Mission Creek Access

Submitted by wendym on Mon, 12/11/2006 - 18:10
Alright, here's a favorite topic, landowner rights and access issues..... I was in Mission Creek this weekend, and on Saturday I was solo so I opted to walk the snow drifted road rather than risk getting stuck. In the past I had heard that the manager of the 63 Ranch gets grumpy when people drive the road when it's muddy and snowy, so I chose to be respectful. However I did mindlessly park on his land inside the gate rather than on the outside. When I returned there was a note on my windshield from the landowner requesting that I call him because he would "like to visit." I assumed I would get reamed, but I called with an open mind ready to chat with the rancher. He wasn't upset with me, and truly did want to talk about access issues. He supports keeping public access across his land, however he is currently trying to negotiate with the Forest Service to change the terms of access. While the landowner feels that winter users (skiers and climbers) are responsible and considerate, in the summer he grapples with people who use the FS trailhead for the local party headquaters. His property, where his family lives and runs a guest ranch, receives a constant flow of traffic at all hours of the day. He has proposed to donate a piece of his property (just below the entrance to the ranch) to the Forest Service for a parking lot and allow a trail to cross the land providing access to Mission Creek. I personally support this proposal. It adds twenty minutes of easy walking to the approach, and it would greatly reduce the pressure of traffic and presence of people on the 63 Ranch. In the meantime (I'm sure there will be court proceedings before any change is implemented) I encourage climbers to not drive the road to the trailhead when it is muddy and drifted with snow. If anyone has ideas they would like to share with the owner of the ranch, or his son who manages the ranch, send me a pm and I'll give you their contact info. They are open to working with the community on keeping access open, but are also trying to protect their property rights. That said, Das Ist Eis is in great shape!! And even with the additional walking time (I didn't really give my partners a choice---thanks guys!) we were in after sunrise and out before sunset. Happy climbing (and walking!!) to all.... Wendy Marsh

Thanks Wendy for taking the time to talk with Mr. Cahill. I unfortunately have been one of those people whom Mr. Cahill choose to insult, yell at, and project spittle towards for doing the exact same thing, parking on his land near the gate. Contrary to your letter, I do not support the new trail idea and feel the access we currently have is the best. It is unfortunate that Mr. Cahill owns property next to the wilderness we all choose enjoy but why should the taxpayers be forced into a situation where the access is suddenly worse only to make life better for the pocket book of Mr. Cahill. He wonders why he has problems with people driving on his legally accessible private property; it starts with his attitude towards the people he calls outsiders and the position he believes he?s entitled to through land ownership next to the public lands. Maybe he shouldn?t destroy the signs the forest service continues to install outlining the regulations of crossing private land to access the national forest. Since Mr. Cahill is not from Montana but married into a family from Montana I guess he thinks he has the right to close that access when he sees fit. Regardless of where we were born, we the citizens of this country have the right to access the forest provided the forest service has not placed restrictions on the travel of that particular trail or road. He is not a good neighbor of the National Forest or the community of Livingston and should not be rewarded for his poor behavior over the years. Let?s not waste more taxpayer dollars in order to fill the pockets of people like Bud Cahill, his proposal will burden the already strapped National Forest and degrade our existing access to our public lands. Instead let?s work together to make our access better. I would be happy to organize a group of volunteers to do regular maintenance on the existing road in to our wilderness. Kristoffer Erickson
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