Tales of Trouble and Trash in the Oregon Woods
Posted: June 18th, 2018, 12:44 am
Hey guys, I know it's been a while since I've posted here, I hope everyone's doing well. I've been meaning to share about another pursuit I've been involved in for the last few years. In the search to connect a series of oddball mega routes and find quiet places to run my dogs over the years, I've come across an almost unbelievable amount of trash along the way. From illegal dumping and abandoned camps to teepee flowers and trashed TH's, it's been a sobering lesson in the darker side of visiting the outdoors:
28947207_10215224133093627_7289677698794591514_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
After loading up near highway 26 and an abandoned segment of the old POTB railroad:
28947161_10215225328363508_9128385589027515774_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
I started teaming up with Solve a few years ago when Mr. Oregon Hiker himself Tom Kloster suggested reaching out to them to aid in a volunteer trash cleanup at Government Cove near Cascade Locks. A few weeks later I led a cleanup with over 22 volunteers(mostly Oregon Hikers!) and we hauled out almost 35 trash bags in about three hours. Solve identified the landowner as the Warm Springs Tribe, which the Wasco Indians who used to live along that stretch of the river are a part:
31313647196_073bea16ca_k by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Since the first cleanup on Black Friday in 2016 I've returned 4-5 times for smaller cleanups:
24130042_10214214423691523_3622072044375106360_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
The dogs look helpful, but don't be fooled;)
24232189_10214214409411166_6607760117238119091_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
In this thread I'd like to brainstorm with the OH hive. How do we turn the tide on this issue, and how do we better keep harmful plastics and hazardous waste materials out of our rivers, oceans and wildlands? In an attempt to raise awareness and pull on your heart strings a little bit, the following is a story from one persons experience in one small part of one mountain range. Welcome to the Oregon Coast Range:
thumbnail by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
The previous photo shows a group of Oregon Hikers and the Natural Resources Manager for Clatsop County during a cleanup on the slopes of Humbug Mountain. I found the dumpsite while hiking up to Humbug last fall. Upon reaching out to the landowner(technically you and I as it was just inside David Douglas County Park) the parks manager offered to help us gather and haul out the entire load with a county dump truck. The six of us picked up almost 3,000lbs of sopping wet trash in about 90 minutes:
22552424_10213839905288797_4414468551508175720_n (1) by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
thumbnail1 by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
A common theme in the coast range and heavily roaded remote areas are illegal dumpsites. Most of them seem to be from small time contractors/household projects along with general household garbage. How can we help curb illegal dumping? What about free dump fees and increased awareness?
Just a half mile down the road a similar site sits near the head of a small branch of Humbug Creek. Unfortunately the site was on private timberland, and despite many phone calls and emails, the landowner wasn't willing to risk potential liability issues and denied a volunteer cleanup. This has happened with several sites on private land. Getting through the red tape is often the most difficult and time consuming part of the process:
26907788_10214693165659773_1557874507334055888_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Continuing down the hill toward Camp 18 and this was strewn along the banks of Humbug Creek. Swimming holes, popular day use sites, easy access stream sides and primitive campsites right next to water sources are imo the most important areas to watch. Once it ends up in a river or a sizable stream in the coast range, there's little hope of keeping it out of the ocean when lightweight, single use plastics and hazardous waste materials are concerned:
30261307_10215351755724113_8135084326854328320_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Further east near a high branch of Dairy Creek(a tributary of the Tualatin) another source of garbage rears it's ugly head. Illegal target shooting sites and the excessive littering that often goes along with them are a huge problem in the coast range. This was strewn across an entire hillside, but it only took about two hours to gather:
22308758_10213761257642655_7185171356775308465_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
22365498_10213761257602654_3863303008497531248_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Not too far away a hidden stand of old Douglas-firs near Wolf Creek has been particularly mistreated:
33775338_10215749344103574_1775319908553326592_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
I dug out and piled up about 50 motor bike tires just a few hundred feet above the creek:
34161695_10215769259601449_1970657842968920064_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
A third unplanned trip to the grove revealed a toilet
DSC_0424 by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Further out near the coast and this sits near Oregon's largest tree, the Arcadia Cedar:
27073186_10214678769979890_7411696474684606205_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Just to the south in the woods at Hug Point State Park, illegal camping is often an issue:
22195439_10213704015691642_1720297034475665003_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Traveling up the Wilson River corridor a similar tale is told. Fern Rock Falls near Elk Creek has become a favorite selfie/bathroom stop on the way to Tillamook:
DSC_0121 by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
26815242_10214630014681038_2647128363929141786_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
More problem spots are the various swimming holes in the area. Gathered this near Jones Creek last year, a spot I've probably cleaned up a dozen times over the last half decade or so:
21430528_10213521886338522_8915947635668200154_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Oddly enough a member of the Reeher family(Reeher's camp) drove into the Jones Creek day use area while I was carrying up the trash bags. She asked me if I was dumping what I'd just gathered and when I explained my purpose, she was extremely thankful and offered to guide Joie and I throughout the old Reeher homestead and property. A big highlight was getting to stand in the middle of Lester Creek Falls:
22780545_10213884230396897_8927260630638051911_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Leaving the coast range for Detroit Lake and Sardine Creek and the story stays the same. After hiking up Dome Rock I dropped down to the lakeshore for an afternoon snack. The beach was lined with a plethora of pop bottles and beer cans:
22195548_10213724718049188_1588723660250153701_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
One of the more bothersome sights I came across was up at a primitive campsite next to Sardine Creek. Notice the tall Bud can that reads America across the front:
20690168_10213295348515218_7085832255837374196_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Outside the obvious, the bothersome part was the fact that an animal had rummaged through the trash, swallowing a bunch of plastic and defecating it out near the camp:
20728968_10213295348635221_3362424560072553805_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Before the Eagle Creek Fire, sometimes I'd visit the short stretch of Oneonta Creek between the old highway and 84 after a long hike. The amount of trash in what amounts to a few hundred yards of stream bank was always appalling. The mouth of Eagle Creek is largely the same, notice anything about the difference in brand names?
13892034_10209662525296908_3409003637096563284_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Unfortunately, we can't win the battle this way. With eight to ten million tons of plastic entering the world's oceans each year, we're facing a crisis on an almost unimaginable scale. I'm not sure what the answers are, and I don't care to point any fingers, but we sure have a lot of figuring out to do:
26906945_10214653327583846_6863241739974733704_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
On the upside, life's a team sport that's best played together. Even though this might not be the right platform for this post, I chose this forum because of all the brilliant minds that frequent here. Plus, I found all of this looking for places to satisfy my own selfish hiking desires, so I figure it counts as one big trip report;)
24294406_10214243009246144_51934953459485171_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Disclaimer- Picking up trash and other waste materials can be extremely hazardous. Always wear gloves and be wary of needles, feces, blood, nails, sharp edges etc. Be aware of steep slippery terrain and the river and stream sides you might be working on.
28947207_10215224133093627_7289677698794591514_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
After loading up near highway 26 and an abandoned segment of the old POTB railroad:
28947161_10215225328363508_9128385589027515774_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
I started teaming up with Solve a few years ago when Mr. Oregon Hiker himself Tom Kloster suggested reaching out to them to aid in a volunteer trash cleanup at Government Cove near Cascade Locks. A few weeks later I led a cleanup with over 22 volunteers(mostly Oregon Hikers!) and we hauled out almost 35 trash bags in about three hours. Solve identified the landowner as the Warm Springs Tribe, which the Wasco Indians who used to live along that stretch of the river are a part:
31313647196_073bea16ca_k by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Since the first cleanup on Black Friday in 2016 I've returned 4-5 times for smaller cleanups:
24130042_10214214423691523_3622072044375106360_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
The dogs look helpful, but don't be fooled;)
24232189_10214214409411166_6607760117238119091_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
In this thread I'd like to brainstorm with the OH hive. How do we turn the tide on this issue, and how do we better keep harmful plastics and hazardous waste materials out of our rivers, oceans and wildlands? In an attempt to raise awareness and pull on your heart strings a little bit, the following is a story from one persons experience in one small part of one mountain range. Welcome to the Oregon Coast Range:
thumbnail by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
The previous photo shows a group of Oregon Hikers and the Natural Resources Manager for Clatsop County during a cleanup on the slopes of Humbug Mountain. I found the dumpsite while hiking up to Humbug last fall. Upon reaching out to the landowner(technically you and I as it was just inside David Douglas County Park) the parks manager offered to help us gather and haul out the entire load with a county dump truck. The six of us picked up almost 3,000lbs of sopping wet trash in about 90 minutes:
22552424_10213839905288797_4414468551508175720_n (1) by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
thumbnail1 by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
A common theme in the coast range and heavily roaded remote areas are illegal dumpsites. Most of them seem to be from small time contractors/household projects along with general household garbage. How can we help curb illegal dumping? What about free dump fees and increased awareness?
Just a half mile down the road a similar site sits near the head of a small branch of Humbug Creek. Unfortunately the site was on private timberland, and despite many phone calls and emails, the landowner wasn't willing to risk potential liability issues and denied a volunteer cleanup. This has happened with several sites on private land. Getting through the red tape is often the most difficult and time consuming part of the process:
26907788_10214693165659773_1557874507334055888_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Continuing down the hill toward Camp 18 and this was strewn along the banks of Humbug Creek. Swimming holes, popular day use sites, easy access stream sides and primitive campsites right next to water sources are imo the most important areas to watch. Once it ends up in a river or a sizable stream in the coast range, there's little hope of keeping it out of the ocean when lightweight, single use plastics and hazardous waste materials are concerned:
30261307_10215351755724113_8135084326854328320_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Further east near a high branch of Dairy Creek(a tributary of the Tualatin) another source of garbage rears it's ugly head. Illegal target shooting sites and the excessive littering that often goes along with them are a huge problem in the coast range. This was strewn across an entire hillside, but it only took about two hours to gather:
22308758_10213761257642655_7185171356775308465_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
22365498_10213761257602654_3863303008497531248_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Not too far away a hidden stand of old Douglas-firs near Wolf Creek has been particularly mistreated:
33775338_10215749344103574_1775319908553326592_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
I dug out and piled up about 50 motor bike tires just a few hundred feet above the creek:
34161695_10215769259601449_1970657842968920064_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
A third unplanned trip to the grove revealed a toilet
DSC_0424 by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Further out near the coast and this sits near Oregon's largest tree, the Arcadia Cedar:
27073186_10214678769979890_7411696474684606205_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Just to the south in the woods at Hug Point State Park, illegal camping is often an issue:
22195439_10213704015691642_1720297034475665003_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Traveling up the Wilson River corridor a similar tale is told. Fern Rock Falls near Elk Creek has become a favorite selfie/bathroom stop on the way to Tillamook:
DSC_0121 by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
26815242_10214630014681038_2647128363929141786_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
More problem spots are the various swimming holes in the area. Gathered this near Jones Creek last year, a spot I've probably cleaned up a dozen times over the last half decade or so:
21430528_10213521886338522_8915947635668200154_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Oddly enough a member of the Reeher family(Reeher's camp) drove into the Jones Creek day use area while I was carrying up the trash bags. She asked me if I was dumping what I'd just gathered and when I explained my purpose, she was extremely thankful and offered to guide Joie and I throughout the old Reeher homestead and property. A big highlight was getting to stand in the middle of Lester Creek Falls:
22780545_10213884230396897_8927260630638051911_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Leaving the coast range for Detroit Lake and Sardine Creek and the story stays the same. After hiking up Dome Rock I dropped down to the lakeshore for an afternoon snack. The beach was lined with a plethora of pop bottles and beer cans:
22195548_10213724718049188_1588723660250153701_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
One of the more bothersome sights I came across was up at a primitive campsite next to Sardine Creek. Notice the tall Bud can that reads America across the front:
20690168_10213295348515218_7085832255837374196_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Outside the obvious, the bothersome part was the fact that an animal had rummaged through the trash, swallowing a bunch of plastic and defecating it out near the camp:
20728968_10213295348635221_3362424560072553805_o by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Before the Eagle Creek Fire, sometimes I'd visit the short stretch of Oneonta Creek between the old highway and 84 after a long hike. The amount of trash in what amounts to a few hundred yards of stream bank was always appalling. The mouth of Eagle Creek is largely the same, notice anything about the difference in brand names?
13892034_10209662525296908_3409003637096563284_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Unfortunately, we can't win the battle this way. With eight to ten million tons of plastic entering the world's oceans each year, we're facing a crisis on an almost unimaginable scale. I'm not sure what the answers are, and I don't care to point any fingers, but we sure have a lot of figuring out to do:
26906945_10214653327583846_6863241739974733704_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
On the upside, life's a team sport that's best played together. Even though this might not be the right platform for this post, I chose this forum because of all the brilliant minds that frequent here. Plus, I found all of this looking for places to satisfy my own selfish hiking desires, so I figure it counts as one big trip report;)
24294406_10214243009246144_51934953459485171_n by Sean Lawson, on Flickr
Disclaimer- Picking up trash and other waste materials can be extremely hazardous. Always wear gloves and be wary of needles, feces, blood, nails, sharp edges etc. Be aware of steep slippery terrain and the river and stream sides you might be working on.