Snow in the PNW 20-21: We may have Corona but Corona doesn't have us!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Artist Formerly Known as Leavenworth Skier
Theres plenty of places where a road exists at 2-3k ft not far (vertically) from hanging basins ranging from 4 - 6k ft, outside of wilderness. Some of which even have private land at the road with USFS above. Many of which that would have great skiing on multiple aspects and be very close to existing travel routes for skiing in the winter.
It seems the solution would be a gondola connecting the low elevation with the upper elevation, much like Silver Mountain in Idaho or basically most ski areas in Europe.
If sea to sky gondola can pencil out, or the tram in Juneau AK can stay profitable, why couldn't something similar work in the US 2 or i90 corridor, especially with a skiing component added in?
Other zones in the Central Cascades:
Entiat River Road.
Dirtyface (lake Wenatchee).
Chiwawa River Road (about a dozen spots).
Nason Ridge (both ends), lots of options... from Rainy Pass to Round Mountain there are large basins outside wilderness with road access.
Jim Hill/Arrowhead mtn.
"Burn zone" in Mill Valley.
Icicle Ridge.
Can something no longer be built for the love and enjoyment of a sport? Must it all be about the bottom line? There's gotta be a tech guy out there who is a skier and wants to leave a legacy
Those places you’re talking about are already enjoyed for the love of “sport” and I hope they stay that way. Hiking, backpacking, mtbing, dirt bikes, bc skiing, xc skiing, hunting etc. I like “wild” places and I think most of the people that live in WA and currently enjoy these places would like it to stay that way. We don’t need to subsidize a small group of rich folks and develop what are really wild places even outside Wilderness.
The only current expansion plan of a ski area in WA isn’t about the love of skiing and will not make skiing there “better” in anyway, it’s about cashing in on real estate and the ruse of community betterment with vague threats of having to close the doors because they can’t survive. It’s so much bullshit.
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Snow in the PNW 20-21: We may have Corona but Corona doesn't have us!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Buster Highmen
Relative to any ski area, the number of people who use the places enumerated is much, much smaller.
Supply and demand proves that a lack of development will insure that skiing in the Puget Sound becomes available only to the rich, unlike it was when we enjoyed starting skiing.
So that's a mischaracterization of the situation.
How often do you frequent the areas that Woody posted about? I’m in those areas weekly most of the year. The amount of “local” and westsider use is quite remarkable. Outside Wilderness the terrain suitable for skiing is low elevation with inconsistent snow fall. There’s no land to develop so there’s no return on investment. Who’s going to spend millions on a ski area that will take decades to break ground and offer no return on investment? That’s only if you overcome the hurdles of current user groups push back, there are many and EIP concerns. The best place for a ski area of the locales posted would be Jim Hill/Arrowhead. That area would be suitable for a Silverton style ski area, a lift up the Henry creek drainage to the saddle between Arrowhead and Jim Hill. There will likely never be a ski area on Nason Ridge between Rainy Pass and Round Mtn. There would be too much pushback from all current user groups, the various environmental groups and the FS. I’ve always been surprised that the Rick/Howard/Masstif group to Round Mtn wasn’t included as a satellite portion of the HMJ or GP Wilderness, it’s an incredibly wild area that needs protection.
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Snow in the PNW 20-21: We may have Corona but Corona doesn't have us!
I would have zero problem expanding Stevens to the end of the Big Chief ridge line. The Mill Creek valley is already developed and the power lines already ruin any kind of “wilderness” experience. That whole area is basically “side country” already. You would probably need light rail or reliable bus service from the east portal of the tunnel to Yodelin or up Mill Valley to a new base area and lift/tram. Your biggest hurdle would be lawsuits from WSSA in response to taking away Mill Valley. The Nordic trail could be improved.
Rail travel from the west side would have to be improved, BNSF owns the line and freight has row over Amtrak so delays are routine.
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