Went shooting by the Carbonado river... Nice place!

Sadly we all want "the best" at a cost of zero...

Nothing is free - even if we take for granted good clean drinking water and all the rest we don't even think twice about... Like freedom.

Someone has to pay. If you enjoy the great outdoors - pay up and pay your share.

No one wants to pay the burden for others but this is pretty clear cut. You like shooting in the outdoors - you should pay.

I have all the passes - I may not always like it but I am paying for what I enjoy.


Young Kim
Sent from my iPod touch.

I couldn't blow up the picture without making the "PASS REQUIRED" sign unreadable. I went to the NFS site out of curiosity just to see if I could find this site listed as a site requiring a pass. I was unable to find this site in the Region 6, Gifford Pinchot National Forest section list of required pass sites:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/f...ined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Region 6- Passes

Just basically used process-of-elimination to get there. Did I miss something? Also, what is the rest of the text on the sign, anyone know?

I think that's Mt Baker-Snoqualmie NF. It would be for the Summit Lake trailhead. Summit Lake is one of the trailheads listed as requiring a pass in the MB-SNF. I've never been all the way to the trailhead.

deanf said:

I think that's Mt Baker-Snoqualmie NF. It would be for the Summit Lake trailhead. Summit Lake is one of the trailheads listed as requiring a pass in the MB-SNF. I've never been all the way to the trailhead.

Click to expand...

OK thanks.

There's Free and then there's Free!

END_THE_FED said:

You have to give two days of labor, that is not getting it for free. The pass sells for 30FRNs, it would be "cheaper" to do two days of work at a paying job, and buy the pass. Lets say during these two days of labor you work for 15 hours. That means they are only giving you 2 FRNs an hour for your labor.

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You are 100% right. Actually, I usually spend more than $30 in gas when I volunteer with WTA.

But, I'm volunteering because I want to help maintain the trails I use and because it's challenging, fun and did I say FUN. In August I did a 4 day trip with WTA, logged out the Pacific Crest Trail from Harts Pass to Rainy Pass. We hiked 32 miles, took out about 80 trees that were across the trail. Spent $42 on gas and $50 on food for the trip. But I did get a FREE Northwest Forest Pass.

Check out the fun, this was day 2: https://picasaweb.google.com/100307...goutAugust112011?authkey=Gv1sRgCJud4cnAptmPZg

+10

oldkim said:

Sadly we all want "the best" at a cost of zero...

Nothing is free - even if we take for granted good clean drinking water and all the rest we don't even think twice about... Like freedom.

Someone has to pay. If you enjoy the great outdoors - pay up and pay your share.

No one wants to pay the burden for others but this is pretty clear cut. You like shooting in the outdoors - you should pay.

I have all the passes - I may not always like it but I am paying for what I enjoy.


Young Kim
Sent from my iPod touch.

Click to expand...

Man, I couldn't agree more. Not saying anybody else is wrong but some of the attitudes here are hard to understand.

I would have much less of a problem with the passes if they were the only funding for the parks. If it was entirely fee based that would be fine. But most of the funding still comes from the general fund. The problem I have is that I am paying Sales tax (State parks) and "income tax" (Federal parks) to maintain parks I am unable to use without paying for a pass. Not to mention the fact that if the government were a little wiser in spending the revenues they already receive then we wouldn't need the passes in the first place, or such high taxes.


ARADCOM,

Kudos to you for volunteering. It does sound like a good time, and is something I would consider doing. The only point I was making is that it isn't really free if you have to trade labor for it. If someone just wants the pass, they are better off paying for it. If one wants to volunteer anyway, then the pass is a great perk.

END_THE_FED said:

I would have much less of a problem with the passes if they were the only funding for the parks. If it was entirely fee based that would be fine. But most of the funding still comes from the general fund. The problem I have is that I am paying Sales tax (State parks) and "income tax" (Federal parks) to maintain parks I am unable to use without paying for a pass. Not to mention the fact that if the government were a little wiser in spending the revenues they already receive then we wouldn't need the passes in the first place, or such high taxes.

Click to expand...

Bingo.

This reminds me of the time my first-grader came home from public school with a request from the teacher that parents contribute toward the purchase of school supplies. I mean the *school's* supplies. Huh? I already "contributed" via my property taxes, which by the way are going up like a rocket, whilst my home value is dropping like an anvil. This is BS.

Meanwhile, the central government is feasting on $16 muffins and $6 sodas and other treats.