Washington Climbers Coalition, The Access Fund, The Mountaineers, and the American Alpine Club Input to Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision

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1 March 8, 2012 Margaret Hartzell ID Team Leader, Forest Plan Revision Team Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Okanogan Valley Office 1240 Second Avenue South Okanogan, WA RE: Washington Climbers Coalition, The Access Fund, The Mountaineers, and the American Alpine Club Input to Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision Margaret: Thanks again to you and others in the Forest Plan Revision Team for taking the time to get on the phone with us in January to discuss our specific concerns in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Plan revision related to recreational rock climbing and mountaineering. As stated in our joint comment letter 1 and on the phone, we believe that the climbing found on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is truly unique and nationally-significant, and we feel that this Plan revision should acknowledge these attributes by seeking to enhance and protect the climbing opportunities found at several key locations throughout the planning area. Please see below the information we promised you related to the extent and significance of climbing on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF), as well as specifics related to winter/ice climbing, and requested boundary adjustments to three preliminary administratively recommended wilderness areas. Much of this information is also illustrated on the attached Google Earth map (.kzm file named OWNF Climbing ). We also note herein the importance of climbing access trails and roads throughout the OWNF, and our interest in further discussing the designation of Special Interest Areas with a recreational purpose that could preserve the outstanding special characteristics and unique values found in particular at Icicle Creek and Tumwater Canyons near Leavenworth. I. CLIMBING ACCESS ROADS AND TRAILS ON THE OKANOGAN- WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST On the phone we discussed concerns with you about maintenance and possible decommissioning of climbing access roads and trails that are critical for accessing climbing opportunities on the OWNF. We understand that most decisions related to roads will be dealt with in the OWNF s Travel Management Plan and we will continue our involvement in that process. However, the Proposed Action contains numerous references to the need to close roads throughout the OWNF, 1 See our joint comment letter at C275DF6CA8E3%7D/WA--Okanogan-Wenatchee%20NF%20Plan%20Revision_ pdf

2 citing such factors as the environmental problems presented by crumbling roads, the budget limitations requiring that the road system be cut back, the danger of having the public frequent roads that were not originally built for public travel. We believe that OWNF planning staff should include specific recognition of the public value provided by access to remote and high elevation trailheads so that recreational users hikers, climbers and mountaineers in particular have an opportunity to access some high elevation areas or remote locations on day or weekend outings. 2 In this way Planning Staff will acknowledge the public value of maintaining access to remote and high elevation trailheads frequented by climbers. On our call you also noted that this Plan revision may authorize local plans that could affect climbing access trails. Accordingly, we ll make sure to contact local district offices to make our interests known to them regarding specific locations where we d like to see climbing access trails consolidated, decommissioned where necessary (if redundant), and incorporated into the Forest s formal trail system. II. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CLIMBING RESOURCES ON THE OKANOGAN- WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST On our call you asked for a bibliography and any other source material that supports our point that climbing on the OWNF is nationally-significant. Please see Appendix A attached hereto which provides an extensive bibliography of climbing resources on the OWNF (see also the attached.kzm file named OWNF Climbing ). III. WINTER CLIMBING LOCATIONS ON THE OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST In our comment letter we supported the concept of more backcountry non-motorized zones in the plan revision. In particular we noted the Plan s lack of non-motorized winter designations and our interest in winter climbing in non-motorized areas. On our call you asked for more details on winter climbing areas where this might be a problem and just so your staff could have a more complete understanding of winter climbing opportunities in theownf s planning area. See attached Appendix B which provides a general outline of winter/ice climbing opportunities found on the OWNF. Winter ice climbing locations are also indicated on the attached Google Earth map ( OWNF Climbing ). IV. WILDERNESS BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS As noted in on our joint comment letter, the undersigned organizations generally support the expansion of wilderness protection as outlined in the Proposed Action. However, because wilderness area management may bring into consideration policies regarding solitude, fixed anchors, and social trails and because climbers occasionally need the use of a power drill to 2 Examples of specific places in the Proposed Action where such a note might be added would include page 20 where the Planned Action addresses the challenges of maintaining the current road system. Also, page 45 where the plan addresses providing recreation opportunities for nearby communities (by locating five percent of the trail system adjacent to communities where practical) but there is no corresponding comment about the value of trails that access remote areas. 2

3 establish and replace anchors for ascent and descent there are a few small areas where we request that the OWNF adjust its proposed wilderness recommendation boundaries so that historic and high-value climbing may continue, or in some cases be developed or enhanced, without conflicting with wilderness management policies or regulations. On our call you asked for descriptive details (unique, special, and outstanding characteristics) for the following area s where we are requesting a boundary adjustment in the Proposed Action s preliminary administratively recommended wilderness areas: Tieton River/North Fork Cliff (approx '40.69"N, '48.19"W). Tumwater Canyon/Drury Falls area (approx '20.59"N, '37.34"W). Icicle Creek Canyon/Yellow Jacket Tower, etc. (approx '48.02"N, '34.42"W). Please see below descriptive details why we think these climbing areas are unique, special, and outstanding, and should be removed from OWNF s preliminary proposed wilderness designations. See also the attached Appendix C for some draft illustrations for these proposed boundary adjustments. A. Tieton River/North Fork Cliff The North Fork Cliff is perhaps the largest escarpment of high-quality rock in the Tieton River drainage. It is located on the north rim of Pinegrass Ridge, slightly southwest of the Clear Lake Reservoir. From the crag, climbers have a commanding view of Tumac Mountain, Russell Ridge, and the Willam O. Douglas Wilderness to the north, and Clear Lake and the Rimrock Lake Reservoir to the east. Although area climbers have looked at the cliff for decades, there is no known climbing history prior to The cliff has always appeared relatively inaccessible, although (now closed) Forest Road 762 ends at the ridge top almost directly above the crag. Through a combination of walking this road and cross-country travel, the North Fork Cliff can be reached in approximately 45 minutes. Like most of the climbing crags in the Tieton area this cliff is composed of andesite, but its diversity of climbing styles makes it unique. Possibly because of its orientation and elevation (north facing, approximately 4,800 feet), the rock is remarkably unweathered and solid. The cliff is approximately 170 feet tall across its length and is split almost evenly into two distinct sectors. The right side of the wall is characterized by tall columns split by numerous vertical crack systems, nearly all of which are hand-and-finger sized (ideal for climbing). The left side of the wall is generally blocky with very few crack systems and many bulges and roofs. This left side 3

4 lends itself to high quality bolt-protected face climbing. Overall, the cliff offers the potential for scores of very long, unbroken single pitch crack and face climbs of consistent difficulty. The North Fork Cliff stays shaded until nearly 3:00 PM in the summer months, making it an ideal summer climbing destination. One can climb comfortably at the North Fork Cliff when it is over 100 degrees in the central Washington lowlands and when other Washington climbing areas (e.g., Index, Leavenworth, and Mazama) are sweltering in the 90s. The combination of rock quality, climbing variety, pitch length, climate, and scenery make the North Fork Cliff a potential premier summer crag in the Pacific Northwest. B. Tumwater/Drury Falls area Drury Falls, one of the highest waterfall ice climbs in Washington State, is a 1,267' hightiered waterfall positioned where Fall Creek enters the Tumwater Canyon from Icicle Ridge. This spectacular climb that may be viewed from US 2 (Stevens Pass Highway) as one drives through Tumwater Canyon, Drury Falls is located high above the Wenatchee River, near the eastern end of the highway. This steep five-pitch route is known as the grand-daddy of waterfalls climbs in the Cascades and was first climbed in Drury Falls is now usually climbed several times per winter by strong ice climbers despite the challenging approach. The vast rock buttresses to the west of Drury Falls have also long been explored by adventurous rock climbers based mostly in the Leavenworth area. Despite the required river crossing, this area holds a significant amount of close-to-the-highway potential for new multi-pitch rock climbing routes located in the unique setting of Tumwater Canyon. 4

5 C. Icicle Creek Canyon/Yellow Jacket Tower area The south side of Icicle Creek Canyon, from Snow Creek to Mountaineer Creek, also has some longstanding climbing areas and potential locations for new climbing opportunities that we would like to see eliminated from the Forest Service s proposed wilderness recommendations. The following are some of the climbing destinations found in this area: Yellow Jacket Tower First climbed in 1948 by Pete Schoening, Herb Staley, and Fred Beckey, this moderate alpine climb is very popular with large instructional groups who use it as a training climb for larger alpine rock routes. This historic tower climb is found at (approximately) the following coordinates: 47 31'37.93"N '41.38"W. Rat Dome and Rat boulders are one of the area s oldest regular cragging destinations, and are significant because they remain in the shade on hot days. Private property issues complicate access to these popular public land climbing locations. Pearly Gates one of Icicle Creek Canyon s most popular crags since Cantaloupe Island one of the Icicle Creek Canyon s newer crag destinations. V. SPECIAL INTEREST AREAS In our previous comment letter we supported the establishment of a Special Interest Areas (SIA) with a recreation purpose for Icicle Creek Canyon such as currently designated for Tumwater Canyon and Nason Ridge. On our call you and your staff indicated that any new SIAs would need to be considered unique and special, but that in any case you felt that such a designation would not change management prescriptions for these areas. We feel that OWNF planners should consider SIA designations for a few key locations. As you know, National Forests designate recreation SIAs for special places that have unique, unusual, or important characteristics. They are administratively designated areas and managed for public use and enjoyment to protect and conserve the values for which they were identified. Recreation SIAs can be several thousand acres in size and are maintained in a substantially natural condition for use by the public while protecting those special characteristics for which they are designated. Suitable areas of national forest land, other than wilderness or wild areas, which should be managed principally for recreation use may be given special classification and managed principally for recreation use substantially in their natural condition. 3 The objective of an SIA for recreation is to protect and manage for public use and enjoyment, special recreation areas with scenic, geological, botanical, zoological, paleontological, archaeological, or 3 See 36 CFR RECREATION AREAS. 5

6 other special characteristics or unique values. 4 A recreational area is a unit of land that has been administratively designated for particular recreation opportunities 5 and should include management direction for each area in the forest plan. 6 As noted, climbing in the OWNF is nationally-significant and the Icicle Creek area is the most popular climbing area on the forest because of its high-quality climbs, breathtaking scenery, and ease of access. Forest planners should recognize this important value by designating Icicle Creek a Special Interest Area status with a rock climbing purpose (see attached Appendix C for a proposed boundary for an Icicle Creek Canyon Special Interest Area), and improve the management prescriptions and practices for existing SIAs at Tumwater Canyon and Nason Ridge to provide a more meaningful focus for this designation. We would like to discuss further our proposals for designating SIA s for recreation within the OWNF, and identify unique, unusual, and/or important recreation characteristics found at locations such as Icicle Creek and Tumwater Canyon. By designating SIAs in these areas the OWNF may appropriately enhance climbing opportunities while conserving the local environment. Finally, we want to address climbing in the existing Wildcat SIA in the Tieton area. As we discussed on our call, we are concerned that climbing be recognized as a compatible use within this SIA. Climbing is a long-established activity at the Wildcat cliffs. The first recorded modern route was established on the main Wildcat Wall in 1980, although there is historic evidence of climbing on the wall (ring pitons) that likely dates from the 1950s or 60s. The majority of existing routes on both the main Wildcat Wall and the neighboring Honeycomb Buttress were established in the late 1980s and early 90s, and they remain popular today. To date, we are aware of no user conflicts resulting from climbing, nor is climbing incompatible with protecting the geological values of the SIA. We trust that the SIA designation will not result in any limitations on climbing access to this spectacular area. * * * Thank you again for your attention to the concerns of the climbing community in the Forest Plan Revision for the OWNF. We look forward to following up with you and your staff regarding the topics outlined in this letter. Sincerely, 4 See Forest Service Manual at FSM (7). 6 FSM (5). 6

7 Jason Keith The Access Fund Sarah Krueger The Mountaineers Matt Perkins Washington Climbers Coalition Eddie Espinosa American Alpine Club Cc: The Honorable Maria Cantwell, US Senate The Honorable Patty Murray, US Senate The Honorable Dave Reichert, US House of Representatives The Honorable Doc Hastings, US House of Representatives The Honorable Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, US House of Representatives The Honorable Rick Larsen, US House of Representatives Jeff Rivera, Wenatchee River District Ranger, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Irene Davidson, Naches District Ranger, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Michael Liu, Methow Valley District Ranger, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Outdoor Alliance 7