Sometime between September 24 and October 29 vandals tagged over 200 trees on Trail #482, the Palmateer Trail, inside the Mt. Hood Wilderness Area. They used bright, florescent-orange spray paint to place circles, lines and arrows on trees, all between 7-8 feet high. Painted trees are very close together: 50-150'. It is heart-breaking to see all of these blighted trees in an otherwise pristine wilderness setting.
If you have any information which might be of assistance to help identify the individuals responsible for this vandalism please share it. If you would like to remain anonymous, send info to me via PM and I will forward it to Federal Law Enforcement.
Thanks for helping to keep Oregon wilderness wild!
Underbucker
Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
Wow...
Well, I can help you narrow it down a bit, maybe. Woodswalker and I hiked that trail on 10/24/17, and didn't see anything like this then.
Well, I can help you narrow it down a bit, maybe. Woodswalker and I hiked that trail on 10/24/17, and didn't see anything like this then.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
- underbucker
- Posts: 14
- Joined: February 22nd, 2012, 12:25 pm
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
Thank you. That narrows it down to a four-day window: 10/25 - 10/28. USFS will over-paint the orange tags to make them less visible.
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
Or late-afternoon 10/24... We headed north from Upper Twin Lake about 12:30pm and got to Devils Half Acre about 3:30pm.underbucker wrote:That narrows it down to a four-day window: 10/25 - 10/28.
Glad to hear that. So sorry there's a need...underbucker wrote:USFS will over-paint the orange tags to make them less visible.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
- woodswalker
- Posts: 835
- Joined: November 25th, 2012, 4:51 pm
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
So sad. We did see some faded red lines on lots of trees in a section coming down from Frog Buttes to Lower Twin Lakes. Maybe from last year? It seemed a bit too frequent for anything we could think of other than tree harvest?
Colette Grace
Colette Grace
- underbucker
- Posts: 14
- Joined: February 22nd, 2012, 12:25 pm
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
Thanks, Woodswalker.
Forestry Tech from Hood River Ranger District already on site today. He started to paint over tags but ran out of paint there were so many. Hope we have enough dry days left to get the job done before snowfall. The visual impact is really appalling.
With luck, our hiker community can provide enough info to identify those responsible.
Underbucker
Forestry Tech from Hood River Ranger District already on site today. He started to paint over tags but ran out of paint there were so many. Hope we have enough dry days left to get the job done before snowfall. The visual impact is really appalling.
With luck, our hiker community can provide enough info to identify those responsible.
Underbucker
Last edited by underbucker on November 1st, 2017, 5:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
- retired jerry
- Posts: 14424
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
maybe use a propane weed flamer to burn them off?
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Dragon-VT-2- ... dpSrc=srch
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Dragon-VT-2- ... dpSrc=srch
- underbucker
- Posts: 14
- Joined: February 22nd, 2012, 12:25 pm
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
No flamethrower. I think we've had enough forest fires this year. Grey primer seems to be doing a good job of concealing.
Underbucker
Underbucker
Last edited by underbucker on November 1st, 2017, 6:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
I feel like I'm pointing out the obvious, but maybe it needs to be said:
This appears to serve as route markers for somebody who wants to hike or ski the trail when it's under snow.
While I'm sure nobody here would approve of this crude method, the words "vandalism" and "graffiti" probably carry unwarranted connotations.
Personally, I feel bad if I realize I failed to gather up all my flagging when I leave a difficult route. Hard to imagine what kind of sociopath could spraypaint trees with a clear conscience.
This appears to serve as route markers for somebody who wants to hike or ski the trail when it's under snow.
While I'm sure nobody here would approve of this crude method, the words "vandalism" and "graffiti" probably carry unwarranted connotations.
Personally, I feel bad if I realize I failed to gather up all my flagging when I leave a difficult route. Hard to imagine what kind of sociopath could spraypaint trees with a clear conscience.
- retired jerry
- Posts: 14424
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Vandalism on Palmateer Trail #482
"No flamethrower. I think we've had enough forest fires this year. Grey primer seems to be doing a good job of concealing."
That wasn't a totally serious comment. I'm sure you get lots of "helpful" suggestions.
Those flamers are not flamethrowers, just a large propane flame. Definitely a risk of forest fire, but like if it was raining it would be okay. Some advantages over painting over it.
It's a shame people would paint trees like that.
That wasn't a totally serious comment. I'm sure you get lots of "helpful" suggestions.
Those flamers are not flamethrowers, just a large propane flame. Definitely a risk of forest fire, but like if it was raining it would be okay. Some advantages over painting over it.
It's a shame people would paint trees like that.