Sam,

Went to DCHS this afternoon. Hiked up to the "narrows", where the spur trail crosses the creek to connect with the PCT. On my way back, I hiked (and "mountain-goated" ) along the creek itself. Passed through the site where the trail repair crew was camped, and visited with them for a bit. There is an arrangement to allow them to camp there while they're working. That makes sense, as that stretch of the PCT is 8.5, 6, or 2.5 miles from any trailhead (Bradford Ridge is another, but I don't know the mileage), making it logistically difficult to work effectively if the crew had to hike in and out with tools and equipment each day (make that 17, 12, or 5). These crews are volunteers, with only "in-kind" grants for supplies from the government and donations from the public, so I don't have a problem with making their job a little easier, as long as they camp responsibly, which they were. As for their site being trashy, it wasn't so today. Perhaps they got the message when you spoke with them, or perhaps some of the trash you saw was already there when they arrived...that particular site is one of the "hot spots" for trash. Whatever the case, their campsite was clean and squared away this afternoon...cleaner than a lot of others I've seen down there, so I said nothing to them about trash. The only things dirty were them...as in long, dusty, hard day of work dirty. Although I didn't go as far southbound as where the slides were, I could see that they've already accomplished a lot in terms of brush trimming on the short section of the PCT that I hiked today.

Someone must have hiked out your trash bags, as they were nowhere to be found today. A gentleman named Carson carried out the old lawn chair, along with a bundle of ragged old tent poles. There is still plenty of trash to be had, with a constant re-supply from the "don't care crowd". I plan to be at DCHS again next weekend, and will have plenty of trash bags, in case anyone wants to join in the fun!

Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2009 12:25AM by Rivernude.