Kachina Wilderness Winter Permits (Mt Humphrey's etc)
Posted: Mar 19 2006 2:18 pm
If you are thinking about hiking/snowshoeing in the Mount Humphrey's / Kachina Peaks Wilderness Area, keep in mind that backcountry permits are required in the Winter.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/passes/index.shtml#bc
Backcountry Permits Necessary in Winter only
Kachina Peaks Wilderness Access permits, commonly known as backcountry permits, required in winter for access to the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area, are now available at the Peaks and Mormon Lake Ranger Districts weekdays from 7:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at Agassiz Lodge at the Arizona Snowbowl from 9 to 11 a.m..
This free permit is designed to help inform backcountry snow recreationists about travel hazards, and to assist the Forest Service and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office with search and rescue should that become necessary. Permits are only required for accessing the backcountry from Arizona Snowbowl and the Snowbowl Road.
Backcountry permits are valid for the entire winter and are designed for snowshoers, cross-country skiers and snowboarders using the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. Permits are required to be displayed in the front windshield of the permit holder’s vehicle if the vehicle is parked at the Lamar Haines trailhead, the entrance of the Freidlein Prairie Road (Forest Road 522) or the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area.
In addition to having a permit, backcountry campers, skiers and snowboarders who launch their trip from the Ski Area or the Snowbowl Road also need to enter information in one of three trip registers. The Coconino National Forest added a new trip register location at the Lamar Haines trailhead on Snowbowl Road last year. The others are at the ticket window at the Hart Prairie Lodge and near the top of the Agassiz chairlift.
“We want people to enjoy backcountry winter activities—but with a high degree of safety,” said Steve Jenner, snow ranger for the Peaks Ranger District. “The information we’re asking for is intended to help people avoid dangers associated with avalanches and hypothermia. When someone reads the hazard warnings on the permit, it usually makes them stop and think for a few moments, and this is often exactly what is needed to introduce the element of caution that can save a person’s life.”
Backcountry permits, which again are free of charge, are available at the Peaks or the Mormon Lake Ranger Stations during the week. Once the Arizona Snowbowl opens, permits may also be obtained at the ticket window at the Agassiz Lodge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. For more information, call the Peaks Ranger Station at (928) 526-0866 or the Mormon Lake Ranger Station at (928) 774-1147.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/passes/index.shtml#bc
Backcountry Permits Necessary in Winter only
Kachina Peaks Wilderness Access permits, commonly known as backcountry permits, required in winter for access to the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area, are now available at the Peaks and Mormon Lake Ranger Districts weekdays from 7:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at Agassiz Lodge at the Arizona Snowbowl from 9 to 11 a.m..
This free permit is designed to help inform backcountry snow recreationists about travel hazards, and to assist the Forest Service and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office with search and rescue should that become necessary. Permits are only required for accessing the backcountry from Arizona Snowbowl and the Snowbowl Road.
Backcountry permits are valid for the entire winter and are designed for snowshoers, cross-country skiers and snowboarders using the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. Permits are required to be displayed in the front windshield of the permit holder’s vehicle if the vehicle is parked at the Lamar Haines trailhead, the entrance of the Freidlein Prairie Road (Forest Road 522) or the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area.
In addition to having a permit, backcountry campers, skiers and snowboarders who launch their trip from the Ski Area or the Snowbowl Road also need to enter information in one of three trip registers. The Coconino National Forest added a new trip register location at the Lamar Haines trailhead on Snowbowl Road last year. The others are at the ticket window at the Hart Prairie Lodge and near the top of the Agassiz chairlift.
“We want people to enjoy backcountry winter activities—but with a high degree of safety,” said Steve Jenner, snow ranger for the Peaks Ranger District. “The information we’re asking for is intended to help people avoid dangers associated with avalanches and hypothermia. When someone reads the hazard warnings on the permit, it usually makes them stop and think for a few moments, and this is often exactly what is needed to introduce the element of caution that can save a person’s life.”
Backcountry permits, which again are free of charge, are available at the Peaks or the Mormon Lake Ranger Stations during the week. Once the Arizona Snowbowl opens, permits may also be obtained at the ticket window at the Agassiz Lodge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. For more information, call the Peaks Ranger Station at (928) 526-0866 or the Mormon Lake Ranger Station at (928) 774-1147.
) early to mid-December.