Golden Stairway

[Grumpy]

I don't know this trail, but I hope some of you do. This is from the WTA "10 Most Endangered Trails" list for 2010 (DW)

Golden Stairway

This trail typifies why we hike on the eastern slope of the North Cascades. Rolling hills, golden meadows, bursting wildflowers and wide-open views greet hikers who venture onto the Golden Stairway. The summit of Starvation Mountain affords views of the Conconully Reservoir and distant mountains.
WHY IT’S THREATENED

Like many motorized trails, this one is inappropriately located. It’s on an old sheep driveway, which means it barely switchbacks. That steepness, combined with the torque of motorized wheels, loosens soils and allows water to sheet down the trail, causing deep ruts. It’s very difficult to keep waterbars and other structures on a trail like this, since they get washed away. When motorized use creates these kinds of impacts, it drives hikers away. We consider this trail inappropriate for motorized recreation.
TAKE ACTION NOW
SAVE MY TRAIL. Go the extra mile and make Golden Stairway YOUR TRAIL. Pledge to help WTA get YOUR TRAIL, Golden Stairway, off the endangered trails list.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee is going through a process—Travel Management Planning—to decide where to allow motorized recreation on the Forest. We expect them to release draft plans to the public for comment in January, which means that there is still time to influence it in its nascent stage. Please take a moment and contact Aaron Pratt, Travel Management Planning Team Leader, and let him know how concerned you are about the ongoing motorization of this and other areas in the Okanogan-Wenatchee. We’re particularly concerned about the Mad River-Entiat, the Chelan-Sawtooth, the Teanaway and the Okanogan Valley areas. ORVs should have places to go, but not on trails that are inappropriately located or are in roadless areas.