Proposal would add 22,000 acres to Alpine Lakes

Sorry for the gap in the Signpost blog , I've been wrestling with a yucky virus ('tis the season!).

While I was away, Congressman Dave Reichert introduced legislation that would add about 22,000 acres of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Read the story in the Seattle Times here. The bill would protect lands in the I-90 corridor and the Pratt River Valley east of Seattle. Some of the proposed lands include previously unprotected areas near the Ira Spring and Granite Mountain Trails, plus most of the Pratt River, which drains into the Middle Fork Snoqualmie.

This is a good proposal and you should ask your congressional representatives and senators (here and here) to support it. Puget Sound area population continues to grow, and we need wilderness areas to preserve wildlife, protect ecosystems, provide clean water and to offer opportunities for active recreation-- including hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. While you're contacting your lawmakers, please remind them of the need to find funds to fix $65 million in damage to mountain roads and trails damaged in last fall's storms.

One thing I'm curious about in this Alpine Lakes proposal. The map on Congressman Reichert's website shows a trail from Pratt Lake north into the Pratt River Valley. Does this trail actually exist? Has anyone out there hiked it recently, or remember hiking it at one time? Currently, there is no trail access to the Pratt River from the north. That connector trail from the Middle Fork Snoqualmie has long been a missing link. It would be great to know if hikers will be able to explore these fine additions to the Alpine Lakes via either the Middle Fork or Pratt Lake.

Photo of Congressman Dave Reichert and supporters of additions to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness courtesy Dave Reichert's office.