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Adoption Status: ADOPTED
McFarlane: 1,446 acres (2.3 square miles)
North Independent A: 4,548 acres (7.1 square miles)
Hunter: 1,103 acres (1.7 square miles)
TOTAL: 7,097 acres (11.1 square miles)
How to get there
These roadless areas are located immediately east and southeast of Aspen.
- There is no public motorized access to the McFarlane roadless area.
Private lands and the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area block access on
the east side of the unit. Foot or ski access into the area must come
from Richmond Ridge to the south of Aspen Mountain Ski Area. An old,
closed jeep road (FS 2198) lies along the western boundary of the unit,
and may be reached from Bell Mountain within the ski area.
- Although the North Independent A roadless area is situated along
State Highway 82, there is no good access into the area from the
highway.
- The access road for both the North Independent A and the Hunter
roadless areas is the Smuggler Mountain Road (FS 131; 4WD) that climbs
the steep hill east of Aspen. This road ascends Smuggler Mountain and
ends at the Warren Lakes. It separates the two units. There are no
maintained trails in either area, although there is a nonsystem
singletrack that mountain bikers occasionally descend through the North
Independent A unit. It branches off of FS 131 about a half mile below
Warren Lakes and stays west of the road.
- The USGS 7 1⁄2’ quads for these roadless areas are Aspen, Hayden Peak, Thimble Rock, and New York Peak.
Setting
The
McFarlane roadless area occupies very steep and densely-timbered
east-facing slopes. It is situated on east side of Aspen Mountain at
the northern end of Richmond Ridge. A few avalanche paths cut through
the spruce/fir forest, which gives way to aspens along the Roaring Fork
River. Elevations in the unit range from 8,000 feet
along the river, to 10,600 feet at its southern end. This area is
heavily used in the winter by the Aspen Skiing Company Snowcat Powder
Tours and private backcountry skiers.
The Hunter and North Independent A roadless areas
mostly occupy the northwestern portion of the massive, hulking plateau
of Smuggler Mountain. The Hunter RA is situated on the Hunter Creek
side of this plateau and features gently rolling spruce/fir forest that
drops steeply north to Hunter Creek. The North Independent A RA is
situated on the Roaring Fork side of the plateau and consists of a
broad shield of gently sloping forest that plunges steeply 1,500 feet
down to the Roaring Fork River. Minor creeks inhabit the surface, but
do not form deep drainages. The North Independent A RA also occupies
the long strip of very steep south-facing hillside that looms above the
Roaring Fork and below the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness boundary. These
slopes feature numerous outcrops of gray granite interspersed with
conifers and aspens.
What’s special about them?
The
McFarlane roadless area and the eastern half of the North Independent A
roadless area are largely important as buffers that lessen the impact
of heavily-developed areas upon adjacent Wilderness Areas. The very
steep terrain of these areas prohibits serious recreation or
development. The McFarlane unit receives winter use as a backcountry
skiing area accessible from Aspen Mountain Ski Area, but few people go
all the way to the road. The steep sections of the North Independent A
unit feature numerous rock-climbing areas that receive fairly heavy use
in summer.
The portions of these units that are on Smuggler
Mountain are valuable as large areas of continuous forest. Wildlife are
drawn to the peaty meadows of Warren Lakes, and travel through these
units extensively. Big game are present in the summer. The Benedict
Huts of the 10th Mountain Hut Association are at Warren Lakes, and are
a popular winter destination for backcountry skiers. The Warren Lakes
receives most of its traffic during the hunting season, is generally a
very quiet place, and has recently been recognized for its unique peat
bog ecosystem.
Potential threats
Much
of the terrain in these areas would have been developed if it were
possible, but as it is, they are relatively threat-free. However, the
perenial, hare-brained schemes to sell off public lands to help paydown
the federal budget deficit could seriously jepordize these roadless
areas as no expense is too great for the wealthiest of the wealthy
trying to elbow their way into the real estate market in the vicinity
of Aspen. The Smuggler Mountain area, however, has the potential to be
a timber-harvesting area, and there is also a potential mineral
extraction site in the North Independent A unit.
Other info
In
addition to acreage recognized by the USFS, conservation groups have
identified 4,501 more acres of roadless are associated with these
units. These occur on the west side of the McFarlane unit, along
Richmond Ridge Road, and in the Warren Lakes area. The Hunter and North
Independent A roadless areas are two of seven that are contiguous with
the Hunter-Fryingpan and Mount Massive Wilderness Areas. Together,
these comprise a roadless complex of over 144,000 acres (225 square
miles)! Also, the McFarlane roadless area is one of several that are
contiguous with the 168,000-acre Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area,
which together form another huge roadless complex.
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