Oregon Hikers

Thought I'd start a poll on this, since there's a surprising amount of "non-compliance" based on conversations I've had with various Portland Hikers. I've reflected some of the reasons I've heard in the survey questions. Where do you fall on this topic..?

I voted but it said it was invalid

I always register - when there are forms to register on but usually there aren't any

Tom - Are you sure your poll works - I tried to submit "always" and was told that was not a valid response!

I tried voting too, and it didn't work. Anyway, I always register, because I figure it helps the wilderness planners in federal land management agencies make a case for their budget: the more users, the more funding they should get for trail maintenance, etc.

Okay, should be fixed now -- it was set on a default of "zero" for number of days in which to run..!

-Tom

I register about 10% of the time, which is about how often there are blank forms in the box. I don't think I've seen a box with a blank form in it this year! The only reason we fill one out is that I never waste a chance to have Micah read and write.

I do think that it's a complete waste of FS resources. Printing isn't free and neither is the labor to hike in to all of those register points every week. If they are filling and emptying the boxes in a timely fashion, it must take several people in each National Forest to keep up. These are people that could be put to much better use elsewhere.

Splintercat wrote:Okay, should be fixed now -- it was set on a default of "zero" for number of days in which to run..!

-Tom

Still not working. (I'm using Firefox)

I register as long as the box has forms. For one thing, just in case they use those things to determine interest in which trails to leave open or decommission, or how much funding an area gets based on usage, I don't want the places I visit to lose out. I can't possibly think of any real specific reason not to. It takes all of about 15 seconds and really doesn't ask any personal information..
As far as wasting time and money, anything that gets any forest service worker out from behind his or her desk, even if it is just a visit to the trailheads, is better than not leaving the office at all.
Who knows, they just might interrupt the person getting ready to clout your car.

One thing I don't do is tie it to the outside of my pack. It's amazing how much noise that little thing can make bouncing around back there when you are quietly walking thru the woods. And out of the hundreds I've filled out, I've never actually had a ranger type person ask to see it.

Does anyone know how often they get picked up and refilled? I guess I haven't really given this a lot of thought, but how many of the things are out there? There must be at least a dozen for each wilderness? Some of them are quite a ways to hike, just to grab some paper. (Eagle Creek comes to mind)

I figure the more permits are filled out, the more resources it will get

Forest Service people need to go up the trails occasionally just to check things out, can pick up/refill forms at the same time