[REJ]

The Middle Fork Snoq Travel Plan is about to be finalized. I pulled this from the MBSFS web site. "An environmental assessment has been completed for access, travel and recreational use opportunities on National Forest lands within the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River watershed in northeast King County. Forest Supervisor John Phipps will soon be signing a decision notice that will provide for resource protection, a mix of recreational access opportunities for diverse public visitors, and help control garbage dumping, vandalism and illegal shooting. The decision 1) will close most of the FS spur roads in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River watershed; 2) will close FS road 56 at Dingford Creek trailhead to motorized recreation access (the last 7.6 miles of road will become a multiple use recreation trail); 3) will provide private landowners and claimants the opportunity, through an agreement, to maintain motorized access to their inholdings past the closure at Dingford Creek Trailhead; 4) will close FS road 56 from near the junction of Road 5640 to Dingford Creek Trailhead from November 1 to April 15 to motorized recreation access (inholders and their patrons will not be subject to this seasonal closure); and 5) will open the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail to mountain bike use for a three year trial period and place seasonal restrictions on both mountain bike and stock animal use."

[Allison]

2 questions: Are the inholders responsible for maintiaining the road that runs from Dingford to the end, or do we get to pay for that? What be the timeline for implementation? I have trips to do in there.

[REJ]

By the way the FS finally posted the MtBaker-Snoq NF Schedule of Proposed Actions for Spring-Summer 2003. Of possible interest to the trail users are the following potential projects: Circle Trail Reconstruction Meadow Mtn Trail Construction White Chuck Trail Slide Reroute Deception Creek Trail Pratt River Trail High Lakes Trail Reconstruction McClellan Butte Trail Reconstruction Snoqualmie Lake Trail Reconstruction

[Backpacker Joe]

I'll be in touch with Mr. Phipps within the next few days and will be asking him if there is anything anyone, or any gourps of people can do to keep the road open. I'll post my findings here. TB

[MtnGoat]

Looks like it's time to contact the inholders about forming a non profit group to help them maintain their access...... in return for a key and road use rights. Didn't anybody mention to the FS that they just finished building a trail up the entire middle fork, and that multiple use is *already* served by the current access situation? The way they word these pronouncements to make reducing access sound like an increase, is specious as hell. "Multiple use recreation trail" my butt, it will still be a road, still be maintained as a road by the inholders, and still continue to be a road, only one with a gate on it. If they're so burning hot to play this gate game, with *another* gate down lower to be opened and closed seasonally, they ought to just not do the Dingford gate and use the lower one seasonally. I'm not sure what good it will do BPJ, everything I've heard about this whole issue is that it was already a done deal when conceived, and that regardless of the input the FS was going to do this. Probably the only possibility now is for a few people wishing to put in the effort to somehow get keys for themselves, as I alluded to above. For those who will say that's not fair, I fully agree, and lets remember that it's the FS causing this to be the case.

[Stefan]

This action plans look similar to the road to Monte Cristo.

[Allison]

So Goat, Mr. Small Goverment, I'm sure you have a pretty good idea as to how much it costs to keep that road maintained....do you think it's a good investment for the Gov't to spend that money to maintain that road, for the small number of recreational users that use it every year? Do you?

[Newt]

[Randy]

The upper road maintained? booowahawhawah!

[MtnGoat]

Since the fed insists on managing that land, it's entirely reasonable that the fed pay for it, just like trail maintainance. If the standard for road building make it too expensive to cut a couple logs and grade it (or a washout) every couple years, I think that's a problem that's easily resolved. As for a limited number of users, I beg to disagree. It may be limited in the number compared to I5, or limited compared to Snow lake, but rare is the time I've gone in in the last ten years and not had at least a couple parties going the other way, seen people along side the road at various places, including the hot springs spur, or at least a couple cars at the TH especially on good weekends when I've seen it half full or more. I notice you're interested in access yourself, are you intending to get your trips in while you can do it without a multiday commitment, which most people can't make? If the FS is going to pay to fix the Illabot road, or the Tonga Ridge road to the far end where the cutoff is, or any number of other roads I can list where I always see fewer cars than the 8 miles of upper M Fk (Top Peach Pear lks TH road, Maloney ridge road, Bethel ridge, Stormy mtn, and a bunch more) , including a heck of a lot with moderately to little used trailheads, I don't think it's outrageous to expect this one to remain open.

[Backpacker Joe]

Once again, a wonderful point made by the wooly haired one! I hope that the road stays open. Or, to remain consistent, gate ALL of them! TB

[Steve]

Any idea on when the gate is to be installed? If I understand this correctly then the last 7.6 miles will be closed to everyone except for a priviliged few? I guess I better make my way up to dutch miller gap this year.

[Allison]

Goat, I am interested in access issues, but I am also not afraid to pay taxes. The money "the gummint" allocates comes from taxpayers. FS logging revenue is way off....so...where does the $$ come from? I don't really care if they close the road or not. I have plenty of time on my hands. I'd just like to see the taxpayers not maintaining the road if they don't get to use it...and I'd really like to see the inholders bought out and the whole thing made part of the wilderness.

[Backpacker Joe]

I called and talked to a ranger at the North Bend station. They told me there to expect the gate next fall, or early next year! TB

[MtnGoat]