Buck Meadow Washout

[canyelk48]

Ya gotta love the mentality of the Forest Service (Cle Elum District)!  The road to Buck Meadows had been washed out for a year and a half now.  On the 12th, DNR came in with a dozer and gravel and repaired the washout so DNR fire crews could access fires between Manastash Lake and Tamarack Springs.  Took them only a few hours to make it good as new.  Here's the kicker; since it's just a "temporary" repair job (they intend on building a bridge later), Judy Hallisey has a 24 hour guard with Forest Service personnel to prohibit access by anyone other than Forest Service and fire personnel.  How's that for a waste of money and resources!

[runamuk]

sounds completely like government....

[LEN]

Ya they do it just to piss you off and so they can buy an xtra gun to keep you all in line. The problem lies in the powers to be think THEY are the power and not the will of the people. I was just looking last week at a couple washouts that a good cat operator could cure in hours each plus a couple loads of gravel, me thinks these people can't seem to remember who they really are working for.
"HEADS WILL ROLL WHEN i BECOME DICTATOR!!!!!"

LEN

[ellensburgpo]

Agree that it seems like a stupid plan. Not sure I agree this woman's evil genius plan to be a dictator involves a road in the Manastash? 

[wall of wood camp]

Makes a whole hell of a lot of sense doesn't it fix it to tear it out again. If it works let's go with it I'm sure there are worse places on that washboarded piece of crap that used to be a good road. I thought that was a big waste of time and money they put into hauling the ecology blocks up there could of had it fixed with the same vehicle trips and time they spent blocking the road. And now to hear about the armed gaurd on watch give me a break.

[ellensburgpo]

  it's a pretty sad state of affairs when you can't fix a couple of minor areas of damage.

[boneaddict]

I think I made that snide remark a month or so back.   Something like "let there be a fire up there and the road will be fixed instantly."     It was all a political game about dollars.   

[Killmore]

Are you talking about the culvert at the west end of buck meadows? After fire season they will probably dig out the repair job so they can get some federal money...

[ellensburgpo]

Are you talking about the culvert at the west end of buck meadows? After fire season they will probably dig out the repair job so they can get some federal money...

That's the theory I'm operating under. This whole issue feels like its about nothing but money. Oh our budgets been cut so much we can't repair damage and all these people want to use the area....crap. Every time ive been up there this summer i have seen forest circus trucks driving around. I've been saying for two summers that someone with a 65 IQ who owns a 5 gallon bucket and a pickup truck could fix these issues with ease. As someone who qualifies under all three of those descriptions I'd be more then happy to do it.

[fishingnut71]

  Id help too! I guess WE pay for road closures, not access. Pretty PISS poor management!

[Karl Blanchard]

I think there should be a convoy of trucks lined up on the opener of muzzy season and just drive over the dang thing!  What are they gonna do shoot you!

[canyelk48]

They weren't armed, near as I could tell.  Just some poor gals assigned the duty to sit next to their truck to block the road.  The one I talked to was embarassed over the situation and thought it was ridiculous, but had to do what she was ordered to do.  When I asked her if they were going to guard the access until the snow is too deep to get up to Buck Meadows, she just shrugged and said she didn't think so; just until the fires were out.  I wouldn't put it past them to either dig up the road when they leave, or put the concrete barriers back in place.

[mfswallace]

When they go to dig it out my truck will be parked on it and not moved until someone with some common sense comes out to explain why it needs to be fixed then broke then not fixed.........   

Who can we start bombarding with questions and comments???  The top dog not some flunking with no answers...

[runamuk]

OMG can you imagine a mob of hunters pulling a chain yourself to a tree type protest...except this would be a park yourselves on a culvert  I've never been to protest... I'm in..... about time I partake in some civil disobedience may as well start with something nutty like save the road repair 

[coachcw]

yeah and it's a long as hall around through tamarak to get to quartz !

[canyelk48]

Spoke briefly with a different Forest Service employee that was guarding the road yesterday evening and he's thinking that they are going to dig up the road when the fire danger has ended!  Time to blast the Forest Service for this, and even if it's not true, at least for continuing to keep the road blocked after DNR repaired the washout.

[Griz231]

It's all a bunch of bologne.  Pisses me off.  They were even there on Sunday when we pulled out.  I'm wondering if they were just sticking it out until archery elk was over.  Sure would have saved some wear and tear on my truck and trailer.  The frickin wash board sucks.
The gal guarding it said something about a Manashtash Lake and a Quartz mtn washout that they fixed too.  Not sure what those ones are.

[boneaddict]

Probably the one I buried my truck in a couple weeks ago.