'what if' and 'might be' nonsense.  Don't like tracks (and you don't know who made them), don't like snow shoers, don't like airplanes....how about dogs, I've seen plenty of complaints about that but not on this thread (yet). 
If you look for problems I guess you can always have your cup half empty and your never going to be happy.  Complain when there are REAL problems, otherwise you just look like a bunch of whiners and real complaints won't be taken serious.

I take these complaints seriously and I don't think they are a bunch of whiners....

I take these complaints seriously and I don't think they are a bunch of whiners....

Me too.  I post from time to time about snowmobiles contributing to my frustration.  "Don't be a baby",  "It's legal, get used to it"..  pretty discouraging comments sometimes.   

I don't think it hurts anything to report what you've seen.  I read the (multi-page) post Silas linked above.  Some of the snowmo crowd calls the TAY community a well-organized and well-funded group;  Greenies with an agenda to take away all snowmobile terrain.  Funny that perception.  A guy says he saw some tracks and the result is three pages of mixed opinions.  Hardly well organized.  Not even pointed in the same direction.

like my year old daughter?
or new to ski touring wife?

Would you have preferred to see snowmobiles on that trip?

But keep in mind who is complaining in this thread... it's not me. If they are illegally snowmobiling, I have no problem with complaints to the USFS and I would be angry with the sledders myself, however I have looked at the map - the wilderness boundary is just beyond the point.

Tim Place writes that snowmobiles are prohibited at Artist Point by the Mount Baker Ski Area through its agreement with the Forest Service. As a former MBRC board member, he should know.

So there's no "if" about it. Despite being outside the wilderness boundary, snowmobiles aren't allowed up there. This thread has been useful at clarifying this, which was Donnelly's original point, I think. The whiners were right.

So is this is just a trivial little thing? I don't think so.

The road to Artist Point was built in the 1920s. It pre-dates both the Mount Baker Ski Area and the Wilderness Act. But ever since the 1920s, Artist Point has been a de facto wilderness in winter. It has been a ski destination. Other than Paradise on Mount Rainier it's the oldest truly alpine ski destination in Washington.

I'm glad the ski area doesn't allow snowmobiles up there. This place is hallowed ground. It should never be motorized in winter. If it ever becomes necessary, skiers should fight to keep it that way.



Skiers tour near Artist Point, circa 1959. UW Special Collections, Bob and Ira Spring Photographs, print #18891.

Let me quote myself...

...you won't see joe sledhead ever go there though, I would put my money on the mt baker ski area workers...

Lowell, you won't ever see sled decks in the parking lot there. I wouldn't want that the same as you.

Let me quote myself again...

...You should send complaints to Mt Baker ski area, ask them if they know what is going on.