Oh, with Houston - I was refering to it as one of hundreds of examples of US cities not blessed with the proximity of the natural beauty we have here - not really refering to anything political there. (However it's very cool that Texas passed HB 1 and HB 12 last year - injecting almost $200 million additional park funding for 2008 and 09 - so it's not a total loss down there. I've visted a dozen or so State Parks in Texas. If you can stand the red ants, snakes and the occasional alligator, it is a very nice state park system!)
Myself, Cape Horn is a trail dear to my heart - and at at mere 17 minutes from my house it's one I've hiked it at least a half dozen times in the past year or so. I'm proud of PHer's early support of the trail and its part in helping its popularity. Our Field Guide page is only one of two good information pages I'm aware of regarding this hike.
I had the good fortune of hiking the trail with Dan Huntington and he relayed many of the early stories. For those not aware, Dan, at considerable personal effort, orchestrated several dozen real estate deals to secure the land needed to connect a lose conglomeration of local trails, old wagon roads and long abandoned logging roads into a full Cape Horn loop trail. A long-time local, it was Dan's own personal vision to have the trail built so the area would not fall victim to the same encroaching homebuilding that we're seeing in Washougal and Stevenson. He is to be lauded for his hard work and determination! In fact he personally paid the lease for that section of the trail that was private property for quite some time out of his own pocket.
It was his efforts along with significant work of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge and some key benefactors that lead to the Forest Service buying 50 properties along the rim up there - effectively killing a planned subdivsion. (So it may not be accurate to assume that the FS does not have a vested interest for trails in this area!)
I've have numerous discussions with some of the key players with Friends of the Columbia Gorge and the WTA. Gorge Friends for one has been the main driver in pushing the FS on this. You can find some of the background on their Campaign for Cape Horn page. They were also key in creating the Cape Horn Conservancy. With the support of WTA, they are planning to fund and carry out the engineering and survey work for the underpasses on RT 14.
The Gorge from a view point along the lower section of the Cape Horn trail.
However, the Cape Horn loop trails were built outside the supervision of the Forest Service. None of the required environmental assesments were done, trails were built substandard, full sections of the trail are on public roads outside of FS jurisdiction, and there are still private property issues. So it should be no surprise that it presents some difficulties for the FS to adopt the trail unilaterally.
When you consider clandestine trail building efforts on the Washington side on Prindle Mt, Archer Mt, Greenleef Point and the Hamilton Creek basin (Some that cross state and federal land, some into DNR, and most cross or skirt vague properly lines.) including those being used by OHVers and mt bikers, they must also consider the precedent of being allowed to be "bullied" (for lack of a better word) into taking action on Cape Horn.
And that lower section has its share of problems. The current route is going to be difficult to maintain - and is bookended by two irregular and possibly expensive problems. Further, there are other interests at stake, including discussions to connect the trail further West to the Steigerwald Lake Refuge, and other discussions to connect it northward as a connector to the Chinook Trail. There is an environmental group trying to protect falcons near Cape Horn Falls (although I don't know much about their claims)
Add to this the Route 14 road straightening proposals, the Park and Ride, the Friend's plans for the Rim, and the shrinking budgets across the board I humbly submit, this is a bit more layered than it intially appears
