[pct-l] Attn. Thru Hikers

[Edward Anderson]

When it rains, when there is mud, the tracks of wheeled vehicles on sloped 
trails provide drainage for water - creating ruts which become gully's. They 
also scare horses and have been known to run hikers off the trail. It is illegal 
to use wheeled vehicles on the PCT.  Those riding them simply ignore the signs. 
They know that there is no enforcement; the word has gotten around.  I have 
sometimes seen obviously blatant violations - even cars with empty bycycle racks 
parked at PCT trailheads - the tracks leading past the no bicycle/no motorcycle 
signs and up the trail.

A few months ago I suggested that if there aren't enough rangers for 
enforcement, why not try "Bounty Hunters". People, many of whom are retired or 
unemployed, and need income.  All they would need would be a camper and a camera 
and a good book or something interesting to do while waiting. The violators are 
almost always day riders. They will return. Just take pictures, including the 
license plate numbers, while they are gone and to document the location. When 
they return get pictures of them returning and loading. The Bounty Hunter would 
earn a large part of what should be a substantial fine - without even having to 
confront the violators.
Does anyone on this list like this idea? If you don't tell us of a better one. 

MendoRider



________________________________
From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Fri, May 20, 2011 2:08:39 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Attn. Thur Hikers

That is really sad and awful news.

I was hiking in this area over the weekend and picked up a lot of  
wrappers myself. Sometimes I picked up wrappers right in front of  
other hikers. They looked freshly dropped. I don't know if it was the  
hiker standing there who dropped it or not. I hoped I shamed him if  
it was as I picked it up.

I remember when I started my first half of the PCT in 2008 there was  
a lot of trash left behind by thru-hikers. I knew it was thru-hikers  
because it was located in places nobody but thru-hikers would ever go  
to and included pages from the data book. Whoever these litter bugs  
are, they seem to poop out or change their ways after Section E.  
Maybe they can't get out of the vortex of drinking in that section.  
Maybe they are finally confronted by the larger group that forms in  
that area and shamed. I don't have the Yogi guide so I don't know  
what is written in it, but perhaps she could write a page on  
littering and other trail etiquette issues if she doesn't already  
have that. Seems nobody knows what the data book is anymore and  
everyone uses Halfmile's maps and the Yogi guide. Maybe Halfmile  
could put a message on some of the pages of his maps, too.

During my hike this weekend I saw a lot of bicycle parts and tracks  
on the PCT. When it rained, the bicycle track marks became more  
visible. It is obvious that the PCT is heavily used by bicycles as  
well as motorcycles.
On May 20, 2011, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Subject: [pct-l] Attn. Thur Hikers
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <638408.90952.qm at web80805.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Today I was at Silverwood Lake between Deep Creek and Cajon Pass.?  
> I went to one of the picnic pavilions to set up and do some trail  
> magic.? What I found was a ton of litter.? Among the trash were  
> pages from the PCT Trail Guide Book and Halfmile's maps, indicating  
> that the mess was made by Thur hikers.? There also?were Cliff Bar  
> wrappers, silver foil wrappers, a lot of Ziploc bags and other  
> assorted packaging for instant mixes, etc.?
> ?
> The staff at this?state park has been real nice to the hiker  
> community, allowing you to stealth camp reather than making you  
> pay.? Although they are supposed to charge $10/car per day, they  
> have been allowing me free passage to set up and feed you guys as  
> you pass through.?
> ?
> Leaving a mess like this is not the kind of image our community  
> needs.? I cleaned up the area and collected five plastic bags full  
> of litter.? Not all of it was from our hikers, but I felt that I  
> had to leave the general area in better shape than I found it to  
> compensate for how It had been left by the hikers who had lunch  
> there yesterday.? I know that a group of hikers lunched there  
> yesterday because?I was set up further up the trail yesterday and  
> the hikers I feed then told me so.
> ?
> PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't leave our state parks or anywhere,  
> trashed like this again.? You are the Good Will Ambassadors of the  
> trail.? Leave No Trace even when you are not in the wilderness and  
> when no one is watching.?
> ?
> Shepherd

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