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Guest1
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Guest1
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 Sat Mar 01, 2003 1:38 pm |
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Last summer I took a hike up to Granite Lakes (Skagit County). When I arrived at the lower lake I saw a helicopter dropping off 3 people to camp. So my hiking partner and I went over to investigate after the helicopter had left, and the people told us that they come up here every year by helicopter. I was just wondering if it is legal to have a helicopter land so close to high mountain lakes.
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MooseAndSquirrel
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Joined: 10 Nov 2002
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I'd call Skagit Co. or another authority and ask them about it.
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REJ
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REJ
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Sat Mar 01, 2003 11:12 pm |
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As I recall the lower Granite Lake is not within the Glacier Peak Wilderness boundary whereas the upper Granite Lake is within the wilderness boundary. Most likely it is possible to land a helicopter in the vicinity of the lower Granite Lake as long as it outside the wilderness boundary.
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum |
The "Lower" granite Mtn lake is actually HIGHER in elevation than the largest of the four lakes. It is improperly named!
That said the smaller of the two biggies (the highest lake, which they call lower granite) has its' northern most section exposed outside the wilderness boundry!
If that is where the chopper was dropping people off then I guess it's ok. If they were being dropped off at the LARGER lowest of the two big lakes then they were breaking federal law!
Money talks, bullsh## takes Amtrak! I guess they could afford it!
TB
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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Guest1
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Guest1
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Sun Mar 02, 2003 3:36 pm |
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| Quote: | | Backpacker Joe: "Money talks, bullsh## takes Amtrak! I guess they could afford it!" |
They were dropped off in the northern most part of the lake. The people also told us that it cost them $200 a person to have the helicopter drop them off. I myself would never pay to have a helicopter drop me off at a lake. I enjoy the hikes way too much.
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum |
I wouldnt do it either. I simply wouldnt feel right. I would love to fly (NOT WHIRLY BIRD)into some high mountain lakes in B.C.. There it's legal though.
TB
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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WillynonWalker
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WillynonWalker
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Mon Mar 03, 2003 2:10 pm |
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Maybe Joe Backpacker will take his 4x4 in there if he was able to or his plane?
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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
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Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:55 pm |
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Here is one way to mess up a wilderness experience. Last Summer my friend and I were on the ridge of Mt. Tallac in the Sierras at 9000' when a helicopter hovered 5 feet off the ground less than 100 feet from us. It was both loud and windy before they took off. This was within the Desolation Wilderness. Not how I like to "get away".
 Helicopter at 9000'
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#19
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#19
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Mon Mar 03, 2003 4:54 pm |
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Twenty-something years ago, I developed an interest  in a remote, wilderness lake in the NCNP. I made inquiries with a Park Service Game Biologist in Sedro and a full time ranger in Marblemount. Both had choppered into the lake - one of them twice.
As BPJ said, "Money (power in this case) talks".
I am sure they did it under the pretense of research, but I also know that the Park Sevice flew in supplies (beer and wine) to Copper Ridge LO 20 yrs ago.
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum |
James, that chopper you saw was an MBB BK105. I wonder what it was doing up there?
Last year I was up at Jordan lakes and a McDonald Douglas 530 came in and hovered ten feet over lower Jordan lake. The pilot was smiling at me. Then he saw the gun on my hip, changed his smile, nodded at me and left. The chopper was full of people. It took him some time to get over the ridge.
I stopped at the Darington Ranger station to talk to them about it. they told me that two guys were at Whale lake and one of them fell and dislocated his schoulder. The other guy ran out to get help. That chopper was in (supposedly) looking for that guy.
TB
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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Stefan
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Stefan
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Mon Mar 03, 2003 6:00 pm |
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| Backpacker Joe wrote: | | James, that chopper you saw was an MBB BK105. I wonder what it was doing up there?
Last year I was up at Jordan lakes and a McDonald Douglas 530 came in and hovered ten feet over lower Jordan lake. The pilot was smiling at me. Then he saw the gun on my hip, changed his smile, nodded at me and left. The chopper was full of people. It took him some time to get over the ridge.
I stopped at the Darington Ranger station to talk to them about it. they told me that two guys were at Whale lake and one of them fell and dislocated his schoulder. The other guy ran out to get help. That chopper was in (supposedly) looking for that guy.
TB |
You said the chopper was full of people? I bet you the "people" inside were from King 5 news (with Jim Forman) and they were looking for a story of a person in the backcountry who broke some bones. That stuff always makes the television news!
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MooseAndSquirrel
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Back in the mid-late 80's I was up in the upper Enchantments and a military helicopter came in low and hovered while some troops rappeled down to the ground! We were close enough to see what was happening but not enough to catch up with the guys to ask what was going on (they headed off in the opposite direction). What a din that operation made in the area up there. We never did find out when we returned to "civilization" if that was a rescue operation or just a training exercise, etc. Later on our hike out some military jets were screaming thru the canyon nearby. Nothing like getting away from it all.
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nevadarunner
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nevadarunner
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Fri Apr 11, 2003 10:47 pm |
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Except that KING does not use that type of chopper...
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MtnGoat
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Location: Lyle, WA |
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MtnGoat
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Sat Apr 12, 2003 2:14 am |
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| Quote: | | I myself would never pay to have a helicopter drop me off at a lake. I enjoy the hikes way too much. |
I mostly agree. On the other hand, the trip to Granite lakes is pretty crappy hike. It's all on hard packed road with a zillion and a half annoying, extra deep water bars that break your pace with annoying regularity.
And 80% of the hike is in an enormous clearcut with nary a tree left standing. I mean not one except where you park the car by a washout and then finally when you get to the very top stretch. If it's going to be a clear day, I recommend you get thee up that road before the sun really starts working on it.
Unless you're there for the workout, if there was ever a hill to skip because you have $200 bucks burning a hole in your pocket, this is the one!
What it doesn't save you from (unless you're choppered back out) is the foot blasting 3k down that darned steep, very hard packed rocky road with all those darned ditches in it. My feet always hurt after that damned hill.
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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sarbar
Living The Dream
Joined: 28 Jan 2002
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sarbar
Living The Dream
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Sat Apr 12, 2003 10:32 am |
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Last summer up in Royal Basin at Royal Lake (ONP) I was woken up by a odd sound, then I realized it was a helicopter coming up the basin between the 2 ridges, you could hear it coming up, till it went right over the lake-it was so loud and so low - I do realize the military needs to train in remote areas but wow, it really ruined my experience!
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