[pct-l] Deep Creek detour

[Elisabeth M. Chaplin]

I think Tim summed it up perfectly. As far as I could ascertain, the trail was never legally closed. I hiked half of the detour, which was along an OHV recreation area, and not designed and frankly dangerous for foot traffic. The other half I hiked along the creek, which presented no hugely risky situations in my estimation -- we would encounter much, much more dangerous conditions later in the hike. Amongst us hikers it created confusion, while damaging the PCTA's credibility. Whose interests were they protecting? 
 I would still like an honest, straightforward explanation from the PCTA regarding why they felt a "reroute" was necessary. I presume it hasn't been formally addressed if this topic is still floating. 
Liz, Class of 2011.


Timothy Nye wrote: 
I think that the difference is that the PCTA, the organization whose
representative 'closed' the trail, I believe can really only do so in an
advisory capacity.  The prohibition against ATV's I think is regulatory,
but I could be wrong.

I will say that with respect to closures the Deep Creek posting cost the
PCTA credence as far as the hikers I was with were concerned.  The story
about the boy who cried wolf comes to mind. A closure should be reserved
for an actual threat to safety beyond what one normally encounters on the
trail as a whole, rather than an impact on the trail which fails to
increase the risk of it's use to what is routinely encountered on other
sections.  A warning, rather than a closure, with detour offered as a
choice,would appear to have been more appropriate in this particular case.

> 
> Message: 15
> Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:00:25 -0500
> From: <gschenk1 at roadrunner.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Deep Creek Detour
> To: PCT List <pct-l at backcountry.net>, Gary Swing
>    <homelessontherange at yahoo.com>
> Message-ID: <20111121150025.55U92.211202.root at hrndva-web03-z01>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
> 
> If we are cool with hiking closed trail segments, do we have any right to complain about motorbikers using the trail?
> 
> What's the difference between hikers ignoring signage and bikers ignoring signage?
> 
> Just wondering.
> Gary
> 
> ---- Gary Swing <homelessontherange at yahoo.com> wrote: 
>> I really enjoyed the hot springs and the canyon itself was scenic. Like Gourmet
>> (Tim Nye) wrote, there was graffiti in the lower part of the canyon and
>> a river ford which I didn't see as a significant issue. Perhaps if the
>> water was colder.... Nobody hassled us when we went through. The hillside traverse over the washed out muddy section was a bit annoying, but that was nothing compared to obstacles on other sections of the trail! Several people we talked to about the detour route complained about the ATV traffic on it. We thought the detour was put into place because certain people wanted to keep Deep Creek Canyon to themselves.
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> 
>> "Half Fast"
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --- On Tue, 11/15/11, Timothy Nye <timpnye at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> From: Timothy Nye <timpnye at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Deep Creek Detour
>> To: "Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes" <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
>> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
>> Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 12:34 PM
>> 
>> Well, Half Fast, I don't know if I'd say it was the bast part of the
>> desert, but it was very scenic.? I ignored the detour, and so apparently
>> did the steady stream of day trippers carrying in ice chests; by the time
>> I'd been at the hot springs for five minutes I was the proud possesor of
>> two Mike's Hard Lemonades and two cans of beer, which the providers were
>> happy to repossess as empties after I shared them with my friends.
>> 
>> I concluded that that the detour was actually not for the slide that was to
>> the south of the river crossing, but for the washed out muddy submerged
>> section, with a temporary hillside traverse, that streched for part of a
>> mile north of the crossing.? Law enforcement tried to chase us off the
>> trail at the crossing, claiming by bullhorn from the dam area that we were
>> trespassing on private property even though we were on the trail.? We were
>> subsequently told that there had been a murder in that
>> area the day before, so that could explain their attitude.? Some of the day
>> trippers were armed; one had a pistol on his hip and a couple large belted
>> sheath knives which made me somewhat nervous, (there is spray painted gang
>> grafitti on the rocks by the trail for part of it) but then they could have
>> been PCT hikers based on some of the postings here about carrying weapons.
>> ______________________________