[pct-l] Heads Up... Hiker Scum

[Trevor McKee]

I was in Warner Springs yesterday waiting for a ride past a section I hiked in March enjoying the Community Center and a short rest. I headed into the bathrooms to find a couple guys washing their hair in the sink. There was soapy brown water splashed all over the sinks and floors, wet long hair everywhere, and an overall mess. 

It made me upset... for a couple reasons. The people who run the Community Center are awesome and don't deserve to deal with cleaning up their mess. They offer $8 showers there, and if you can't afford it there's a nice creek a mile away, or a water spigot outside in the grass. But mainly it bothered me because the way they were abusing that community space could directly affect those behind them. Warner Springs may chose to close the bathrooms tomorrow... do you see what I'm saying?

So at the sink as I was washing my hands and decided to speak up. I asked them if washing their hair in the sink was allowed here. They said there wasn't a sign saying they couldn't. I said they offered $8 showers that wouldn't make a mess and give hikers a bad rap. They laughed at me and I left.

After getting a burger at the main building I headed back to use the restroom when half way through the parking lot one of the long haired sink boys came up behind me and said, "I don't appreciate you telling them we were washing our hair in the sink." I told him that I didn't rat them out but likewise I didn't appreciate them making a mess of a community space. By now we were back by the bathrooms where his long haired friends were sitting on the ground smoking a bowl. They gave me a lot of "HYOH man! Mind your own fucking business." I tried to explain that it's all of our business when it affects us all. There was a lot of interrupting and raised voices and before you knew it they were all standing up surrounding me and getting in my face like they were going to fight me. 

One of them, a late 20's  w/ long brown hair and glasses and goes by Turtle said he carries Mace for people like me... Really? The other bad one, the instigator, again in his mid/late 20's with a long braid, light blue eyes, dark blue truckers hat, red pack, and accent, told me they didn't need Mace (implying they were going to beat me up). I asked if they were threatening me and I asked what their names were. Only the Turtle guy gave it up. As this went on and they kept posturing like they were going to kick my ass a lady walked out of the women's room and broke it up.

You guys, this was the low of my hike so far. I thought I was doing the right thing by speaking up, directly to the problem. I was trying to watch out for the Community Center and upcoming hikers. Being met w/ physical and verbal aggressiveness sucked. I talked to my buddy Scott on the phone who thru hiked in 2012 and asked if I was out of line. He said No. He said holding people accountable for their actions on the trail is tough, but they need to hear it.

I am so thankful I got my ride to Idyllwild and don't have to worry about hiking with those guys. Keep a look-out tho, they are armed and dangerous for "people like me."


Thanks for listening,

Mayor Trevor





Sent from my iPhone