Re: Snowpark at SilverStar
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 8:46 am
Posted Dec 27 as a reply to poster.
My understanding is that the original plan was to locate the snow park at Early Winters. Just west of the FS NF sign would have been an excellent location as it would have created a much needed fire break as well as mitigate other concerns.
Unfortunately no public comment was solicited for the project by the FS that I saw, most likely deemed to be a non significant impact. Public comment would have forced the FS to mitigate public concerns, and that did not happen that I'm aware of. Although I and a few others were personally asked for our opinion by the former FS employee who handles Recreation.
My comment was that my aging sore back would benefit, however other enviormental, habitat, and public safety concerns out weigh my self interest needs.
This SSS location allows for easy access to avalanche terrain. In other areas where this occurs such as Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass, accident and fatality rates increase as overcrowding and competition for resources increases. We saw this competition here during the last storm on the 21st that initiated a widespread avalanche cycle.
Natural Avalanches tend to occur during the storm or within the first 24 hours of a storm. On the 22nd, the powder freezy at the snowpark reminded me of a ski area, only ski areas control for avalanches.
I also observed on the 22nd, a child of around 8 or 10 was sitting at the bottom of one of the Delancey Ridge avy Run out zones on the Hwy.
Lots of avy's released in the Delancy Ridge area with 16"to 20" slabs at the tail end or just after the storm on the 21st into the 22nd ended. However as you can read in the Avy warning that David posted, the danger was not over ( that warning was extended through today with triggering a persistent weak layer a concern)
On the 22nd, what appeared to be one commercial group with two guides and one other recreational group of four were in one of the Delancy Ridge ski areas. At one point, the skin track went up one of the gullies where an avy had already come down, however that one path is fed by multiple Avalanche start zones some of which had not released.
Of course none of us thought another avy would come down, at least that's what we were hoping and the traveling was easy on the Avy debris in that gully path.
On the 24th, my next solo tour, I noticed a State grader knocking back some of the plow berms so it appears that the State is determined to keep the snow park open.
It should be noted that there is a 7-Day snowmobile parking limit up there. My question would be was this an attempt to mitigate fuel spillage near Silver Star and Early Winters Creek?
How is that ever going to be enforced?
Are commercial user groups exempt from the 7 day snowmobile parking limit?
Why was a snow park placed so near to wintertime designated Goat habitat and wildlife travel corridors?
I will be doing a FOIA request to try to get some facts as to why this snow park was located at Silver Star
My understanding is that the original plan was to locate the snow park at Early Winters. Just west of the FS NF sign would have been an excellent location as it would have created a much needed fire break as well as mitigate other concerns.
Unfortunately no public comment was solicited for the project by the FS that I saw, most likely deemed to be a non significant impact. Public comment would have forced the FS to mitigate public concerns, and that did not happen that I'm aware of. Although I and a few others were personally asked for our opinion by the former FS employee who handles Recreation.
My comment was that my aging sore back would benefit, however other enviormental, habitat, and public safety concerns out weigh my self interest needs.
This SSS location allows for easy access to avalanche terrain. In other areas where this occurs such as Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass, accident and fatality rates increase as overcrowding and competition for resources increases. We saw this competition here during the last storm on the 21st that initiated a widespread avalanche cycle.
Natural Avalanches tend to occur during the storm or within the first 24 hours of a storm. On the 22nd, the powder freezy at the snowpark reminded me of a ski area, only ski areas control for avalanches.
I also observed on the 22nd, a child of around 8 or 10 was sitting at the bottom of one of the Delancey Ridge avy Run out zones on the Hwy.
Lots of avy's released in the Delancy Ridge area with 16"to 20" slabs at the tail end or just after the storm on the 21st into the 22nd ended. However as you can read in the Avy warning that David posted, the danger was not over ( that warning was extended through today with triggering a persistent weak layer a concern)
On the 22nd, what appeared to be one commercial group with two guides and one other recreational group of four were in one of the Delancy Ridge ski areas. At one point, the skin track went up one of the gullies where an avy had already come down, however that one path is fed by multiple Avalanche start zones some of which had not released.
Of course none of us thought another avy would come down, at least that's what we were hoping and the traveling was easy on the Avy debris in that gully path.
On the 24th, my next solo tour, I noticed a State grader knocking back some of the plow berms so it appears that the State is determined to keep the snow park open.
It should be noted that there is a 7-Day snowmobile parking limit up there. My question would be was this an attempt to mitigate fuel spillage near Silver Star and Early Winters Creek?
How is that ever going to be enforced?
Are commercial user groups exempt from the 7 day snowmobile parking limit?
Why was a snow park placed so near to wintertime designated Goat habitat and wildlife travel corridors?
I will be doing a FOIA request to try to get some facts as to why this snow park was located at Silver Star