rob Posted June 16, 2010 Posted June 16, 2010 (edited) Isn't there a trail that will take you from the dam to the start of the big beaver th, avoiding the water taxi? How long is it? Is the trail smooth (i.e. could you ride to big beaver TH by bike)? Edited June 16, 2010 by rob Quote
klenke Posted June 16, 2010 Posted June 16, 2010 Yes there is: map It's a good distance but it's nice it's there in case you miss the taxi. As for what shape it's in, PM Tom Sjolseth as I believe he has hiked it (a few years ago). Quote
Rafael_H Posted June 16, 2010 Posted June 16, 2010 TIn 2003 he trail was similar to the Snow Lake trail at Snoq pass, it is I recall ~5mi. Also, I recall that tere was a camp spot about 30 mins before the turn towards Access Creek. Quote
JasonG Posted June 17, 2010 Posted June 17, 2010 More like 6 miles I think . . .good wide tread the whole way. Not sure if it is legal to bike. Quote
rob Posted June 17, 2010 Author Posted June 17, 2010 odds I would see a ranger danger out there on a weekday? Quote
fredrogers Posted June 17, 2010 Posted June 17, 2010 More like 6 miles I think . . .good wide tread the whole way. Not sure if it is legal to bike. Nope. It's in the Ross Lake NRA which is part of the Park Complex. It is also the most heavily used "part" of the park, so highly patrolled. Quote
mountainsloth Posted June 17, 2010 Posted June 17, 2010 yea, i would not mess with a bike on that trail... too many hikers, campers, and likely rangers. its a very pretty hike though... enjoy it! Quote
AlpineK Posted June 19, 2010 Posted June 19, 2010 A long time ago I hiked in to Luna via the trail. The trail is nice. The only drawback is the distance. We were psyched for a water taxi ride on the way out Quote
goatboy Posted June 21, 2010 Posted June 21, 2010 I've hiked it and it's easy but definitely long compared to the boat. I've never regretted just taking the boat. Quote
Cobra_Commander Posted June 22, 2010 Posted June 22, 2010 The boat taxi is easy to dismiss from your couch but you will be f'ing loving it on the way out if you are coming from Luna Col, etc I promise you. The guy could easily charge double for trips from BB TH to the dam. Quote
ewhack Posted June 22, 2010 Posted June 22, 2010 The guy could easily charge double for trips from BB TH to the dam. Don't be giving him any damn ideas. Quote
penoyar Posted June 22, 2010 Posted June 22, 2010 Me and another fool used a canoe to access big beaver from the dam on our way to skiing challenger last spring. we convinced ourselves it was the best option. it was...memorable. Quote
Mike Posted June 28, 2010 Posted June 28, 2010 Did a pickets traverse a few years back starting from Hannegan Pass. We went from Luna Col to the cars in one day, dropping down Access Creek to BB, hiking to the lake and then hiking around the lake over the dam to the cars. Most of the credit goes to our motivational coaches - the mosquitoes, black flies and deer flies. A boat ride would have been really nice! Even better if they could show up with cold beer Quote
ncascadesranger Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 More like 6 miles I think . . .good wide tread the whole way. Not sure if it is legal to bike. Nope. It's in the Ross Lake NRA which is part of the Park Complex. It is also the most heavily used "part" of the park, so highly patrolled. Hope this is still relevant to your trip planning....if not it is definitely relevant to any trip to North Cascades National Park Service Complex (includes Ross Lake NRA). I'm glad to see that other folks on this thread have steered you away from the bike idea, but I hope that I can convince you that whether you would "get caught" by a ranger with your bicycle on the trail or not is not really the point. Yes, it is true that it is not legal to take a bicycle on the trail from Ross Dam Trailhead into Big Beaver. Bicycles are prohibited on all of our hiking trails and this trail actually goes in and out of designated Wilderness. The Wilderness Act expressly prohibits "mechanical transport", which even means carrying a bicycle on your shoulder or back. The spirit behind this law is to preserve the wilderness character of the place. In a National Park that is 93 percent Wilderness, any ranger you meet on the trail in North Cascades will have a knowledge of the Wilderness Act of 1964, how the NPS chooses to manage its wilderness, and a passion for keeping the North Cascades as pristine, untrampled, and untrammeled as possible. We are here for many of the same reasons as our visitors. Wilderness "character" embodies many values, but our (as in the American People) Wilderness Act spells out that such lands are "protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3)has at least 5,000 acres of land...; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value." Another potentially compelling reason not to take a bike on trails where it is prohibited is to protect the experience of other people along the trail who are also in search of a wilderness experience, whom along with hikers could include stock animals (which could easily spook with a bicycle coming down the trail). Anyway, I hope that clarifies "why" some. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. Rob Burrows Wilderness Climbing Ranger North Cascades National Park Service Complex Quote
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