May-June 09 Humpback Creek Wilderness Evaluation WILDERNESS EVALUATION Humpback Creek - 0605002 5,186 Acres 3,411 acres (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest) 1,775 acres (Wenatchee National Forest) OVERVIEW History This area has not been identified as a roadless area in any previous inventory. The area was added to the inventory because it meets the criteria for a Potential Wilderness Area (PWA) as described in Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12 Chapter 70. This area lies within the Alpine Lakes Management Area established by Congress in 1976. Management direction was established in the 1981 Alpine Lakes Area Management Plan. Most of the area was designated the Annette Lake Recreation Area; no commercial timber harvest is permitted in this area. The northern portion of the roadless area was allocated to “scenic forest” where commercial activity could be allowed. The entire Alpine Lakes Area Management Plan was incorporated into the 1990 Mount Baker-Snoqualmie (MBS) Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan); see page 1-2 of the Plan. The Alpine Lakes Area Management Plan was also incorporated by reference into the Wenatchee National Land and Resource Management Plan. In 1994, a major plan amendment (Northwest Forest Plan) allocated the entire area late-successional reserve (LSR #123); streams, lakes, etc., are allocated to riparian reserve. The 1994 amendment allocated the western portion to late-successional reserve (LSR) and the eastern portion to Snoqualmie Pass Adaptive Management Area (AMA). These allocations are expected to provide habitat for late-successional and old-growth related species. An AMA plan was prepared for the Snoqualmie Pass AMA (Record of Decision signed November 1997). This area was recognized as a critical connective link in the north-south movement of organisms in the Cascade Range. The following table depicts the 1990 Forest Plan management direction for the 2006 potential wilderness area. DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 1 of 15 May-June 09 Humpback Creek Wilderness Evaluation Table 1–Management area acreages (rounded) Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Okanogan & Wenatchee Total Acres = 3,314 Total Acres = 1,872 LSR (underlying MA 27 SA, 2,151 Annette Lake Classified Special Area 1608 Special Area – Annette Lake (SPAMA 1997) Recreation Area LSR (underlying MA 27 SF - 1,159 General Forest (SPAMA) 264 Scenic Forest) MA 27 GF - General Forest 4 Location and Access This potential wilderness area (PWA) is a small roadless parcel, located immediately south of Interstate 90 and a few miles from Snoqualmie Pass and less than 60 miles from metropolitan Seattle. The area is quickly accessed by Interstate 90 with a trailhead at Exit 48. At Exit 54, access via Forest Service Road 9070 reaches several trailheads within six miles of the interstate exit. The city of Seattle’s Cedar River Watershed adjoins this roadless area to the south. Geography and Topography The area is steep and rugged, rising from 2,400 feet elevation near the Iron Horse Trail State Park to over 5,600 feet at the top of Silver Peak. Lakes within the parcel include the popular Annette Lake, Scout Lake, Twin Lakes, and Mirror Lake. The core of this roadless area is centered on the Humpback Creek drainage to the west and the Cold Creek headwaters to the east. The roadless lands include areas along the ridges to the east, south and west of Humpback Creek. Humpback Creek runs north and south - roughly perpendicular to I-90. Current Uses The main recreational activities occurring within the area include day-hiking to Lake Annette and other lakes, through-hiking or riding on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCNST), backpacking to several lake destinations, and climbing of Silver, Abiel, and Tinkham Peaks. Appearance and Surroundings Most of the area is covered by a dense blanket of silver fir and hemlock, with Douglas-fir and western red cedar at lower elevations. In the Cold Creek drainage, trees older than 700 years have been documented. The area is a fine example of a late-successional forest of montane mixed conifer forest habitat-type. Between 4,000 and 5,000 feet elevation, the forest canopy transitions into a subalpine forest, dominated by subalpine fir and mountain hemlock. Timber line in the area is near 5,000 feet; higher peaks in this area just poke above it. The area is largely an island of naturally-functioning ecosystems, centered on Humpback Creek, within a sea of checkerboard, industrial forest lands. DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 2 of 15 May-June 09 Humpback Creek Wilderness Evaluation Key Attractions Key attractions are the lakes in the area, the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCNST), and the three peaks mentioned above. CAPABILITY FOR WILDERNESS Level of natural and undeveloped environment: Though timber harvest has occurred in the Cold Creek basin, the headwaters remain a core of late-successional forest surrounded by subalpine parkland. Four named lakes and a pair of trailless, unnamed tarns draw many hiking visitors. The PCNST, Cold Creek Trail, and Mount Catherine Trail form a popular day hiking loop, connecting these lakes. In addition to their attraction to hikers, the natural qualities of these lakes help provide for the healthy functioning of the ecosystem; including sediment and nutrient filtering for excellent water quality, water storage and aquifer recharge, stream energy dissipation, thermal regulation of water temperatures and forest refugia, and the protection of in-stream flows for fish and wildlife habitats. The area is largely undeveloped; the only major improvements are the system trails. There are no known structures in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie portion of the area. One cabin rests in the interior of the roadless area near Twin Lakes on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest portion. Once used by the Federal Aviation Administration to access a light beacon on Mount Catherine, it is currently drawing a small number of winter visitors who appear to be improving the structure. The Humpback Creek PWA is impaired by light pollution from the Snoqualmie Pass ski areas as well as the Puget Sound metropolitan area. The southwestern portion of the PWA (26 percent of the PWA) rates a Class 4 on the Bortle Scale, whereas the northern portion (74 percent of the PWA) rates as a Class 4.5. A Class 4 Rural/Suburban Transition Sky exhibits fairly obvious light-pollution domes over population centers in several directions. The Milky Way well above the horizon is still impressive but lacks all but the most obvious structure. Clouds in the direction of light pollution sources are illuminated but only slightly so, and are still dark overhead. Modest to serious impact to deep sky observing and imaging occurs. A Class 4.5 sky portrays the Milky Way as washed out but still visible on the horizon. Light domes from populated areas are up to 45 degrees above the horizon. Water quality data is not available for most of the PWA; however, due to the relatively low level of disturbance water quality is assumed to be high. Fish have been planted in all of the major lakes, which would have been formerly fishless waters. There are no surveyed noxious weeds within this PWA. Various noxious weed species have been documented along the I-90 corridor adjacent to this PWA, and along eastside Forest Roads 5480 and 9070. These noxious weed species include: diffuse knapweed, orange hawkweed, bull thistle, Canada thistle, Scot’s broom, St. Johnswort, and oxeye daisy. There is an infestation of Dalmatian toadflax along Trail #1091 to Annette Lake, roughly one-half mile from the trailhead. DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 3 of 15 May-June 09 Humpback Creek Wilderness Evaluation Outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation: Hikers along the Annette Lake Trail begin to get out of earshot of the freeway about one- half mile up the trail. Many visitors complain about overcrowding on this trail. Solitude may be experienced at Annette Lake only at non-peak times. Large groups (over 12) often visit this area, as it is easily accessible from virtually the shoulder of Interstate 90. The lake attracts a lot of use, in part because there is no restriction on group party size at the destination lakes in this area, as there is in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the other side of the freeway (maximum party size limit of 12). While the view is expansive from the summit of Silver Peak, one has a very different experience of this roadless area from this 5,600-foot peak. The towering cone of Mount Rainier is visible across a vast foreground of clearcut areas. Additional industrial forest lands lie to the west and east. The roar of the I-90 freeway, below, can be clearly heard and a maze of roads crosses the hillsides. To the east, the visitor sees the large impoundment of Lake Keechelus and more of I-90. The dark green valley of Humpback Creek stands out below. On clear days the Olympic Mountains can be seen across Puget Sound to the west. In late winter, snowmobiles often climb out of Ollalie and “high mark” on the steep slopes under the north face of Silver Peak. The view to the north of the highway includes a broad swath of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Mount Stuart to the east and Mount Si to the west. The area lies almost directly under the flight path into and out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for flights heading to, or originating from cities to the east of Seattle. This results in a nearly constant commercial aircraft presence over this area. Off-trail use in this area is very limited due to the steep terrain and extensive brush.