Twin Sisters: south side to be closed by gate

[Stefan]

Many of you do not know. Access to the south side of Twin Sisters range will now be closed at the Hamilton gate. Previously one would be able to sign in at the guard shack and go past the gate for several more miles. No more. The guard shack will be removed. In addition people have been able to get access to several other roads along Highway 20 getting the gate keys from that guard shack. With the guard shack gone, you will no longer be able to access those other roads. This is all due to the liquidation of Crown Pacific.

 

http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com/articles/2005/01/05/business/business01.txt

[dberdinka]

That blows.

 

The new owner is "a new company owned by lenders that hold some $500 million of Crown Pacific's debt."

 

A group that just wants their money back. Wonder how they'll manage the land

[Mr._Natural]

getting to cinderella just got much, much harder. anyone have a new exit stratedgy for the north-south traverse?

[Bill_Simpkins]

I got ht esame story from the gatekeep about a month and a half ago.

I plan on doing a traverse in May. Just going up Middle fork and doing a "car to car".

You can download a arial photo from Microsoft Terra Server to help negotiate the roads between the South Twin and the South Range.

An alternative I've been exploring, and tried once was to take the abandoned Pioneer camp trail that splits off left from the FSR 12 going to Elbow Lake from the South, and then schwack over to Boot Lake Pass when the trail takes you to the South slopes below lake Wiseman.

The old Pioneer Camp trail is abandoned but quite good.

Also, to tell you the truth, hiking to lake Wiseman from elbow and then cutting up to the ridge wasn;t that bad either. Just took about 2 hours. That long ridge gives access to the main range and has interesting scrambling on it.

 

I think the best long term plan would be to get some people out there and re-work the old path to Boot Lake Pass from FSR 12. It seems the shortest way.

[klenke]

Time to buy one of those bikes with the small motor on it.

...or a high-powered acetylene torch.

[Bill_Simpkins]

One of those little motrized scooters you see the kids standing on.

[Stefan]

I got ht esame story from the gatekeep about a month and a half ago.

 

Did they say when the guard shack was going to be removed?

[Bill_Simpkins]

No. But they told me that access wasgoing to be closed for good on Dec. 17th.

[Stefan]

No. But they told me that access wasgoing to be closed for good on Dec. 17th.

 

Didn't know that. Did they give any indication bicycles would be acceptable?

[Bill_Simpkins]

No indication.

Hopefully this company will liquidate the land to the FS to regain some of their money, or just open it up.

My father used to work in the FS, and told me, when he first got stiffed at the gate, that when private roads are open to the public for more than 7 years, then that road must remain open for future use to the public.

People drove up the Middle Fork and Blue Mountain for years. I remember going up there with unrestricted access with my family to get XMAS trees for years.

Anyone know more about this law?

Is it dated?

[Stefan]

Never heard of the law. I will ask a DNR employee if he knows any status about it just in case the DNR wants that land....

[layton]

fuck that sucks

[whiplash]

what a drag.......why do they have to make it such a pain in the ass to get in there. That was the best way to get to any of the peaks south of the S.twin.

[Stefan]

My DNR friend said thus:

Crown Pacific is now Cascade Timberlands (a new company)

Olympic Resource Management is managing the lands for Cascade Timberlands

Olympic Resource Management is a subsidiary of Pope Resources.

 

My friend continued by saying thus:

Go to the web site: http://www.orm.com/

Select "Timberland Management"

Select "Timberland Management" on the left hand side and then select "Public Use of Timberlands".

Their policy states:

"...We allow responsible recreational use of our lands where there is no public safety issue and such use is consistent with preservation of both the value of our assets and public resources such as water, fish, and wildlife. In general, these responsible uses include year-round non-motorized use of roads and lands unless specifically posted."

 

In addition he laughed at the 7 year thing Bill mentioned. He said that was quite funny--and of course not true.

[markharf]

I've forgotten the details, but generally if your use of a roadway or other property has been continuous and obvious for an extended period, you are considered to have a valid claim to continue your customary use. However, large landowners have lawyers who understand this, and preserving their exclusive property rights can be as simple as announcing a closure for a day each year. This closure might pass unnoticed by the general public, but you'll see notices posted in, for example, the public notices section of the classified ads in local papers (right there next to the ads by which people try to separate themselves from the debts of former spouses).

 

The above is based on my memories of years of legal maneuvering about access to pre-revolutionary roadways on a certain island in New England, so while the general principles are likely to be the same, the specifics may differ. In other words, don't get your hopes up, but valid claims do sometimes stand up in court. Remember, though, that major corporations with a half-billion dollars at stake tend to be able to afford better lawyers than those who spend their leisure time rambling around the Twin Sisters range.

[Bill_Simpkins]

"In addition he laughed at the 7 year thing Bill mentioned. He said that was quite funny--and of course not true. "

 

My dad told me of this law. He's not a total idiot. He was in the FS until 1980, so it could of course be an old law.

[Bill_Simpkins]

I think re-contructing a path that goes to Boot Lake pass from FSR 12/Elbow Lake TH, is the best long term option. The distance isn't bad and it avoids any contact with private lands.

How does one bring potential trail projects to the Forest Service?

[Mr._Natural]

isn't fs land a free for all, kind of like dnr land?

[Bill_Simpkins]

So I can go in there with clippers, axe and shovel and I won't get busted?

[Billygoat]

Let me know when you want to go Bill (PM)

 

[chris]

Me too...

[Stefan]

Road 38 is closed right now due to small boulders and a minor creek washout across the road about 2 miles before the seasonal gate closure. This puts you almost 4 miles from from the trailhead. I expect them to clear this road by the time the gate is open.

[Bill_Simpkins]

Will do Billygoat.

If you look at some of the old Green trails maps there is a path from road twelve to Boot Lake Pass. Additionally, in the Beckey book, he marks the same route. However, I've been unsuccessful at locating this path, which would save a lot of time in forging a way up there!

The Pioneer camp trail that leads from Road 12 is probably the best lead. It is abaondoned, but I have hiked must of it and is still in great shape.

 

My plan is to first schwack up and flag the route, then proceed to what next fits best.

I have two others that will assist.

 

I have just recovered from a tailbone injury and this would be good stuff for getting back in shape. I'll try and put up there in my truck to check the snow level back there in the next few weeks.

[Billygoat]

[mattp]

Neither Forest Service land or DNR land are a "free for all." They appear to have been managed that way in the past, but the times, they are 'a changin' and I believe both agencies are concerned with user-built trails even though climbers, fisherman, hunters and mountain-bike riders often get away with ignoring those concerns. My guess is they'd prefer you to restore and existing trail than build a new one, but I don't know.

 

It is frustrating, but even a proposal to maintain an existing trail is likely to be met with concern or outright denial if you say you and your buddies want to head up there with axe and shovel. They don't know who you are, whether you will be safe, how they'd control what you do, etc. etc. etc. and they may have to survey the area for rare plants and consider how restoration of the trail will fit into the Grizzly Bear Recovery Program, too. You are talking about improving access and the affect if not the goal may be to change recreational use patterns in that area -- especially if you develop better access to an area and publish it here or in some new guidebook somewhere.

 

If you want to "bring a potential trail project to the Forest Service," I'd say it would be a plus if you had some recognized volunteer outfit interested in your project, like the WTA or the Mountaineers or somebody. The Forest Service land managers generally prefer to deal with an organization with some kind of track record and who has an obvious interest in maintaining a long term relationship with them.

 

This is not all bad news. If you DO succeed in getting the WTA or the Mountaineers or somebody interested in your project, and if you DO succeed in getting the local District Ranger to agree that this particular trail is a valuable recreational asset, you'll probably find ongoing support for your dream trail.