[pct-l] Attn. Thru Hikers

[giniajim]

I like it.  But even without the bounty, can violators be reported anyway?  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Edward Anderson 
  To: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes ; pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 6:31 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Attn. Thru Hikers


  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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