Angels Rest to Tanner Butte 23-24 June 2010

[pdxflowergirl]

Quote:
Ahhhh, I'm so jealous!


Me too, me too

Me, three! Thanks for the trip report. Mt. Hood view in the morning is tough to beat! Hope we have a short mosquito season!

[Splintercat]

...right now I'd settle for designating the trail along the existing Eagle-Tanner and getting some trail maintenance done (and maybe a bridge or two?).

Me, too - and your report calls that out beautifully with the Tanner crossing. IMHO, any stream crossing that represents a hazard to human health and safety qualifies for a bridge under the Wilderness Act, and many have been built and maintained under this interpretation. There are three provisions that apply from the act (my emphasis added):

"(Wilderness) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable...

"Except as otherwise provided in this Act, wilderness areas shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical use...

(and in the prohibitions of roads & structures clause) "....except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act, including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area."

If you think about the signs of "civilization" that you might encounter with the Hatfield Wilderness (aircraft, freeway and train noise, powerlines), it strikes me that a log bridge over the some of the larger streams wouldn't be all that intrusive -- more likely a welcome sight!

Sorry for the wonky detour, but it's one of those issues that I'd like to see addressed sooner than later..!

-Tom

[Splintercat]

Oops... also meant to say that TKO sponsored a volunteer vacation for the American Hiking Society (AHS) last year, and for a number of months, it looked like the trail they would focus on would be the Moffett Creek Trail. For a bunch of logistical reasons, we switched gears and did a project on the Washington side of the Gorge, so for those thinking Moffett was going to get some attention... it was, for awhile, at least. It would be a perfect candidate for the Northwest Youth Corps, but not sure if it's a priority for the USFS... and thus, the blog article...

-Tom

[Grannyhiker]

That's interesting about the "health and safety" aspect of wilderness bridges. In Wyoming's Wind Rivers, they only build a bridge if a ford is unsafe for horses at low water! Hikers are pretty much on their own!

[Splintercat]

Well, in Wyoming I'm pretty sure horses qualify as "persons", Granny... not sure if they're allowed to vote, however....