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Sky Hiker
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 5:54 am 
You may have went during the high hunt time frame

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Kim Brown
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 9:54 am 
Sore Feet wrote:
Owler wrote:
I think the article is right...Wild Sky Wilderness is pretty empty with the exception of Blanca. I did Benchmark/pass creek last summer on a weekend and saw very few people.
Must have chosen the right weekend then. I went up there toward the end of July last year (on a weekend) and there were people at pretty much every campsite in the last two miles up to the summit of Benchmark, plus down on the bench near the tarns. I'm sure the comet being still visible at the time didn't help though.
I've been on a summer weekend and no one else there; but it's fairly well-known, and it's just a matter of time before the right (or wrong) trip information gets posted on the right (or wrong) webpage, and we'll lose that as a peaceful trip as well. But Benchmark isn't in Wild Sky, though you travel through it on the way; the deal with Wild Sky was that trails be built outside of the new wilderness boundary. It was a way to get folks to go along with it. So we have the bicycle trail system at Alpine Baldy, Beckler Peak trail, Frog Mountain (not finished yet, is it?) and Evergreen Mtn trail repair. Within Wild Sky, very little (not "none") development of trails was promised in a way to get a different user group to go along with it. The idea was to preserve exploration - that high lakes and summits should remain off-trail. RE: Lake Isabel; seaplane use was grandfathered in; I don't recall if a rebuilding of the trail system to Isabel was considered or not. I can see a polarization of user-groups as a result, besides there's not really anywhere for a lot of hikers to hang out at the place where the old trail ends.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Foist
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 11:47 am 
I may have been to Benchmark on the same weekend as Sore Feet last year. Way more people than I'd ever seen before on that trail -- but did not feel crowded except maybe around the campsites toward the top. It was still WAY less crowded than Blanca. I don't know about "just a matter of time" -- Benchmark is over twice as long a hike as Blanca, and without a perfectly photogenic turquoise lake at the end.

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Kim Brown
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 12:45 pm 
Never underestimate the drive of an Instagram hiker wanting to do a handstand, jump, or yoga pose on a summit.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Foist
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 1:01 pm 
Yeah but you could do those shots anywhere with a view, without hiking 15 miles. There's no particularly unique or famous photo backdrop to be taken on Benchmark (although overall it's a great 360-degree view of course). That hike is more about the (long) journey, and that you know you're in such a remote area. I do think there is somewhat of a Blanca Lake spillover effect though. The Blanca trailhead is such a mess on weekends that people can't even park and go looking for somewhere else to go. I encountered a few people last year in that category. We had some trouble even driving PAST the Blanca trailhead because of people parking badly or trying to find parking on the road nearby.

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Kim Brown
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 1:59 pm 
I'm actually not wanting to compare anything about Benchmark with anything about Blanca. But looking at some Facebook pages, and reading trip reports, it's clear that a hike with Benchmark stats is an easy target for a lot of folks out there nowadays. You don't have to agree that Benchmark may be overrun by photo-seeking Instagrammers. I'm not arguing that it will be. I stated it, but I'm not about to argue about something so silly. two emails back-and-forth is already silly. You may very well be right. I agree that you may be right and I may be wrong. I could be wrong. Wrong indeed. Better?

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Foist
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 2:03 pm 
I'm not really arguing with you I'm just exploring the topic, it's just interesting is all.

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BeardoMcGrath
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PostThu Jun 10, 2021 4:13 pm 
I did the Benchmark Loop early last August on a Sat and it seemed pretty lonely: maybe a half dozen daytrippers, a couple backpackers, and a group with horses. The bigger issue was going back and forth past the Blanca TH and driving back down the Beckler River Road -- there was a low riding BMW going about 10 MPH the whole way causing a big backup and lots of dangerous passing (the BMW didn't feel like pulling over). I suspect it will be nice once the N Fk washout is fixed: paved most of the way and that road is better equipped to handle the Blanca traffic than going over Jack's Pass.

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Sky Hiker
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PostFri Jun 11, 2021 5:28 am 
Not up the North Fork from Index. If you want to go via Jacks Pass way then yes.

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Sore Feet
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PostFri Jun 11, 2021 5:25 pm 
Foist wrote:
I may have been to Benchmark on the same weekend as Sore Feet last year. Way more people than I'd ever seen before on that trail -- but did not feel crowded except maybe around the campsites toward the top. It was still WAY less crowded than Blanca. I don't know about "just a matter of time" -- Benchmark is over twice as long a hike as Blanca, and without a perfectly photogenic turquoise lake at the end.
Agreed. It didn't feel over-crowded, but I did have to pick out a less than ideal camp spot as a result. Certainly didn't expect to see dozens of people up there. Probably could have found a better site if I wandered back down the trail a bit. Driving past the Blanca trailhead on the way out the next day was indeed insane. Cars parked along the road on either side of the trailhead for like a quarter mile in both directions, and in some places barely enough room to scrape by.

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ale_capone
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PostSat Jun 12, 2021 7:06 am 
I wonder how far they will be maintaining it in the winter. Monte cristos are an awesome backcountry ski and snowshoe destination.

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Bruce Albert
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PostSat Jun 12, 2021 7:45 pm 
I wonder how far they will be maintaining it in the winter. Standard practice the past few years it was open was to plow as far as the bridge about a mile below Troublesome CG and post it closed there. This gives access to all the cabin people in the various Skykos. Beyond that there are several places where winter rains bury the road under debris, sometimes deeply, and it gets more challenging.

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ale_capone
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PostSun Jun 13, 2021 7:25 am 
Thanks Bruce. That wouldn't be too bad. Not too close, but close enough. Troublesome is great in the winter. I've skied up it from the washout to twin lakes and beyond a couple times. Hubbard's spines look like fun.

lopper
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timberghost
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PostMon Jun 14, 2021 5:40 am 
Me too I have also skied up to Blanca and Dishpan

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Schroder
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PostWed Nov 24, 2021 11:55 am 
Index-Galena Rd: MP 6.5-6.9 Repairs Construction began in April 2021 to repair the final section of roadway that was heavily damaged during flood events in November 2006. Onsite project work is winding down for the winter and will resume in the spring of 2022. The area remains closed to the public through the end of construction and the project is anticipated to be completed in late 2023. This year crews completed some major milestones, which include: -Removal of old roadway debris is 95 percent complete including in-stream clean-up efforts. -Land clearing involving tree and rock removal is complete. Approximately 250 trees were cleared and salvaged logs will be used for onsite habitat restoration and U.S. Forest Service habitat restoration located elsewhere in the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. -Earthwork including excavation and embankment for the new roadway is partially constructed. -Construction of structural elements included: A vented ford box culvert was completed. This armored culvert crosses through a historical rock debris slide area and conveys a stream underneath the road. It was built to be resilient against future sliding debris. Four six-foot diameter drilled shafts were installed to depths between 70 and 110 feet in the ground to support the future 180-foot bridge near mile post 6.9. To learn more, visit the project webpage at https://snohomishcountywa.gov/624

fallguy, Exmoor
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