This organization (no pun intended) never ceases to amaze me.
As many of you know, last year the "forest service" plowed many of the old jeep trails and prospects near first water. This of course was after they fenced the entire region in so that the only access was through the pay stations.
When I first saw their handywork I couldn't believe my eyes. The plow furrows were around two feet deep in many places.......even on the rather steep hillsides. At the time I was going to stop and see if some of the rangers could spell "EROSION" but decided, "what the heck, in a couple of years I'll be able to see the bedrock and hey you never know what you'll find on bedrock." By the way would that qualify as an existing mine?
We've had a couple of good rains since then so I decided yesterday to go up and check out the erosion progress. I hiked down a wash (canyon) and up a north/south facing mini box. I reached the top and realized this was a good spot since I could see the old military trail but they couldn't see me. I was mildly disappointed to find that one crew was at least aware of the word erosion. On the plowed road for about 100 yards they had planted prickley pear, teddybear cholla, and the thin stalked cholla, every few feet. There must have been a sale on cactus at home depot because there were no brushs, trees or grasses planted (which would prevent erosion).
Unfortuneatly the thin cholla was all dead and the javelina loved the prickley pear. The teddybear cholla was doing great (of course). On the slopes the furrows were coming along nicely but it's too early for bedrock. I expect to see some of the brush dying off in the next few years as the water is channeled through these new streams. On the flats the ruts are smoothing out and the trails will be better than ever since they plowed some of those nasty pumkin busters out of the way.
But what really caught my eye was the fact that left any and all of the junk in the desert. Cans and metal everywhere right where they were planting. I guess picking up garbage is not in the job description. They even left their own junk. I found a real nice fire shovel.
All in all a good little hike....the erosion is coming along nicely, found a spot to hunt javelina, and got a new shovel.
By the way any of you find that mine let me know so I can give you the "forest service" shovel to dig the first hole. All I want is a picture!
The amazing "Forest Service"
FS (Not BS... FS... But they are close...)
The Forest "Service" never ceases to amaze me. When I was a kid (an innocent sheltered one...) one of the things I wanted to do when I "grew up" was to be a forest ranger. Guess I watched too much "Wonderful World of Disney"... Needless to say, I never realized that dream. Maybe it was a good thing. I just canot identify with them and their motives these days.
On one hand they feel like they have to protect the forest (Superstition Wilderness) but they get too carried away. One thing that especially bothers me is them going in and destroying sites because they are not "natural." Maybe not. But, to me anything back there from prior to 1900 ought to be protected as if it were an archeological site. I do not think the FS thinks so judging by their actions.
Keep that in mind when discussing things on this forum. Say you find an old stone wall or a corral. Don't be specific about its location. Cause if the FS finds out, they'll probably destroy it.
It would not surprise me if the FS once stumbled upon an old stone cabin and destroyed it because it was not "natural"... Not knowing it was something important... Like the stone cabin Brownie Holmes searched over 60 years for...
On one hand they feel like they have to protect the forest (Superstition Wilderness) but they get too carried away. One thing that especially bothers me is them going in and destroying sites because they are not "natural." Maybe not. But, to me anything back there from prior to 1900 ought to be protected as if it were an archeological site. I do not think the FS thinks so judging by their actions.
Keep that in mind when discussing things on this forum. Say you find an old stone wall or a corral. Don't be specific about its location. Cause if the FS finds out, they'll probably destroy it.
It would not surprise me if the FS once stumbled upon an old stone cabin and destroyed it because it was not "natural"... Not knowing it was something important... Like the stone cabin Brownie Holmes searched over 60 years for...