Signs popping up around Memaloose/ South Fork

[HikingisaMustDo]

Went out to Memaloose today with 7 other people. We did a hike from the spur road/rock wall down to the river up to the upper falls and down to the lower falls and back. Overall it was a good day to go hiking, no rain, no wind (not as it was projected) However there are a few new things of concern that I noticed. There was a very large mud slide that has taken out a piece of the trail, we just hiked over it. There was a newly uncovered area of artifacts, right as you come off of the main bridge. Also there were 3 very conspicuous signs posted on different parts of the trail. One at the entrance to the cave off of Memaloose Creek, one at the bridge junction, and one at the bottom of the lower caves. They seem to be real signs because the BLM does own the land, and the addresses posted on it line up. I'm concerned as to what illegal activities they're referring to though?
I haven't seen any illegal activities or wrong undoings while I've been down there. What do you guys think?

[RobFromRedland]

A Couple of questions for you:

• What do you mean "artifacts"? There was a settling tank and some other old iron work after crossing the bridge, but I'm curious what else you found?
• Where were those rocks stacked up? Did they try and cover up one end of one of the tunnels or something? Or is that something else?

The illegal activities I'm guessing were pot growers. At the north end of the memaloose tunnel there is (or at least was) a huge pile of garbage - it looked like it was from some illegal growing activities, as there was fertilizer, etc in the garbage. Someone was living in that tunnel for a while, but that was several years ago I think. Based on the wording of the sign, maybe someone is stealing the old remnants of the water works?

[pdxgene]

From reading the sign it sounds to me like the illegal activity concerns the digging up and removing from the grounds of whatever the artifacts are. If they found pot plants back there they'd either already be cut down or under active surveillance.

[HikingisaMustDo]

A Couple of questions for you:

• What do you mean "artifacts"? There was a settling tank and some other old iron work after crossing the bridge, but I'm curious what else you found?
• Where were those rocks stacked up? Did they try and cover up one end of one of the tunnels or something? Or is that something else?

The illegal activities I'm guessing were pot growers. At the north end of the memaloose tunnel there is (or at least was) a huge pile of garbage - it looked like it was from some illegal growing activities, as there was fertilizer, etc in the garbage. Someone was living in that tunnel for a while, but that was several years ago I think. Based on the wording of the sign, maybe someone is stealing the old remnants of the water works?

That rock wall that you see was uncovered and there was a wheel, a few valves, and some other things in front of that wall. This is at the other end of the bridge, not the settling tank side. As for the pot growers that was at least 4 years ago or older since they were doing that. I think you're right Rob someone might be stealing artifacts or cutting down wildlife. I've noticed a heavy amount of clearing down there lately. It was not there the last 15 times I've been down there. (It's been like 6 months since my last hike down there)

[HikingisaMustDo]

From reading the sign it sounds to me like the illegal activity concerns the digging up and removing from the grounds of whatever the artifacts are. If they found pot plants back there they'd either already be cut down or under active surveillance.

No way they found pot plants, especially with all the active hiking that goes on down there now. However like I said, I think Rob may be right. There seemed to be some new uncovered areas that weren't down there before, mainly that area on the east side of the bridge.

[mattisnotfrench]

Maybe with the signs up we can expect a real trail, or some maintenance or something in the future? It is the BLM so I doubt we'll see anything of the sort...but one can hope.

[Splintercat]

Not sure what the "artifacts" are, but nothing gets my blood boiling faster than when one of our federal land agencies THAT WE EMPLOY WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS TO CARE FOR OUR LAND informs us that we are TRESPASSING..!! Nope, I'm sorry, but you CANNOT "trespass" on your own land -- OUR land, NOT "your" land, Bureau of Land Management. Grrrr...

-Tom

[Splintercat]

BTW, thanks to all who have trekked up this canyon over the past years. I'm hoping your recreational use of this land creates enough of a "problem" for the BLM and Forest Service to finally do what should have been done when the South Fork Water Board pulled up stakes decades ago: convert their abandoned network of roads, bridges and tunnels into forest trails for us folks who PAY THE BILLS..? Good idea, eh..?

-Tom

[Crusak]

Not sure what the "artifacts" are, but nothing gets my blood boiling faster than when one of our federal land agencies THAT WE EMPLOY WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS TO CARE FOR OUR LAND informs us that we are TRESPASSING..!! Nope, I'm sorry, but you CANNOT "trespass" on your own land -- OUR land, NOT "your" land, Bureau of Land Management. Grrrr...

-Tom

Well said, Tom. Weird choice of words on that sign. I wonder exactly what they're trying to say...

[BrianEdwards]

I wonder what exactly is being messed with down there? I don't think it's even possible to pack anything big out of that canyon. Maybe down to the river and out by raft, but still.. I'm very curious to know what's been reported to BLM