1970 USFS ski area study - What might have been?

This may be interesting for history geeks only, but I was fascinated by the 1970 North Cascades Winter Sports Study by the U.S. Forest Service. The study evaluated 13 sites outside the North Cascades National Park as possible ski areas. Some of the sites are pretty surprising, and things would be quite different today if they had been developed. Here's the list:<br><br>Site 1 - Glacier Basin - NE facing basin below Grouse Ridge on the NW side of Mt Baker including the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead. Recommendation: Study. <br><br>Site 2 - Twin Sisters - NNE facing basin 1.5 miles NE of South Twin Sister, above Middle Fork Nooksack River, below Peak 5187'. Recommendation: Reserve. <br><br>Site 3 - Schriebers Meadows - SE facing basin between Schriebers Meadows and the Railroad Grade on the south side of Mt Baker. Recommendation: Study (for alpine tour site). <br><br>Site 4 - Dock Butte Basin - N facing basin between Dock Butte and Washington Monument, seven miles NW of Concrete. Recommendation: Eliminate. <br><br>Site 5 - Snowking-Found Creek - Twin NE facing basins holding Whale and Arrowhead Lakes, two miles north of Snowking Mountain. Recommendation: Eliminate. <br><br>Site 6 - Gabrielhorn - NE facing basin above Granite Creek on the North Cascades Highway, below Peak 6730', two miles NW of Easy Pass. Recommendation: Reserve. <br><br>Site 7 - Cutthroat Pass - Three miles NE of Rainy Pass near the North Cascades Highway. Recommendation: Study (for alpine tour site). <br><br>Site 8 - Liberty Bell - NW facing basin below Early Winters Spires one mile SW of Washington Pass on the North Cascades Highway. Recommendation: Reserve. <br><br>Site 9 - Harts Pass - SE facing basin immediately south of the pass. Recommendation: Eliminate. <br><br>Site 10 - Sandy Butte - NW facing slopes of Sandy Butte above Mazama in the Methow Valley. Recommendation: Study. <br><br>Site 11 - Tiffany Mountain - NW facing slopes of Tiffany Mountain above Boulder Creek, seventeen miles NE of Winthrop. Recommendation: Study. <br><br>Site 12 - Marten Lake Basin - SE facing basin below Lava Divide on the SE side of Mt Baker, west of Baker Hot Springs. Recommendation: Reserve. <br><br>Site 13 - Stormy Mountain - E and NE slopes of Stormy Mountain nine miles west of Manson above Lake Chelan. Recommendation: Reserve. <br><br>For more complete notes on the study report, see:<br><br>www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/book/usfs-1970.html

having connections with the chelan area & some of the true locals of the area, my understanding is that the Stormy Mtn. plan isn't exactly a "dead idea" from the late 1960's.

Do these sites bear much relation to where people actually go backcountry skiing these days?

Isn't site #10 Sandy Butte, the same as the long contested and finally rejected "Early Winters" ski area?

Yes, Sandy Butte is the Early Winters site, which was debated for years and finally abandoned in 1995.<br><br>Of the others, several are today or have historically been backcountry skiing sites (1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, maybe 12). Others are not backcountry destinations (as far as I know) but they would have become points of access and activity if they had been developed (2, 4, 5, 13).<br><br>Schriebers Meadow and the Washington Pass-Cutthroat Pass area were recommended for study as alpine touring sites, which might provide facilities such as huts, marked trails, rescue service, guides, helicopter transportation, equipment rentals and so on. I don't know if I would have favored this, but this sort of development might have created a different future on the south side of Mt Baker, which is now dominated by snowmobilers.<br><br>My understanding is that the Stormy Mountain idea is still alive.

I think the biggest obstacle back in those days to developing the north cascades was the lack of population to support the risk. With so many ski areas so close to Seattle at the time and Mt Baker ski area near Bellingham it would have been tough IMO to pull enough people to support the venture..... (unless it was on the scale of Whistler)....<br> <br><br>I would be very very suprised to ever see any 'new' area open up in WA....just too many battles to be fought... The article about the Mt Adams ski area is interesting, but I just can't see it ever going anywhere... Again, Mt Adams is in a location which would be a long drive from just about anywhere, but what do I know.........