Info needed: ski areas that border wilderness areas or National Parks

[Zeedashbo]

There's a rumor that he wants to ban skiers entirely, supported by constant harassment that we get when we hike for turns out of Sunrise. One of the rangers even told us that Inter Glacier is designated for climbers only!

If they get their way, it will be an ugly precedent that may affect other ski areas.

that sounds ugly. but then again, aren't snowboarders banned on the mt. rainier? and i see them all the time.

[Gregbo]

Crystal Mountain (washington) borders Mt Rainier National Park.

[Buster Highmen]

Buster, what is RMNP citing as justification for closing the area to skiers?. My guess is that they're concerned about liability. This is, however the first, case I've heard of where the Federal land managers chose to close off access to skiers rather than the ski area closing the access.

One of the senior rangers is citing "commercial use" as being banned in the park as well as impacts.
First, MNRP allows charter busses and guiding companies to use the resources. So that argument rings hollow.
As far as the impacts, there's no documented impacts.

I asked about the liability and they said it wan't an issue.

Anyway, the way it's being phrased is that in order to get the go ahead for the development of more lifts inside the 40 year old SUP boundary, the USFS is forcing the area to close its boundary and enforce the closure. That way, neither the USFS nor MNRP have to administer the requirement. It's foisted off on the ski area. So the public is denied access to public lands in order to benefit the corporation.

Underneath all the kneejerk sophistry and bureaucratic rhetoric, this guy just doesn't like skiers.

[Buster Highmen]

Crystal Mountain (washington) borders Mt Rainier National Park.

You don't TAY? er say?

[skinnyskier]

Snowbird is one drainage up-canyon from the Lone Peak Wilderness Area.

It's too bad MRNP has such an anti-ski management policy

[fez]

Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area boundary basically passes directly over the summit of Lone Mountain (the peak shared by Big Sky and Moonlight Basin) and i think the boundary may also pass along the main ridge at Yellowstone Club.

[L7]

To add to Mtnlion's list is Marmot Basin inside a national Park. Of course these are Canadian ....... you know that OTHER place (along with the rest of the world).

[supercow]

I belive Steamboat is in the Rout National Forrest, I belive access is as easy as skiing out the gate at the bottom of the Morningside Lift

Not a national park but Whiteface and Gore sit embedded in the 6 million acres of Adirondack parkland access out there is a mutherfuckin biach, I think they try to descourage it as so many gapers would proably get lost/need search and rescue. Plus in Whiteface's case there's SO much better terrain thats availible elsewhere in the high peaks why wouuld you want to get your ticket pulled trying to go ski south facing slides that don't hold much snow or ski down the auto road

[fez]

I belive Steamboat is in the Rout National Forrest, I belive access is as easy as skiing out the gate at the bottom of the Morningside Lift

actually, most western resorts are in national forest. hard to think of any in the rockies that arent. the question was wilderness area or national park.

[The Suit]

There are several backcountry access gates at Jackson Hole that open into Grand Teton NP. All of Granite Canyon is in GTNP.

Commercial guiding in the park is restricted to permittees. The ski area guides can only take customers south, into the Bridger-Teton NF because they don't have a permit for guiding in GTNP. Lift-served public access to GTNP is OK.

[Greydon Clark]

As Nate noted, you can ski from Kirkwood into the Mokelumne Wilderness no questions asked or ski from the Mokelumne Wilderness into to Kirkwood. The Carson Pass area has much less in the way of use restrictions in the winter than the summer. Unfortunately, the Forest Service allows cattle grazing in the Mokelumne in the summer, so it would be pretty fucking retarded to argue that skiers are doing more harm than cows. (FYI, cattle grazing damges more acres of public land than any other activity.)

Buster, send me a PM or an email describing the situation at Crystal and MRNP. Mrs. Clark just informed me we have some friends (backcountry skiers) who *might* be able to shed some light on the subject/provide insight.

[fesser]

If the National Park wants to close off a portion its land (dept. of Interior vs dept. of Ag) to the public, it has to go through a lengthy public process to do so. The burden will be on the NPS to justify and enforce any proposed clousure. And NPS doesn't have the authority to adminstratively "close" an area or "tell" the USFS how manage SUPs on adjacent Dept of Ag. land.

If they try to pull that shit, tell them you'll ignore it, sue them, and send a bunch of lawyers to rip their managment and operation plans to shit. The last thing the NPS wants is bunch of lawyers looking into all their jackass shit. They're cutting corners like crazy due to budget cuts, and are hoping they don't get nailed.

[powndnstein]

Highman,
Schneedorf aka WP on hwy 12 borders the Goat Rocks Wilderness and is part of the Wenatchee National Forest. If you guys get screwed over on the west side, free access out of the dorf come and hike.

[supercow]

fez my bad, I posted before reading Park/Wilderness

[davey]

Someone needs to correct me on this one, I thought I remember hearing something about Mt rose, but I might be wrong.

[davey]

I just got this from their website Mt. Rose partially operates under a Special Use Permit from the US Forest Service. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

[Buster Highmen]

Highman,
Schneedorf aka WP on hwy 12 borders the Goat Rocks Wilderness and is part of the Wenatchee National Forest. If you guys get screwed over on the west side, free access out of the dorf come and hike.

White Pass is going for an expansion MDP too, right? I expect that the USFS will stick it to you too. Consider getting involved before your stashes are taken away from you.

Note: The issue is ski area boundaries being closed to ticketed skiers.

[Game Over]

Buster you might want to post this on www.cascadeclimbers.com there are a LOT of bc skiers from your area on there whom I am sure would have something to say about this. If youd like I could link up this thread for ya.