Primitive Campsite Adjacent Hillockburns Trail #516

[forestkeeper]

Hey everyone. While this post doesn't concern many, I want it to somewhat be known. As an official USDA Forest Service volunteer, I am condemning the primitive campsite that is next to the Hillockburns Trail #516 trailhead. I'll send in a Clackamas County Dump Stoppers inmate crew to do a cleanup, when they are available, if they are available. Due to another round of budget cuts this year, not sure if their grant was renewed.

If you plan to hike the 516, park as close to FR 45 as possible. Gravel parking lot is littered with nails, broken glass and other sharp debris. Early mornings are best. I was able to do a trailhead cleanup Wednesday.

Today, I attempted to begin the campsite cleanup but the gun powder stench was just too overpowering to bear. I suspect this vandalism occurred during Spring Break, but the forest floor is very saturated with gun powder, oil, alcohol, etc. Whenever I raked a certain area, a strong sulfur odor rose from the soil.

By the looks of frame 4815, a deer may have been poached. I didn't do a complete investigation due to the strong odors. Many of those trees pictured have become "danger" trees, they have become unstable due to the multiple gun shots to their trunks. They will have to be cut down. A young three year old cedar was still standing that was severed at the trunk, but with a couple of pushes, tumbled over.

IMHO, it will take years for this area to recover. The forest floor is just covered with the shattered orange clay targets, glass, and shells while the soil is saturated at least, to a depth of 2 feet with alien fluids, some hazardous such as oil, chemicals and battery acid from the automotive and household batteries used as targets. Chlorine and bleach chemicals, from household cleaner targets also will neutralize and deprive the soil from cultivating life for many years to follow.

forest keeper

[mcds]

Kudos on starting the cleanup. Sounds like a huge effort.

[forestkeeper]

Yeah, I think I'd rather spend my time cutting blowovers like you do. At least, it smells better. Nothing like the smell of fresh cut timber. Much better than the smell of rotten eggs crammed up your nose. And while it was pouring rain and the wind was blowing hard, each time I made a pass with the rake, it uncovered that gunpowder smell even more. I do like the smell of gunpowder to a certain extent, like when after I fire my M2 carbine. The power of the 7.62 x 54 full metal jacket makes the wood on my stock bleed out the finish oils and I love smelling the powder smoke from the end of the barrel. I guess it just brings back the memory of my Army days when my M16A1 was my closest friend, haha. But this odor smells somewhat like what it smells like to come across an area where a gun battle occurred weeks prior, with debris and bones littering the ground. Ugh!!!

[mcds]

I couldn't agree more. Some of the work that you do is red-white-and-blue true, true work. My hat's off. Many, many thanks. Last year I cleared a cedar on the Nesmith Point Trail that Pablo had pointed out. It was still aromatic this past week.

[BrianEdwards]

That's a huge effort to try to clean that trailhead up. You've got your work cut out for ya! Thanks again for trying to keep the Clackamas district clean

[Peder]

That's a huge effort to try to clean that trailhead up. You've got your work cut out for ya! Thanks again for trying to keep the Clackamas district clean

That area has just gone downhill over the past year, and that was from a low starting point. So many thanks for making such a great effort to clean it up. In this case, this is literally a heroic task. So thank you again!

[RobFromRedland]

We were at the trailhead yesterday, and while it still has lots of garbage and is a mess due to the shooting, it looks WAY better than those photos. Thank you Will for trying to keep the place somewhat clean-it is certainly an uphill battle. We got their early in the morning, and parked our car across the trailhead "road", hoping that would keep anyone from shooting that direction. It appeared to work - when we left, there were no shooters (thank goodness). We had a long day, visiting the upper Clackamas falls and exploring some old trail on the east side of the South Fork river.