Hello Steamboat :-) I did a trip myself down to DCHS on Sunday. It was a very pleasant time, with a mellow springs crew :-) I was going to do some vacuming on the Womb, but I noticed when I got there it was rather murky. Upon further inspection I could see that the flooding of the weekend before had risen about a foot and a half above the womb. I was supprised but the evidence was clear to see. There was leaves and runoff debris in various spots ( cracks ) around the edge of the pool. I dove to the bottom and found it has mud and leaves added to the bottom, about 18 inches deep in spots. I don't usually try to vacum larger deposits like that out until its clear the rainy season is done. You never know when it can fill up again this time of year.
I also have seen all the destructive damage being done by the out of control ORV activity in the areas you discussed. I too hiked out of the canyon through an area just east of the Indian Camp, crossing the old road that used to go down there. I mean it just rained little more than a week ago, and the damage from ORV's running every where is worse than I have ever seen it. I have been in contact with Brad about it, and his compadre Greg Hoffman is now handling the ORV enforcement duties for the area as indicated by Brad. I have been talking with Greg about these problems in the last couple of weeks. There are some upcoming actions planned for addressing this. Steamboat, if you click on my name here at the forum you can get my e-mail and I can give you some additional information on this subject. Greg will be meeting with the Friends of Juniper Flats soon, as well as taking some initial actions to address the illegal ORV problem in the DCHS area. Its sad to see the damage from the uncaring idiots who are tearing up the hillsides out there. Its clear these individuals just don't care about the legality of their riding, or how their activities are scarring the natural landscape. I hope the USFS really cracks down on this problem. There are plenty of open routes and roads out there for these ORV people to use.
Also while I hiked in to DCHS, I saw two moto riders cross the Bowen Ranch trail, just sout of the USFS parking area, an illegal area for ORV's. When I was down soaking at DCHS we head motos very close, maybe on the PCT near the springs, or possibly on a ridge that comes down close to the Bowen Ranch trail just above Mo Fo Hill. Seems like everytime I visit the Deep Creek canyon now I see illegal riding. quiet little canyons I've used for years to access the canyon are now overrun by indiscriminant moto trails and tracks. The damage I saw this weekend gives me the impression that some of these riders are doing excessive damage intentionally. I don't know if this may be related to the ongoing problems in the Juniper Flats area between the opposing parties. We have discussed here at the DCHS Forum our displeasure with this out of control destruction, and I know a while back some of those that post at the DUSA moto site were posting here. Could some of the more aggressive and beligerant ORV riders that may post at that site be doing damage on purpose simply because they see a negative response to what they are doing as a challenge to show just how destructive they can be. Like the guy who posted here some while ago, a moto enthusiast that bragged about how law enforcement would never catch him. What a bunch of immature crap that is, but clearly some of the people doing this damage in the Juniper Flats area and around DCHS have that mentality.