New Wilderness Markers between Perry Lake & Laurance Lake

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Guy
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New Wilderness Markers between Perry Lake & Laurance Lake

Post by Guy » October 1st, 2014, 5:14 am

We hiked the off trail route between Laurance Lake & Perry Lake last Sunday to Katsuk point. This route follows the new wilderness boundary along the ridge. This new border was first flagged several years ago but even though it's off trail it seems they felt the need to flag it again with a tone of Pink Tape, put up more signs & cut the trees for good measure!

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It would be pretty difficult to get a motorized vehicle here!

Katsuk point was it's usual stunning self!

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Splintercat
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Re: New Wilderness Markers between Perry Lake & Laurance Lak

Post by Splintercat » October 1st, 2014, 7:33 pm

That's interesting, Guy -- did the signs generally follow the off-trail route that you've been using? At one time the USFS planned a bike-oriented trail connection up there (prior to the 2009 wilderness expansion), and my assumption was that it had been shelved, though I don't know the details. So, maybe they were installed for the benefit of planned trail construction (e.g., using power equipment, and therefore needing to be located in front of those signs)..?

Another possibility (more likely) is that the USFS "Lava Timber Sale" that covers a large area north of the Old Vista Ridge Trail triggered a need to mark the boundary (as the edge of the timber sale). Here's some info on the sale:

http://www.bark-out.org/project/lava-timber-sale

Thanks for posting -- Katsuk point looks lovely! I always enjoy that first dusting of snow on the mountain in autumn.

Tom :)

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Guy
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Re: New Wilderness Markers between Perry Lake & Laurance Lak

Post by Guy » October 1st, 2014, 8:32 pm

Tom I put our track on top of one of the Google Earth Files from that site you referenced. You can see how our route follows the Wilderness Boundry round to Perry Lake. I guess this Timber Sale would explain all the new ribbon out there!!
Timber Sale.jpg
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Re: New Wilderness Markers between Perry Lake & Laurance Lak

Post by Splintercat » October 2nd, 2014, 7:07 am

Unfortunately, I think that's probably the story, Guy... and BTW, your map shows why a good part of the concern over this sale centers on the proposed cutting along the west slope of Vista Ridge, proper -- right up to the wilderness boundary and the Old Vista Ridge trail. Contrary to what a lot of people think, the Forest Service has no qualms about logging (or anything else) right up to a wilderness boundary -- there is no "buffer", despite the obvious conflicts that might occur.

Some of the thinning projects in the overall sale are needed, IMHO, but the logging on Vista Ridge is supposedly to "create huckleberry habitat" with an eye toward Native American harvesting, as I understand it. Have explored that area quite a bit, I really can't imagine someone traversing those slopes for huckleberries, when there are much more accessible (and already existing and productive) huckleberry fields closer to roads in the area. More to the point, the Dollar Fire just created what will soon be an enormous huckleberry field immediately advance to the Vista Ridge Trail for decades to come, so, count me as a skeptic on the benefits of "making" huckleberry habitat with more logging on this portion of Vista Ridge!

Tom :)

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