[pct-l] Stolen Backpack

[calliger@infolane.com (R.J.Calliger)]

I hate to trouble you seeing your loss. I was jsut wondering
how far you were from you backpack when it was taken please?
No criticism intended - I think I have been in the same situation-
I feel asleep and my bag was taken from right next to me!!

R

At 1:07 PM -0800 4/3/01, Larry Hillberg wrote:
>I hiked from Campo to Lake Moreno on Sunday the first of April.  At Lake
>Moreno at about 6:30 in the evening a passenger in a large, newish looking,
>black 4*4 pickup towing a boat calmly jumped out, tossed my backpack in the
>back of their pickup and drove off.  I stepped aside and let them go and
>although I deliberately looked at the license I was too stunned or tired or
>something to remember any part of it.  The people of Lake Moreno must be
>really afraid of crime since their yards are all protected by guard dogs and
>it took some time to find a house I could approach to call the police.  It
>took some convincing but they let me call 911 but told me I couldn't say
>where I was calling from and that I should wait for the police by the Malt
>Shop which was closed.  I was tired, hungry, and very cold, so I asked them
>if they would bring me a jacket if I was out there for a long time.
>Unhappily after about 20 minutes the police called back to the traced number
>which upset the occupants who told me I should walk to the gas station to
>call 911 again and gave me directions.  The police were uninterested and
>would not authorize the overtime to come out and take a report or render
>assistance.  Luckily I had driven to Campo so the police did finally connect
>me to a tow truck company who picked me up and drove me to Campo.  There I
>waited almost another hour for another tow truck company to come and unlock
>the car.  I was frozen and would eventually have just broken a window.  Last
>time I parked there I didn't lock the car and left it for almost a month
>before my husband picked it up with my purse, keys and wallet in the trunk.
>I wish I'd done the same this time.
>Moral:  Don't live in a place like Lake Moreno, live somewhere where life is
>good, you trust and help everyone including the homeless, you don't lock
>your doors and you leave your keys in the ignition so you never have to look
>for them.  Better to be trusting and have something stolen than live your
>life barricaded in your home suspicious of everyone and not willing to get
>involved.
>
>If you live in Southern California would you please keep an eye on your
>local classified or bulletin boards for a Western Mountaineering sleeping
>bag, a SD light year tent or women's black NF jacket for sale and let me
>know.  I can positively ID the jacket, bag and tent.
>
>The lunch spot described in the guide book had lots of water also a 4-5ft.
>rattler guarding the trail and rattling menacingly.  I'm glad it wasn't one
>of the ones that only rattle as they strike, it would have got me for sure.
>Hauser Creek is still trickling into a couple of pools before disappearing
>into the sand.
>
>
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