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strider
Jan 30, 2004, 9:28 AM
Post #1 of 6
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Registered: Apr 9, 2003
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Let me start with a story. I recently tried to camp at Castle Rock State Park in Santa Cruz County for the first time. I have been there dozens of times to climb but I had never stayed at the backpackers trail camp before. So when I had a weekend to myself I thought it would be fun to hike in and spend the night. So I drove in and parked and looked for info about how to pay. I read the sign board and it says to fill out an envelope and follow the instructions on the envelope. When I look at the box labeled "Envelopes" it has a little slot in the bottom and there are no envelopes there. I even stick my fingers inside and I don't feel any envelopes. I then grab a piece of paper from the car, write my license plate number and my name on it, fold it up with my $10 and drop it in the Iron Ranger. I hike in to the trail camp (~3 miles) and find a campsite. I notice a sign that says "No Wood Gathering" and a couple other campers have bundles of wood that are too heavy to hike in, so I figure there is wood for sale, but I can't find any. I move on to finding a campsite and I find one with a couple of half burnt logs in the fire pit. I know that the leftover logs are enough for one night, but I need some kindling to start them. I start gathering kindling and of course I get caught. Those damn Rangers wear green uniforms so that they are camouflaged into the forest. So Mr. Ranger looks at me and says, "We need to have a talk." Great! I get the lecture that I am committing a misdemeanor and that I could get 6 months in jail and a huge fine. I am destroying the campground and I will cause erosion and destroy the environment. He runs my name and checks for warrants and when it comes back negative for warrants he sighs and looks disappointed. He then gives me the choice to either accept the misdemeanor ticket and stay the night or I can pack up and hike out of the park immediately. Being 23 years old and a college student who works part time, I opted for the hike out. So he watches while I pack my stuff and follows me to the trail head, where his truck is parked. He points out where the sign is posted and also where you can find the wood for sale. I point out that I looked there for wood and there is none there. He doesn't seem to like that I noticed. He then continues to write me a "Courtesy" warning ticket and then advises me on how to exit the park. He tells me that since my car is parked in the parking lot he will have to wait until I leave before he can lock the parking lot gate. The quickest way to leave is hike the 1 mile gravel road out to the highway and then hike along the highway for 1 mile to the parking lot. I ask if I can hike through the park and he says no, that will take too long. I shut up and pack out, hiking as fast as I can since the sun has already set and I am on borrowed time, that space of time where the sun is gone and there is still ambient light. I get to the highway about 25 minutes later and start to hike along the highway. I was passed by a group of bikers and numerous cars and they were all mighty close to me when they passed. After 10 minutes on the hwy the Ranger pulls up behind me, slows down and says over the intercom, "Ya need a lift?" It took about of my willpower not to jump in the truck and beat him silly with his microphone. Instead, I shake my head that I do not need a ride and continue to hike. He then drives ahead and notices that someone is backed into the side of the road and appears to be dumping or loading something in the forest. When the Ranger pulls up, the guy walks out of the woods and closes the back of his pickup. After I pass them on foot and look back the Ranger was talking to the guy and looking in the truck. When I get to the parking lot I look at my car and I have a parking ticket. It says I did not pay for parking and will have to pay a $44 fine. On further investigation I discover that the box with the slot also had a lid that needed to be lifted in order to access the envelopes in the box. I never saw the lid and assumed that if the slot was empty there were no envelopes. When I drive out I notice that the Ranger is still talking to guy and the guy is probably going to have shitty night, much like myself.
Alright, so I screwed up. I should not have gathered kindling because it was the law. What is interesting to note is that I when I looked at the wood that the other campers had, it was in large chunks. So even if there was wood available and I had purchased it, then I still would have needed kindling to start the fire. I could have started the fire with my white gas but I imagine that the Ranger would have liked that even less. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. The parking ticket was just icing on the cake. Everyone I have talked to feels I was dealt a shitty hand, even my brother who is a police officer. I feel I was treated pretty bad when weighed against the crime committed but so goes life.
So now I am looking for places where I don't have to pay to camp and where I can pick up a stick and burn it without worry. Are there any places near the Bay Area? How about further abroad? I have heard that you can do just about anything in a National Forest but is this true? How about other types of land like BLM, Water District land, etc...? What are the rules for camping, hiking and climbing on these types of land? I have tried to research the subject and I can't find any clear answers. The government websites are the worst. Are there any quality climbing areas located in these areas? I am just trying to find more options where I don't have The Man looking over my shoulder. I have always thought I am a pretty responsible climber and backpacker and have been doing it for years, ever since Boy Scouts. I don't litter, I will pack out other people's trash, I don't use chalk so I don't leave a trace on the rock, and stay on trails to minimize damage. But I am tired of paying for what I feel should be free. On the average I do not agree with most of the "improvements" that my fees go towards and would like to not support the system. So what are my alternatives? Anyone think I have a chance of fighting the parking ticket? I was cited with CVC 21113(a) Illegal parking on public grounds.
Anyone else had a shitty experience with the man? Was what I did that bad? What to flame me? What to help me? Feel free to email me. Thanks for listening....sorry it was so long...
-n
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tradman
Jan 30, 2004, 11:23 AM
Post #2 of 6
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Registered: Jan 14, 2003
Posts: 7159
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That's just about the weirdest thing I've heard on this site.
You have to pay for parking - for stopping your car someplace.
Then you have to pay for wood - the stuff that grows on trees.
And if you mess up you have to pay more. And they have guys hanging around to catch you if you do!
What does all this money go towards?
How the heck did things get to the state where people or organisations think that rocks and trees are "theirs" and others should pay to use them?
Weird.
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washufinku
Jan 30, 2004, 1:53 PM
Post #3 of 6
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Registered: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 20
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Well, on a better note, was the area a Fee Demo area? If so, you could contest the (parking) fine in court.
--Carleton
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overlord
Jan 30, 2004, 1:59 PM
Post #4 of 6
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Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
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you could have made your own kindling by cutting little pieces of wood (sort like feathers) from the burnt out logs.
and i agree, taht was poor park managment.
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roughster
Jan 30, 2004, 5:16 PM
Post #5 of 6
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Registered: Apr 3, 2002
Posts: 4003
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roughster moved this thread from General to Access Issues & Closures.
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strider
Jan 30, 2004, 9:33 PM
Post #6 of 6
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Registered: Apr 9, 2003
Posts: 173
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In reply to: That's just about the weirdest thing I've heard on this site. You have to pay for parking - for stopping your car someplace. Then you have to pay for wood - the stuff that grows on trees. And if you mess up you have to pay more. And they have guys hanging around to catch you if you do! What does all this money go towards? How the heck did things get to the state where people or organisations think that rocks and trees are "theirs" and others should pay to use them? Weird.
You're from Scotland, so I guess you are not to familiar with our park system here, over the Pond. You asked, "what does all this money go towards?" And from what I can tell, all this money goes towards more of the same. More Rangers watching you, more development of the park, and more of my money in the pockets of the goverment. This is exactly why I am looking for more places to hike and backpack that do not require fees and rules against picking up wood. Anyone have any info they are willing to share?
Thanks for the replys guys.
-n
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