Huge Number of North Cascades Roads and Trail destroyed in Spring Floods

[RobertSeattle]

Hey Shrub: Here's a GREAT works project - something you can't outsource to India.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/170825_forestdamage27.html

Some trails that have been damaged or made inaccessible by floods:

Whitechuck Trail
Meadow Mountain
Suiattle River Trail
Sulphur Mountain
Milk Creek Trail
Downey Creek Trail
Goat Lake/Elliot Creek Trail
Peek-a-Boo Lake Trail
Old Sauk Trail
Baker Lake Trail

[villager]

1. sorry to hear about the trails, but...

...if the "damage" also includes wiping out logging roads, on balance, wouldn't that be a good thing?

[RobertSeattle]

2. Lots of the trailhead access roads are old logging roads

One problem with your theory is that logging roads really need to be destroyed intentionally (decommissioned) as otherwise if they just are allowed to get destroyed by neglect you can have lots of erosion issues when culverts blow out, etc.

The net effect of this is Washington problably has lots more "wilderness" areas this summer since few humans can get into the backcountry in the north cascades without roads and bridges.

[villager]

3. I realize that...

viz. the erosion, and adding to the initial damage of the road building, etc.

But I'm just asking -- since this happened anyway, is it, in the end, a net gain? You mentioned "more wilderness" this summer...

That sounds like a good thing...

[RobertSeattle]

4. I dunno

I'm sure many of the roads/trails/bridges will be rebuilt. Many of the streams in the cascades - even up to elevations of 4000+ feet are not crossable without foot bridges.

[villager]

5. well, yeah, the juggernaut

will want them rebuilt. Still, perhaps some breathing room for trees -- and therefore critters -- otherwise "marked" for "wise use" in the next few seasons?