PLEASE TRASH OUT in Harriman SP

[+Waterboy]

If anyone is planning to hunt for Snow White and the 7 Lakes #1 and/or SKANNATAL LAKE please bring garbage bags with you. We found these caches on 10/23/02 and the area unfortunately contains plenty of trash. Everyone will appreciate it if you CACHE IN, TRASH OUT. There is a large dumpster in the parking lot between these two caches.

[+briansnat]

Perhaps we can create an event cache in the manner of the "ultimate trash out" thread. I'd be game if the date was a good one for me.

 

"Men don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing" Oliver Wendell Holmes

[+Alan2]

That's a coincidence. I was mapping those very caches to do this weekend. Anyone else going there? Maybe we can met up.

 

But how to you trash out carrying a bag all those miles? Seems too tough for me. My little toe's stil aching from my hikes in HArriman last weekend!

 

Alan

[+Alan2]

By the way briansnat, I meant to let you know that your new picture with your hair and face done over is quite an improvement over your previous. Who's your stylist?

 

Alan

[+Ttepee]

Count the tribe in...An event sounds like a great idea and Harriman certainly is a well cached state park. Would definitely be good for our cause not to mention good for the park and could be alot of fun to boot. Enough people have been hiking enough trails over there these days to know some of the worst areas to get something organized to try to make a difference. Let's get some chit chat going on about it and see what we can come up with.

[+Alan2]

Ttepee - Hopewell Junction! My daughter spent about ten summers as a camper and counselor there in Camp Kindering just on the other side of the Taconic. Small world.

 

ALan

[+briansnat]

quote:

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By the way briansnat, I meant to let you know that your new picture with your hair and face done over is quite an improvement over your previous. Who's your stylist?

---

 

Stylist? Who needs one! I do my own hair.

 

"Men don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing" Oliver Wendell Holmes

[dboggny]

i am free satruday

 

SR and dboggny.

[+briansnat]

I've done a lot of hiking and backpacking in Harriman and have found numerous areas that are heavily littered. I recall camping one winter next to Lake Skemonto and there was a large pit in the ground that was filled with garbage several feet deep.

 

On another occassion, I was taking a solo backpacking trip and met a group of younger 20 somethings camped about a mile in from the road and up a fairly steep hill. They had carted in quite an array of stuff, lawn chairs, a "beer ball", coolers, you name it. I was impressed by their industriousness. Stopped by, had a few beers and chatted with them. Two days later, I passed by the same spot on my way to my car and it was a mess. The still smoldering firepit was filled with beer bottles, the beer ball (partially melted), burned lawn chairs, ketchup and mustard bottles, food scraps, a tarp, etc... Totally disgusting!

 

A little further on I passed the group, struggling down the hill with their coolers, tents, etc. They had no backpacks, so were carrying everything in their arms. I didn't say anything to them, since there were about 8 of them and I was alone. They were on the "rednecky" side and probably wouldn't have taken a lecture very well. But I got to the parking lot and waited for them. As they loaded their cars, I jotted down the license plates and went over to the local police station with the info. I don't know what came of it, but I hope they got their slob-butts fined.

 

"Men don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing" Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

[This message was edited by BrianSnat on October 25, 2002 at 04:55 AM.]

[+Ttepee]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan2:

Ttepee - Hopewell Junction! My daughter spent about ten summers as a camper and counselor there in Camp Kindering just on the other side of the Taconic. Small world.

 

ALan

---

 

Never heard of that one but there's alot of camps tucked away around here that I don't know of. It's a nice area, I like it up here.

 

I am supposed to be on the other side of the river in the Hudson Highlands State Park on Sunday... Saturday they are talking rain.

[+Waterboy]

Brian - An "ultimate trash out", what a great idea.

 

Added note for those going to Harriman this weekend. Of the two caches, there is more trash by the for Snow White and the 7 Lakes #1. That is east of the parking area, around Lake Askoti.

[BassoonPilot]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan2:

But how to you trash out carrying a bag all those miles?

---

 

Most people won't walk more than 1/4 mile from where they parked their car, so that is where you will find 99% of the trash in Harriman ... or any other park.

[+briansnat]

Talk about trash, I found Skibum's Garrett Mountain cache today. I don't think I've yet encountered an area that was so disgusting. In addition to the litter, the area was actively being used as a toilet. This would be a great area for a trash out event. It's a beautiful area that has been trashed for many years.

 

"Men don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing" Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

[This message was edited by BrianSnat on October 26, 2002 at 04:07 AM.]

[dboggny]

if there are location in need of help, lets plan some weekends to do some fall cleaning before it gets really cold. we all need to put our energy and a bit of time where our mouths are

 

SR and dboggny.

[+Alan2]

HArriman's out Sat due to rain. SUnday I'm meeting my kid in NYC. The trash will have to wait.

 

Speaking of trash, I once hid a cache in Floyd Bennet Field which is NRA property. When I subsequently checked with the manager, he asked me to remove the cache. It wasn't alowed. The funny thing is the cache actually added tpo the beauty of the area. It was ful of all kinds of trash including the kitchen sink!

 

Don't ask. I don't know.

 

Regarding trash in Harriman, I cannot speak with any authority. I only hiked there for the first time recently when I did two caches around Island Pond and south of there. I really enjoyed the hike and while I did see some trash, I was very impressed getting out in a larger park. BUt then again I'm a sheltered Bronx boy living in Queens!

 

Alan

[BassoonPilot]

quote:

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Originally posted by BrianSnat:

... I don't think I've yet encountered an area that was so disgusting. In addition to the litter, the area was actively being used as a toilet. ...

---

 

Oh, there are much worse areas! The deCepticon site was by far the worst I've ever encountered. I visited the site over a year ago and walked away; it would have been more pleasant to search inside a latrine pit.

 

I area is supposed to be turned into a park ... the site presents one of the most spectacular views of Manhattan.

[BassoonPilot]

quote:

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if there are location in need of help, lets plan some weekends to do some fall cleaning before it gets really cold. we all need to put our energy and a bit of time where our mouths are

 

---

 

Indeed. It's amazing how enthusiastic people become when some big event is associated with a simple task. There should be no need to create some massive event just to do a little good; no recognition nor credit should be required.

 

My advice: Just bring a bag along and pick up some garbage when you are out caching.

 

With a little luck, our efforts will be rewarded by the next visitor to the area not noticing we were ever there. (Because we "removed all traces.")

[+jonboy]

With over a million visitors a year to Harriman State Park, this problem is not going to be solved by a handful of geocachers. We could all quit geocaching and spend all our time picking up trash and we would still hardly make a dent.

 

What is needed is some rangers present on the trails to enforce the rules and levy fines. In my 28 years hiking in that park, I can count on my hands the number of times I have seen a ranger outside of a vehicle. I first started picking up trash at Reeves Brook in 1978, with the NY/NJ trail conference on litter day, an annual event.

 

Last year at Breakneck Ridge we carried out eight garbage bags full of trash. Since 9/11 there have been guards at the base of the trail, and the litter problem has dramatically improved. Obviously this cannot be done for all the trails, but even a little effort at enforcement can have dramatic effects.

 

Pine Meadow Lake used to be a real garbage pit, but since the PIPC started sending in patrols by pickup, things have dramatically improved. The PIPC administration is doing more enforcement, but all of it is from vehicles. A little bit of foot patrolling would go a long way to sending the message that it is not okay for visitors to leave the trash. It is not park employees that clean up the mess, but volunteers, and a few tickets given out to offenders would greatly enhance our efforts.

[dboggny]

quote:

---

 

Indeed. It's amazing how enthusiastic people become when some big event is associated with a simple task. There should be no need to create some massive event just to do a little good; no recognition nor credit should be required.

 

My advice: Just bring a bag along and pick up some garbage when you are out caching.

 

With a little luck, our efforts will be rewarded by the next visitor to the area not noticing we were ever there. (Because we "removed all traces.")

---

 

you are correct Mr. Pilot, but sometimes its easier to do nasty, tankless tasks with a group. sometimes that atmosphere makes it just a little nicer.

 

SR and dboggny.

[+Waterboy]

In our backpacks there are always extra trash bags, they are part of our geocaching gear. Recommend others do the same.

 

My first remember hiking in Harriman State Park with my parents, it was about 1950 and when I was six years of age. I hiked there regularly up until 1973 when I left the area. In 1993 we started to hike in Harriman again. Having seen Harriman for over a 50 year period I believe there is less trash now than there was prior to 1973. There are definitely more people, so some of them must be educated about trashing out.