AKsnowrider: I have read it all..and once again the simple answer is the same..the wilderness area is open to nonmotorized use..which means you can access it..which gives you the access you are wanting..without disturbing other users right of use..
the time you have spent on here alone if spent getting sponsors would already have this issue taken care of..rather then make excuses, why not try ?
what do you have to lose by making a few phone calls/ sending a few emails to local snow removal/construction companies and to ski gear manufacturers/dealers to ask for help?
Why not ask the forest service if you can come up with funding/equipment if this is a viable alternative?or is it simpler to get others rights denied?
Is it to limit/end other public users rights to enjoy the same country as you want to?bottom line is compromise by all users so all have as equal of access as possible..and this solution does that for all users...
Yammadog:In your opinion, what would be the best route to access the wilderness and existing non-motorized areas from new snopark/routes without closing the alpine areas in your proposal. Again, these are questions with the access concept in mind and realignment of non-motorized areas/access.
WMC... I have read all the posts on the TAY thread and the Posts here on SnoWest... I see you skirting and redirecting questions.
I would like to see an answer to AK's proposal.
You say that Non-motor users need areas that are not able to be used by snowmobilers... AND that those areas need to be easier to access than an "all day Hike" or an "overnighter"...
I get that... and can see the value in that as a fellow backcountry skinner.
There are Massive lands, AKA Wilderness, that are available and Legal for Human Powered use Directly adjacent to the areas in your proposal. (In fact you call these "buffer" areas)
You state that Wilderness areas are too far away to be accessed by less capable skiers or "family's with kids"...
I get that too... and understand the value in that as a fellow backcountry skinner.
AND... As AK and Yammadog suggest;
Question 1: Why are you opposed to working WITH snowmobilers, Human Powered Users and the USFS to establish Plowed road access to a Non-motorized OHV, Human Powered Only access, parking lot(s) that is near the Wilderness area so that you will have your goal of skiing unfettered by snowmobiles rather than your current segregation plan?
Question 2: If you have easy access to the Wilderness areas that are abundant in the area that are ALREADY ILLEGAL to snowmobile in, how is that not a means to an end for you?
Question 3: How and/or why would having exclusive Human Powered staging areas close to Wilderness which is off-limits to snowmobilers, NOT meet the stated goals of your proposal?
Please don't continue to "redirect" by talking about the few rotten apples making ALL the wilderness unusable... Those people snowmobiling in the Wilderness ARE illegal and are being dealt with by USFS, human and motorized friends of the Wilderness... ... this point only further clouds your presentation.
Question 4: In your opinion, what would be the best route to access the wilderness and existing non-motorized areas from NEW snopark/routes without closing the alpine areas in your proposal. Again, these are questions with the access concept in mind and realignment of non-motorized areas/access.
The snowmobilers posting on this thread, Including me, feel repeat, deliberate, Wilderness area non-motorized intruders should be arrested and their snowmobiles should be impounded.. ANY trespasser should be ticketed by the USFS.
As a reminder... these are the same "snow covered roads" that you say you ALREADY ride your own snowmobile on to get deeper into the backcountry... your non snowmobile owning fellow Human powered enthusiasts would probably really like to have this access on plowed roads to the same areas you already use with your snowmobile as a staging area.
AK is simply pointing out, and I agree, If you had easier access over these roads to the Existing Massive Human powered only Wilderness areas would get more of your fellow skiers to low traffic, motor excluded, Wilderness POW RUNS extraordinaire!!
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md2020: (TAY site) The areas adjacent to the road up to the crest are really the prime winter play areas.
This would exclude snowmobilers from these Prime areas if they were changed from the current "Shared system" that seems to be free from conflict by many skiers and Nordic groups, even from Ski users on this thread.
The point is Human Powered (HP) users DO have this exclusive access that is unique to HP recreation method... The law excludes snowmobiles in the Wilderness... That has been taken care of. HP users have some great areas to use that are exclusively for the use by HP means.
The words that keep popping up are "segregation", "seperation", "exclusion" etc...That has already been done... With the Wilderness areas, that are adjacent to the areas that this proposal, already available to HP Recreation ... this will EXPAND the effective size of the "exclusion" for many people that enjoy the current shared areas.
md2020: (TAY site) You guys keep referring back to these "massive lands, AKA wilderness". You're not listening. Skiers can't get to them in the winter
"You guys" .... are words that generate conflict... as I have said before, I'm an avid backcountry skinner/snowboarder/snowshoer... as well as a snowmobiler.
I AM Listening...BELIEVE ME!!
What I am saying is that it would be worth while to put effort into gaining access to certain "gateways" to the Wilderness...with easy access (plowed) parking lots close to the HP-only Wilderness.
If access to the Wilderness were to be made "easier" by plowing to HP-only parking lots closer to Wilderness areas:
Will you be able access "Human Powered ONLY" Wilderness areas that already exist in this region easily... Yes
Would you be able to access ALL of the Wilderness without effort... NO.
Would that "expansion" of EASILY accessed "NON-Motor only" areas (the current Wilderness areas that would be made more available with less effort) be at least equal in size to areas that are proposed to be eliminated as shared use ... YES
Some areas will still require more effort to get to...Deeper into the BC/Wild... which is the reward for those that are willing to "Earn their turns" and have truly fresh tracks.
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