Wyeth to 418 Tr Junction 06-Feb-2011

[VanMarmot]

No disrespect to the Superbowl but sitting on my couch inhaling buffalo wings didn't seem sufficiently aerobic so I decided to go up the Wyeth trail: (1) for the exercise, (2) to try out my new Garmin 60CSx GPS unit (seemingly no longer carried by REI but Amazon's discount almost paid for the requisite maps), and (3) to do something about that abandoned tent noted by airdrum on 1/23. The weather - a drippy mix of clouds, mist, and condensation on the trees - didn't allow for any views.



The tent was at about 3000' and I'd brought along a very large garbage bag to haul out the remains. It looked like someone had set up the tent, then done a lot of eating inside it - there were several eaten and partially eaten (and rotting) MREs inside, along with used glow sticks, and spent hand warmers. Empty pepperoni packages, more spent warmers, and a ripped open tin can were also scattered around the site. At some point one of the fiberglass poles must have shattered, collapsing the tent, and forcing a move to a makeshift shelter of pine boughs and a mylar blanket (also left in the trees). It must have been a terrible introduction to backpacking but there's simply no excuse for not having packed this cr*p out! By the time I'd gathered together all this junk (including the soggy and foul smelling tent), the garbage sack was half full, weighed at least 10 pounds, and was larger than my daypack.



By way of compensation, on the way down I had the pleasure of meeting Don Nelsen in person as he was coming up Wyeth after exploring Gorton Creek. He gave me some pointers on the 60CSx and then I continued on down with my extended load. I picked up some more trash on the way - sufficiently suspicious to be carried at the end of my trekking pole - and was real glad to dump everything into the dumpster behind the bathroom in the campground.

I got exercise (and then some with that extra 10 lbs), removed some trash from the backcountry, decided the 60CSx was a keeper, and got to meet Don Nelsen - a very good day all around.

[retired jerry]

Thanks for hauling the trash out

Looks nice up there

[Don Nelsen]

VanMarmot,

Very nice to meet you today and quite the surprise, too. That makes three PH folks I've met for the first time on the trail in only two weekends! Thanks for taking all that trash out, too - the last thing you picked up, the white plastic bag with the drawstring looked suspicious when I checked it out on the .way up - glad you got it and I didn't have to.

Looks like you have your new GPS figured out, too - good map!

BTW, I turned around due to time constraints at about 2100' - did you run into any snow on your hike?

See ya on the trail,

Don

[VanMarmot]

VanMarmot,

Very nice to meet you today and quite the surprise, too. That makes three PH folks I've met for the first time on the trail in only two weekends! Thanks for taking all that trash out, too - the last thing you picked up, the white plastic bag with the drawstring looked suspicious when I checked it out on the .way up - glad you got it and I didn't have to.

Looks like you have your new GPS figured out, too - good map!

BTW, I turned around due to time constraints at about 2100' - did you run into any snow on your hike?

See ya on the trail,

Don

Good to finally meet you in person after reading all your posts & maps. I never knew what was in that white bag - which is probably for the best. There was no snow up to the trail junction - it looked like there was more snow S toward North Lake but probably hard & crusty by now.

[Splintercat]

Van, nice work on that cleanup -- a thankless task, and in light of that, I hereby award you the FIRST EVER Portland Hikers Friend of Nature Award, with all of the rights and privileges inherent to the honor!



(...feel free to print and stick to your fridge -- and thanks, again, Van!)

-Tom

[Grannyhiker]

Van, thank you for packing out that horrible trash!

I carry a trash bag on all my hikes, so I can pack out candy wrappers, orange peels and such. Your effort, though, was downright heroic!

[joerunner]

Thanks for doing that. The low lifes that did that really need to stay put at the trailheads where they belong.

[VanMarmot]

Van, nice work on that cleanup -- a thankless task, and in light of that, I hereby award you the FIRST EVER Portland Hikers Friend of Nature Award, with all of the rights and privileges inherent to the honor!

(...feel free to print and stick to your fridge -- and thanks, again, Van!)

-Tom

Wow! Thanks! From the previous postings I didn't expect to find as much trash as there was. Still, our trails are already under-loved (and under budgeted for maintenance), so I felt a volunteer effort was needed here.

[Splintercat]

Van, from what you described, I guess I had a darker take on how it all got there -- it struck me as somebody on the lam. I once ran across a similar scene on the Boulder Ridge Trail (including a still-smoldering fire), complete with a makeshift tent, suitcase (lying open), clothes scattered about. There was a couple inches of new snow, and the whole thing creeped me out so much that I called the Clackamas County Sheriff.

Tom

[VanMarmot]

Van, from what you described, I guess I had a darker take on how it all got there -- it struck me as somebody on the lam. I once ran across a similar scene on the Boulder Ridge Trail (including a still-smoldering fire), complete with a makeshift tent, suitcase (lying open), clothes scattered about. There was a couple inches of new snow, and the whole thing creeped me out so much that I called the Clackamas County Sheriff.

Tom

I haven't seen that level of creepiness yet (and hope not to). The wierdest thing to date was during last year's trans-Gorge hike. A short distance beyond Big Cedar Springs the trail traverses a slope above a gentle ravine. In the ravine was a neatly spread-out blanket and 2 pillows but nothing else. Now this is more than a few miles of undermaintained trail plus a creek crossing from the Eagle Creek trail or any of the campsites along Eagle Creek. Ambitious romantic get-away or low-budget hideout??