White Pass Expansion into Hogsback

BC Skiers, Boarders ,Wintertravelers and Backpackers.<br>As some of you might know White pass ski has developed a Draft Enviromental Impact Satement DEIS)for expanding thier currrent ski area up and onto the Hogsback ridge and basin. The main features of thier proposal are to build two lifts and a upper mountain concession building. Effectively this expansion would end backcountry skiing as we know it in this area and leave the usual unsghtly lift towers, cleared areas and acompaning litter associated with a developed ski area.<br> The comment period ends Feb 22nd. . E-mail comments cand be sent to<br> Attention: Randall Shepard, Naches Ranger District<br> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Snail mail address is:
Naches Ranger Station, 10237 U.S. Highway 12, Naches , WA 98937

For more info on the Proposed expansion:
www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/planning/white-pass/




It's important when people comment that they not just "vote" for or against
an alternative or the expansion, but that they say why. The WHY can be
simple: It is okay to say that one is against the alternatives that expand
into the hog back area because that would take away back country skiing
and/or take away from the hiking experience in Goat Rocks and Hog Back areas
(the PCT will have to be moved)...or similar words/statements.

The Draft EIS is available on line and at some area libraries and by CD.
Read about the alternatives and write what is good or bad about each
alternative. And write if you can what the Draft EIS does not describe in
the alternatives, or describes incorrectly in the various alternatives.
That's why it's a DRAFT EIS...so we can participate. IT IS NOT FINAL YET.

If you don't take the time to read any of the DEIS (or even the executive
summary), briefly:

The alternatives that do not expand into the hog back area are: THE NO
ACTION ALTERNATIVE and ALTERNATIVE 9. Alternative 9 is a good choice as it
does expand the amount of skiing available at White Pass, without going into
the areas where we backcountry ski. (It does not give White Pass higher
elevations for better skiing early in the season.

Alternative 6 expands into the backcountry area, but not as much and not as
harshly. Alternatives 2 & 4 take away our beloved Hog Back. The Forest
Service seems poised to use a combination of Alternatives 2 & 4.

(There are no alternatives 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 to consider as they have been dropped.)

Alternative 9 has one new lift lower down to east around holiday

to:Randall Shepard Naches Ranger District

Randall
My thoughts on White Pass ski area expansion plans.
I find it truely ironic that the opening or cover picture of White Pass DEIS shows two backcountry skiers who are about to be displaced by the instalation of two lifts niether of which is over 900 ' in gain ,a two story chili hotdog stand ,the removal of 21 acres of trees and forever destroys a easily accessed historic pristine backcountry destination. If Alternatives 2 -4- 6 are allowed to happen then we will see some heavy encroachment in Miriam basin resulting in skied out snow and skier traffic exceeding the wilderness goals. Exposure to avalanche prone areas by the non experienced will definitly be increased. It might be said that there are few backcountry skier visits in Miriam basiin now but that is precisely why skiing back there is is a wonderful and wildernesss experience. I've truely liked skiing at Whitepass and have spent a lot of money and nice spring days there skiing the lifts. I'm aprrecative of the locally owned management and they can't be faulted in thier operation.
The point of a longer season operation by the addition of the two proposed lifts is somewhat mute in veiw of earlier closings due to the discounted seasons pass currently in vogue.
Right now I would support another alternative perhaps unexplored and that would be the seasonal placement of 2 yurts up near Hogsback ridge. These yurts could be operated by the ski area. My guess is that they would be booked solid both before the regular season opens and some time after.
White Pass Hogs back area ,Miriam lake and surrounding bowls has been a historic and traditioinal backcountry skiing area. Now when I say Backcountry sking, I mean self contained ,self rescuing backcountry skiers that are repeatly climbing and skiing backcounty terrainin in any one trip. These DEIS written for the ski area and the forest service like to use the term "Lift Served Backcountry " thereby framing the argument . Of course some Backcountry skiers do use the lift to up to Hogsback, some don't but once up there in that wilderness all climbing and repeats are human powered using climbing skins.
All skiing was backcountry skiing at one time before the lifts came and that is the white wilderness world you enter as you leave the inbounds terrrain of the White pass ski area. As you make your way up to Hogsback ridge you leave a world bent on motorizing every concievable human activity.The turns you have earned are yours.
There are less and less accessabile places to do this type of skiing. There is a chart on page 3-221 in the DEIS
that shows "accessible places to back contry ski" taken from our bible Rainer Burgdorfur's book. I'd venture to say that 50 % of those places are not winter accessible without out slogs of of 2 to 3 days.Park funding at Mount Rainier NP has meant slower opening times of the road and closures of roads within the park. Road openings in the spring are occuring later.
In lieu of my yurt idea and so that those two fellows in the White Pass DEIS picture could continue enjoy skiing as they are pictured I could only support Alternative 9 of the White pass DEIS.
Thanks
Robie Pruden

GO WHITE PASS! A great ski area, well run organization and I support this much needed, and LONG OVERDUE expansion! <br><br>Support WP!

And so may begin another entertaining "wildnerness versus 'wise use' style debate..." (or not?)<br><br>Thanks for the heads up Robie - I've not skied (lifts or Hogsback) there yet, but wouldn't mind having the option of checking out what folks have raved about in the BC there. You've given us all a chance to make our own unique thoughts known to the USFS.

I agree with Hyak, and support full expansion. Those two guys on the cover will just be skiing further out next time...Yurts would put me off more than steel towers. Stone huts accessible to everyone, all the way out to Goat Rocks would be nice...900' vertical bowl?? Who cares! Tiny....In 5 years, everyone in Yakima will have a rando. binding anyway, and it will be tracked out. Just look at Table Mtn., Mt. Baker ski area vs. 5-6 years ago.

Do you think this is really going to happen? Through my high school years I skied at White Pass, this was between 14-18 years ago, I remember hearing about the resort trying to expand into the Hogsback area. Personaly I hope they don't do it. I liked White Pass as a Ma and Pop resort. But the bean counters don't really think this way.<br><br>Aaron