[pct-l] At the Trailhead

[Robert E. Riess]

I took Mike Freed (Loon) and Jeremy Keeble (Bear) out to the trailhead yesterday.  Things have changed a little. 

The Minutemen do not presently have an encampment at the monument nor down below it.  Their flagpole and RV are located on the next hilltop to the west.  But there are three separate factions of Minutemen, and they may establish their encampment again any time.  I emailed them last year to remind them that the PCT is a national scenic trail, and they are not part of the scenery.  From the people with whom I talked, the Minutemen were not making any friends in the hiking community by making a presence within 20 yards of the monument.  I know, I know, they are free to do and say as they wish.  I also am free to ask them politely not to camp at a national monument.  When the discussion shifts to somebody's rights, the discussion is over.  

It appears the BP do not want hikers walking across the border road to touch Mexico.  They repaired the three strand barbed wire fence right behind the monument.  The BP drag that road every night and then look for footprints every morning.  I know you cannot touch Mexico by reaching under the fence, which is 10 meters north of the actual demarkation line.  

There is no trailhead register at Campo post office.  Too many of them have been stolen.  The PCTA has placed a nice hardbound book in the waterproof box on the back of the monument.  From what I could gather, Gabriel Doutreloux  (Mar 28) from Quebeck is the season's first declared thruhiker, followed by Loon and Bear. 

I have made the monument area my personal cleaning station for the past 8 years.  I am happy to report that in searching the area for litter, all I found was one crushed soda can and two pieces of TP.  Next weekend, I will establish a box of litter bags and a sign asking hikers to pick up trash and drop it off at Lake Morena.  

Hike on !  Bob Riess at the trailhead.