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43-698: In its upper reaches, the Naches River basin includes rugged mountains and wildernesses . The lower Naches River and its tributary the Tieton River flow through valleys with towns and irrigated orchards northwest of Yakima , where the Naches River joins the Yakima River. Historically, the river served as an important travel corridor between the east and west sides of the Cascades, via Naches Pass , used by both Native Americans and settlers . The river's name comes from

86-594: A bar. Across the highway to the north, the White Pass Village Inn offers overnight accommodations. White Pass Ski Area opened in January 1953. The initial area only consisted of the Poma Face hill serviced by a number of Rope tows . Shortly after, the ski area built a Poma surface lift that ran from roughly in front of the present day lodge's location to the top of the Poma Face. In 1956, White Pass expanded to

129-657: A dam. Below the dam, the Bumping River flows northeast to its confluence with the Little Naches River. Just before the confluence the Bumping River picks up its main tributary, the American River . The American River has its source several forks near Chinook Pass and the eastern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park . For most of its course, the American River valley is shared with State Route 410 , which crosses

172-751: A fixed-grip quad, a triple, and two doubles. It also includes two surface lifts : a platter lift and a magic carpet for beginning skiers. There is a terrain park located on Rib Eye off the Basin Quad that regularly features rail jams, slopestyle, and other obstacles. The Nordic Center provides access to a variety of groomed, double-tracked cross-country ski , trails in the Wenatchee and Gifford Pinchot National Forests . The terrain challenges all ability levels in classic cross-county, skating cross-country, and snowshoeing on 28 km (17 mi) of trails. The day lodge has rental skis and boards, food, lockers, and

215-422: A group of five Yakima-area businesspeople. In 2022, the new ownership group introduced an expanded beginners' area, more Nordic trails, and a ski patrol building. Future expansion is contingent on approval from the U.S. Forest Service. Former World Cup racing twins Phil and Steve Mahre grew up at White Pass along with their family, where their father Dave "Spike" Mahre was the mountain manager. Pigtail II

258-624: A state by state basis and determines which areas and how much land in each area will become part of the WPS. There have been multiple occasions in which Congress designated more federal land than had been recommended by the nominating agency. Where as the Wilderness Act stipulated that a wilderness area must be "administered for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such a manner as will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness",

301-767: Is coordinated by the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness areas are managed by four federal land management agencies: the National Park Service , the U.S. Forest Service , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , and the Bureau of Land Management . The term wilderness is defined as "an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain" and "an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which

344-542: Is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions". As of 2023 , 806 wilderness areas have been designated, totaling 111,889,002 acres (45,279,873 ha; 452,798.73 km ; 174,826.566 sq mi), which comprise about 4.5% of the land area of the United States . During the 1950s and 1960s, as the American transportation system was on the rise, concern for clean air and water quality began to grow. A conservation movement began to take place with

387-664: Is under federal ownership and management, (2) the area consists of at least five thousand acres of land, (3) human influence is "substantially unnoticeable," (4) there are opportunities for solitude and recreation, and (5) the area possesses "ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value." Wilderness areas are subject to specific management restrictions; human activities are limited to non-motorized recreation (such as backpacking , camping , hunting , fishing , horseback riding, etc.), scientific research , and other non-invasive activities. During these activities, patrons are asked to abide by

430-571: The Eastern Wilderness Areas Act of 1975, which added 16 national forest areas to the NWPS, allowed for the inclusion of areas that had been severely modified by human interference. The Wilderness Act provides criteria for lands being considered for wilderness designation. Though there are some exceptions, the following conditions must be present for an area to be included in the NWPS: (1) the land

473-609: The Leave No Trace policy. This policy sets guidelines for using the wilderness responsibly and leaving the area as it was before usage. These guidelines include: Packing all trash out of the wilderness, using a stove as opposed to a fire, camping at least 200 feet (61 m) from trails or water sources, staying on marked trails, and keeping group size small. When closely observed, the Leave No Trace ethos ensures that wilderness areas remain untainted by human interaction. In general,

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516-636: The Pelican Island Wilderness in northern Florida , which measures just 6 acres (2.4 ha) total. The smallest area preserved in the system was formerly the Rocks and Islands Wilderness in Northern California at 5 acres (2.0 ha), but after a reassessment by the Bureau of Land Management in 2006 it was officially expanded to 19 acres (7.7 ha). On November 7, 2009, an agreement between

559-578: The Cascades at Chinook Pass. Below the confluence of the Little Naches and Bumping rivers, the Naches River flows southeast through Nile Valley , where it collects Nile Creek and Rattlesnake Creek. Then the river enters Naches Valley, where it collects its largest tributary, the Tieton River . Naches Valley is home to the towns of Naches and Tieton . The valley is filled with orchards, mainly growing apples. Irrigation water arrives via canals tapping both

602-456: The Cascades, along the headwaters of many of the streams of the Naches River basin. White Pass Ski Area is located near White Pass and the headwaters of the Tieton River. National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System ( NWPS ) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas

645-836: The Forest Service's Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE) process. The Bureau of Land Management was not required to review its lands for inclusion in the NWPS until after October 21, 1976, when the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 was signed into law; designation of wilderness areas on BLM lands began in 1978. Over 200 wilderness areas have been created within Bureau of Land Management administered lands since then, consisting of approximately 8.71 million acres (3,520,000 ha) in September 2015. As of August 2008, 704 separate wilderness areas, encompassing 107,514,938 acres (43,509,752 ha), had become part of

688-678: The Indian words "naugh", meaning rough or turbulent, and "chez", meaning water. Among numerous spellings used historically, "Naches" is the official spelling in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), however "Nachess" was official according to the Board on Geographic Names from 1898 to 1900. The Little Naches River begins in several forks near Naches Pass and boundaries of Yakima County , Kittitas County , Pierce County , and King County . The Yakima-Kittitas county line follows

731-522: The Little Naches River joins the Bumping River to form the Naches River proper. The Little Naches River basin includes the eastern portion of the Norse Peak Wilderness , northeast of Mount Rainier. The Bumping River flows from headwaters near the southeastern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park and the Lewis County line. The river flows northeast into Bumping Lake a natural lake enlarged by

774-521: The NWPS included 34 areas protecting 9.1 million acres (37,000 km ) in the national forests. As of 2023, there are 806 areas in the NWPS, preserving 111,889,002 acres (45,279,873 ha). This is approximately 4.5% of the entire United States , though only about 2.7% of the 48 contiguous states. However, most of that acreage is located in a handful of states. The states with the highest number of wildernesses are California , Arizona , Nevada , Alaska , and Oregon . However, when measured in acres

817-732: The NWPS, much of the wildlife in the U.S. also has an area in which to exist without significant human interaction. In late 2011, a full wilderness review was requested of the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain in Alaska. One of the major qualifications for this area to be considered as a possible wilderness area was its diverse wildlife population, many of which are on the endangered species list. In this potential wilderness area alone, whales , seals , wolves , polar bears , grizzly bears , muskoxen , caribou , and over 200 species of migratory birds call this one area home for at least part of

860-564: The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service review all federal lands under their jurisdiction for wilderness areas to include in the NWPS. The first national forest wilderness areas were established by the Wilderness Act itself. The Great Swamp in New Jersey became the first National Wildlife Refuge with formally designated wilderness in 1968. Wilderness areas in national parks followed, beginning with

903-613: The National Wilderness Preservation System. On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 . The legislation designated an additional 2 million acres (810,000 ha) in nine states as wilderness, representing the largest expansion of wilderness lands since 1994. The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 added another 1.3 million acres (530,000 ha) in 43 new and expanded wilderness areas. On federal lands in

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946-498: The Poma's towers were left on the hill as lighting for night skiing. In 2000, White Pass overhauled the beginner area of the mountain. The last remaining rope tow was replaced with a Doppelmayr platterpull. Chair 3 was removed and a new Garaventa triple lift, following a different route, was installed. Beginning in a newly cut-out area to the east of the area, the Far East lift ended at

989-522: The Tieton and Naches rivers. The Tieton River begins at Rimrock Lake, an artificial reservoir , which in turn is fed by several streams draining part of the Goat Rocks Wilderness . The William O. Douglas Wilderness is also part of the Naches River basin. Below the Tieton River confluence, the Naches River collects Cowiche Creek, then flows east along the northern side of the city of Yakima, joining

1032-460: The United States, Congress may designate an area as wilderness under the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management , the National Park Service , the Fish and Wildlife Service , and the U.S. Forest Service , are responsible for the submission of new areas that fit the criteria to become wilderness to Congress. Congress then reviews these cases on

1075-516: The United States, Canada, and Mexico entitled the "Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Wilderness Conservation" was made. This agreement created a new entity, the North American Intergovernmental Committee on Cooperation for Wilderness and Protected Areas Conservation, that would streamline the process for open communication between international agencies for the purpose of wilderness preservation. This committee

1118-399: The Yakima River there. Much of the Naches River basin is national forest and wilderness land, including parts of Wenatchee National Forest , Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest , and Gifford Pinchot National Forest , as well as parts of Norse Peak Wilderness, William O. Douglas Wilderness, Goat Rocks Wilderness. The Pacific Crest Trail follows, approximately, the high water divide of

1161-487: The crow flies , the pass is 25 miles (40 km) southeast of the summit of Mount Rainier and 30 miles (50 km) north of Mount Adams . The base elevation of White Pass is at 4,500 feet (1,370 m) above sea level , with a lift-served summit at 6,500 feet (1,980 m), yielding a vertical drop of 2,000 feet (610 m). Located on the south side of the east-west highway, the slopes primarily face north. The mountain has six chairlifts : two high speed quads ,

1204-634: The designation of wilderness in part of Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho in 1970. A dramatic spike in acreage added to the wilderness system in 1980 was due in large part to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act , signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980. A smaller spike in 1984 came with the passage of many bills establishing national forest wilderness areas identified by

1247-571: The exact nature of protection may differ from federal laws. Some U.S. states have created wilderness preservation programs modeled on the NWPS. White Pass Ski Area The White Pass Ski Area is a ski area in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, in the Cascade Range at White Pass in the state of Washington . It is located 53 miles (90 km) west of Yakima on U.S. Route 12 , and 53 miles (90 km) east of Morton . As

1290-417: The fall of 1958. Also built by Riblet , it ran in parallel with the original chair. This second chair had nearly 30% greater capacity (900 vs. 700/hr), with a more robust cable and gearbox. It also had 50% more lift towers, which were greater in height in anticipation of high snowfall . The installed cost of the second chair exceeded $ 200,000. The resort also widened Cascade and cut out two additional runs from

1333-524: The future of both the U.S. system and North American preservation efforts as a whole. One of the major goals of the Wilderness Preservation System is to provide undeveloped habitats for threatened or endangered species . Many of the species found in the United States are represented in wilderness areas. There are 261 basic ecosystems in the U.S., and 157 of them are represented in the system. With 60% of all ecosystems somewhat protected by

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1376-411: The intent of establishing designated wilderness areas. Howard Zahniser created the first draft of the Wilderness Act in 1956. It took nine years and 65 rewrites before the Wilderness Act was finally passed in 1964. The Wilderness Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-577), which established the NWPS, was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964. The Wilderness Act mandated that

1419-623: The largest amount of wilderness land is administered by the National Park Service. The largest contiguous wilderness complex in the United States is the Noatak and Gates of the Arctic Wildernesses in Alaska at 12,743,329 acres (5,157,042 ha). The largest wilderness area outside Alaska is the Death Valley Wilderness in southeastern California. The smallest area protected by the WPS is

1462-438: The law prohibits logging , mining , motorized or mechanized vehicles (including bicycles ), road-building, and other forms of development in wilderness areas, though pre-existing mining claims and grazing ranges are permitted through grandfather clauses in the Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas fall into IUCN protected area management category Ia (strict nature preserves) or Ib (wilderness areas). A special exemption to

1505-572: The list changes dramatically, as Alaska contains many of the largest areas protected under the act. In terms of total acres, Alaska , California , Arizona , Idaho , and Washington are the top five states for wilderness, containing almost 80 percent of the acreage in the system. Wilderness totals in most eastern states are modest, with the exceptions of Florida and Minnesota . Wilderness areas exist in every state except Connecticut , Delaware , Iowa , Kansas , Maryland , and Rhode Island . Most U.S. wilderness areas are in national forests, but

1548-480: The rule against mechanized equipment is made for wilderness areas in Alaska : limited use of motorized vehicles and construction of cabins and aquaculture are permitted. These exemptions were allowed due to the large amount of wilderness in Alaska and the concerns of subsistence users, including Alaska Natives . Wilderness areas are parts of national parks , wildlife refuges , national forests , and BLM lands; some units are managed by different agencies. Initially,

1591-528: The summit of Pigtail Peak with its very first chairlift . Dubbed Pigtail I , the two-person lift was created by the Riblet Tramway Company of Spokane, Washington . It was a mile (1.6 km) in length, with a vertical rise of 1,500 feet (460 m) from the highway base area to 6,000 feet (1,830 m). The resort cut two long runs from the summit, which they named Holiday and Cascade. White Pass added its second double chairlift , Pigtail II , in

1634-542: The summit of Pigtail Peak. Additionally, the resort cut out three new runs around Paradise that ended at the new lift. Looking to increase capacity at the base area, White Pass installed a high-speed detachable lift that ran from the highway to the summit in 1994. Built by Doppelmayr , the Great White Express had nearly double the capacity of the two Pigtail lifts combined. The Poma surface lift and Pigtail I were removed to make room for Great White, though some of

1677-488: The summit: Mach V and Paradise. The area started full-week operations for the 1958–59 season, with daily adult lift tickets priced at $ 3.50. In 1964, the area added a new Riblet double chairlift to the beginner area. Chair 3 ran from the highway on the east side of the resort to a flat area about a hundred yards below the base of Cascade Cliff. In 1984, the ski area installed Chair 4 , another double built by Riblet . This lift ran from roughly halfway down Paradise to

1720-588: The top of the Poma Face. The expansion in the Paradise Basin opened in the 2010–11 season and added 767 acres (3.1 km ) of terrain and two new Doppelmayr chairlifts. The Basin Quad is a fixed-grip quad and the Couloir Express is the area's second high-speed detachable quad . The resort also constructed a new lodge between the new chairlifts. In December 2021, the ski area was sold by White Pass Co. Inc. to

1763-682: The upper Little Naches and Naches rivers, but most of the Naches River basin is in Yakima County. Pierce and King counties are bounded by the water divide between Puget Sound and the Columbia River. Thus the tributaries of the Naches River reach up to, but not across, the Pierce and King county lines. The Little Naches River begins at the confluence of the North Fork and Middle Fork Little Naches River. After flowing southeast for about 20 miles (32 km)

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1806-524: The year. This vast assortment of flora and fauna is a major consideration for addition into the wilderness preservation system. Thousands of laws and policies have helped shape and manage the National Wilderness Preservation System in the United States. The following Acts of Congress either directly affect the wilderness system or help influence wilderness management: Some state and tribal governments also designate wilderness areas under their own authority and local laws. These are not federal areas, and

1849-403: Was formed to gain insight on the benefits of wilderness preservation, establish open channels of communication between international agencies, and examine the cultural differences and similarities behind preservation efforts in each country. Within the U.S. system, all of the agencies responsible for wilderness preservation will work in cooperation with their international counterparts to determine

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