A Cable Across Giant Gap Puts Public Lands to the Test
A BASE-jumping cable strung across the narrowest point of Giant Gap in 2012 crossed both BLM and Forest Service land, raising sharp questions about who watches over our public canyons.
American River Canyon Alliance
Giant Gap is one of the most dramatic stretches of the North Fork American River. The canyon walls squeeze together and drop roughly 2,000 feet, from Moody Ridge on one side to the Foresthill Divide on the other. It is a place that rewards respect. In early 2012, it got something else.
The North Fork American River Alliance (NFARA) reports that in early February 2012 a cable was strung across the narrowest part of Giant Gap for BASE jumping. According to NFARA, the cable was installed by Tahoe-area resident Mike Wilson using a helicopter.
What makes the story more than a stunt is where the cable landed. The Moody Ridge end was anchored on Bureau of Land Management land. The Foresthill end was anchored on U.S. Forest Service land. In a single span, the installation crossed two federal jurisdictions, each with its own rules and its own responsibility for the canyon.
That is the heart of the matter for anyone who loves these river corridors. Public lands only stay wild when the agencies charged with protecting them act, and act together. A gap between two jurisdictions can become a gap in enforcement.
We share this account, credited to NFARA, because the American River canyons are a shared trust. What happens on the North Fork matters here too. Read NFARA's full account and stay watchful of the places we hold in common.