[Kim Brown]

UPDATE: new document. (sorry for the probable fixation with this road; I read the RMA at great detail several years ago for an article I wrote on the project, and it's all coming back to me, though the thick muddle of muck in my brain. The actual Removal Action Memorandum. Page 24 of the PDF (pg 21 of the RMA) states, " A segment of the access route will be located within the Glacier Peak Inventoried Roadless Area”. I don't know if any of the CERCLA road was built within the Roadless Area, but on paper, at the beginning of the project, a portion was to be within the Roadless Area. As the map in the previous post shows, I don't think it could be avoided at one point.

[Randito]

Given that the need for monitoring for the CERCLA/Superfund clean up project will be at least another decade or two and the road in question wasn't constructed with durability in mind -- my bet is issue of actively deconstructing the road will be purely academic. I think the permissive "key loaner" program allowing pretty much anyone motorized access to the road is a poor idea. What will be interesting to see is what happens when the river takes out a section of the CERCLA road before the requirement for monitoring has expired. I suspect the monitoring activities could be accomplished without a vehicle passable road, but the historical preservation efforts not so much.

[Kim Brown]

randito, I think it's the opposite. monitoring is done by contracted scientists, engineers, and interns or state Ecology staff, all who are wanting to get in and out of there (they're on the timeclock for their jobs) and may have specialized equipment (though more likely just taking samples....?). the time it takes to walk in, walk to the various monitoring sites, and walk out is a giant time suck to people on the clock. Plus the road is approved to be used by them until the monitoring period is over. Re history maintenance; there's not much equipment needed, at least from what I have seen. Those shacks at the large field have always been in terrible condition; if they were to receive heavy work, they'd have done it by now. They're not open to the public anyway. However, some of the red tape in getting them worked on is obtaining permissions from MBS historian, who is part time at best, and MBS is really big. and at times there is no historian available. just getting the steps to the cabins replaced, I think took a couple of years due to the limited availability of the historian. Remining shacks at the townsite are either privately owned and not subject to maintenance by MCPA or haven't been maintained ever, so why expect it in the future. the privately owned shacks have KEEP OUT signs nailed to them and are full of moldly mattresses, broken formica countertops (not old), and trash (not old) - but that's their business, not MCPA's or ours. The Keyes Memorial Tree is dead, and the fence around it rotted and broken. If anything would have been worthy to maintain, that would be it; yet it wasn't >>> I don't know if it's on private land or public, so this may very well not be something mCPA could have worked on. One of those red cabins is used by the MCPA host to stay in during the weekend. That person can walk in with backpacking gear. Not always convenient for sure, due to weather, the host's abilities. But to rebuild a road for that program with public funds (because I do think it would need to be rebuilt at least in part)....not sure that would fly. The Back Country Horsemen, I bet, would help carry equipment in, if they wanted it. That's extra coordination for sure; but it's worth a shot at developing a relationship with them. What MCPA did/does well was/is research. So much of what we know is from their work. And without their work with the CERCLA people; we might not have (probably would not have), anything at all. MCPA id'd the railroad switchback for preservation, the arasta contour, the Rock, and various sites in town and below the concentrator. And I understand Cal went back east several times to search records in libraries there to learn about the people and industry at Monte Cristo. This was invaluable and on his own time. Ever been to the museum at Verlot? Really nice stuff! I'm not opposed to continued use of the road by MCPA members, however (not that anyone cares what I think). Just not sure I want public funds to be used for the road if they can't maintain it. Aside from the wetland it encroaches on, and the undersized culverts, I don't care about the road one way or another. That it's too steep and the curves too sharp - I'll never drive it.

[JVesquire]

It's definitely crossing into a roadless area. The Secretary of Ag had to issue an exemption to allow the CERCLA road to get built for that reason.

[Randito]

[George Winters]

[Frango]

[Kim Brown]

Never cared for the county road walk to Monte Cristo. I walked the CERCLA road only once but was there to check out the road construction and don't remember the landscape. But it wouldn't take much to be better than the county road.