Bull Run crackdown?

[pdxbucky]

I hear and read now and then about people ignoring the ban on Bull Run hiking/camping. This recent Oregonian article suggests that the near future may not be the time to conduct a sneaky hike.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/inde ... er_default

[potato]

Interesting. I wonder which model they're using. Apparently the higher-end handheld FLIR units let you see humans from a distance of up to 2km away: http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/law ... /?id=50843

I can only assume that max distance was measured with an unobstructed view of the person.
Best case, they're using the 640x480 resolution (~0.3 megapixels) w/ 4x e-zoom and a 100mm lens. Think about using a digital camera with those specs... how far away can you be sure that a person is a person? Thick foliage in the way will reduce that distance too.

So I guess if they're actually willing to hike along the trails at night and use these cameras, they'd indeed be likely to spot you if you're camped within maybe a few hundred yards of the trail?

[pdxbucky]

So I guess if they're actually willing to hike along the trails at night and use these cameras, they'd indeed be likely to spot you if you're camped within maybe a few hundred yards of the trail?

Or they could charter a bush plane... or Portland's police airplane, but I guess they wouldn't need to rent the sensors then, as Portland's plane has one equipped.

If they charter a plane, they should team with wildlife biologists to count elk herds and such in the area. If they're going to be collecting data, they might as well spread the wealth.

[Hiker_Dude]

Maybe, one day, someone will launch an advocacy campaign to open this area to quiet recreation.

Mind you, I'm thinking of a fee and permit based system to limit numbers.

Also, hiker could report squater camps.

When I visited Hickman Butte Lookout (on business, but I really enjoyed the view!), I spoke with the lookout and he mentioned there were many squaters and they were a known concern.

[Splintercat]

Amen to all of what you're saying, Hiker Dude. The Goofellow Lakes/Hickman basin would be a great starting point for quiet recreation, too, as it's outside the the true watershed. The sham is self- evident every time a boil water order is issued for one of the open reservoirs in the middle of Portland showing an e-coli contamination. If a public risk to our water supply exists, it's with these reservoirs that anyone can walk withing a stone's throw of.

Tom

[mattisnotfrench]

I took a tour of the watershed last week. It was wonderfully fascinating and very scenic. As a result, I have changed my mind about public access to the watershed. I used to be against the closure and am now for it. After seeing how vast the area is I think it would be very easy to contaminate the water without oversight. I would rather air on the side of caution. There's just so much space - to really police it they would need far more personal, and they would probably need to treat the water more than they do to assure quality.

I do agree that they should supervise the public reservoirs here in town a bit better.

[Peabody]

Buffalo’s water intake is located in the northeastern region of Lake Erie, just upstream of the Niagara River.
http://buffalowaterauthority.com/Treatm ... entProcess

The Bull Run watershed is the primary drinking water supply for the City of Portland and its 19 wholesale customers
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/29784

Buffalo ranks #15 in water quality
Portland ranks #59 in water quality
http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/rating-big-city-water

Just sayin'

[Grannyhiker]

I far prefer Troutdale water (all from wells) to Portland water. While I was working (Lloyd District), I either drank bottled water or used one of those Britta filters to get the yucky taste out. I'm not too sure what is so special about Portland water, especially since I can't stand to drink it!

[Hiker_Dude]

Honestly, I cannot see any reason not to open the watershed to quiet recreation.

There are plenty of examples, some quite extreme, that have been implemented by BLM, NPS and USDA to "safe guard" a resource: registration, per person permit lottery, pack out your poo, boot cleaning to remove invasive species, no pet or no stock rules, must hire a guide, etc. Some of them make more sense than others. But, whatever makes everyone feel comfortable to allow a few hundred or a few thousand hikers, snowshoers and climbers a year to access, and essentially, better protect the resource is fine with me (at least to begin with).

Then again, I am one to argue that access to a resource by your average quiet recreationist will do more to preserve and protect that resource, for less money, than most any other option.

Ron

[retired jerry]

I'de like to be able to walk on that road past Tanner Butte over to the PCT near Indian Mountain which is briefly in the Bull Run Watershed. They could make exceptions like that, maybe just walking thorugh in the day and not camping. That would make a nice loop.