[pct-l] Hiker Trash

[Charles Doersch]

We're also planning on the thru-hike in 2012 ~ and I guess I'm just baffled
by the reported incidents of trashing. I've hiked widely in wild places ~
but have not experienced wilderness lovers as trashers. Hikers ≠ trashers in
my experience (well, in Europe and the US they don't equal trashers -- other
places I've hiked sometimes reflect the impact of hikers whose culture
hasn't yet connected litter to defacing nature), so I'm baffled that on the
PCT this happens. Is it rare? Are the reports exaggerated because the
littering takes place in the context of wild lands? Is there a subset of
PCT-hikers who are likely to do this? For the veterans of the PCT, what have
you done when you encounter anyone doing this? Surely this doesn't fall into
the category of HYOH?

argh.

~Charles & the gang.

On Sat, Jun 4, 2011 at 11:46 PM, AsABat <asabat at 4jeffrey.net> wrote:

> There is one couple that lives there that work for the BLM. They welcome
> hikers to get water from their yard and rest in their shade. They don't take
> hikers in to stay. They told me their neighbors are OK with this. But being
> noisy and trashy will get us kicked out quick. (If something there has
> changed please let me know.)
>
> There's really no need for water there because of the faucet where the
> trail meets the road just before their house.
>
> That faucet is owned by the same water agency that is so protective of
> their watershed. They often have a security guard to keep people out of
> their property. The PCT is not the problem. Rather, it is hiker/climbers who
> climb the north face route of San Jacinto that are not allowed but too often
> try to sneak by, usually in the dark. It's private property so stay on the
> PCT and don't wander off. That water fountain is important to us.
>
>
> AsABat
> PCT Water Reports SoCal http://pct.4jeffrey.net
> Send water updates to water at 4jeffrey.net
>
> Philippe Gouvet <philippe.gouvet at orange.fr> wrote:
>
> Dear friends, I am a PCT thru-hiker wannabe for 2012. I just received this
> message from a friend living in Palm Springs. For what it's worth, I thought
> you might be interested to read it... This topic has unfortunately been
> discussed recently. Philippe I do have a tidbit from the PCT. There is a
> lady at the gym whom I have spoken with from time to time; she and her
> husband live near SnowCreek in the Whitewater area. The PCT comes down from
> Mount San Jacinto there and hikers are trespassing in the homes that are
> there. Most of the people who live in that area want to be left alone but
> there has been an upsurge in people coming in their yard to get water. The
> worst part is that they are trashing the area and not even being respectful.
> The leave trash, soda cans, and bottles. Part of the area adjacent to the
> trail down goes by land owned by the water company. Several times, the water
> agency has pursued people who trespassed there. They are very protective of
> the aquifer. To comp
>  licate matters, someone is growing marijuana up there and there are
> surveillance cameras in a number of areas. Although this is not the last
> word on this area, it seems that this person was very concerned. They have
> helped a number of hike rs who got lost and were out of water etc. In the
> meantime, someone who lives there who works for Palm Springs Life has
> written an article inviting hikers to picnic in her yard and share water.
> This article was written without the knowledge of the association of people
> who live in the area and the homeowners are extremely upset with her. You
> might caution PCT hikers about his area to be sensitive. I believe most
> people who would hike the PCT would not be people who would trespass or
> leave trash. People who hike in these pristine places value nature as a
> precious commodity._____________________________________________
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