Hikers Warned Article

[mcontreras]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... arm19.html

Has anyone ever seen these while hiking. Just wanted to FYI everyone on here. It's kind of scary.

[Hoffmaster]

Last year, I actually stumbled across some shovels, a wheelbarrow, and some old irrigation hose in a small canyon on the northwest side of Mt. Ord. It was literally a few hundred yards off the Beeline! The stuff was all rusty and the hose was dry-rotted, so I kept hiking to some rock outcroppings that I wanted to check out for some possible new climbing. I knew what all that equipment was for, but it was so old that I didn't think anyone was still there or any plants for that matter.
Also, I have heard rumors of large marijuana fields in the Four Peaks Wilderness. For a long time I wouldn't hike there because of that. If anyone needs a visual of what could happen if you stumble across a marijuana field, check out the movie The Beach.

[mcontreras]

I have seen that movie and when I read the article that scene immediatly pop into my mind. I wouldn't like to be involved in that type of situation, not Fun at all.

[hikeaz]

In response to mcontreras' reply:

About 3 weeks ago on a Sunday we tried to do a shuttle hike from Trailhead 260 to See Canyon (Christopher Creek). We planned to drop a couple of cars @ See and then head back to 260 T/H. As we were headed home from Heber, most of the folks as well as their cars were @ the 260 trailhead. As we pulled into the beginning of the Forest Road leading up to See T/H there were 4 or 5 USFS personnel BUT, they had on bulletproof vests and had sidearms. They told us that they had a "situation" they were working on and that we couldn't take the vehicles to See T/H. (I really wanted to do this hike and we had the vast portion of our group all ready and waiting @ T/H 260, so I stretched the truth some. I said that 9 people from our group has already started hiking down from 260 and that they'd be there in 3 hours.)
"Oh crap" he says, and calls on the radio for the "supervisor".
Well, we went back and forth a while and eventually they let us take the vehicles up to the T/H. (he left me with this sage advise.. "as you're walking along on your hike later, some of our guys might pop out of the bushes..... do not be alarmed"... yeah, RIGHT)
Upon reaching the See T/H there was NOBODY THERE - it was erie.
Wait! - there were people there, actually, about 12 USFS personnel with BP vests, camo fatigues, faces painted and most notably, assault RIFLES.
CRAP!, I thought to myself, maybe they found Robert Fisher.
Anyway, after dropping the vehicles, we high-tailed it back up to T/H 260 and started the hike. I didn't want to alarm the folks on the hike so I kept the situation on the down-low. That is until we were about a mile out. I gathered the folks together and spilled the beans; most seemed OK with it, some not. We did, however, reach Christopher Creek W/O incident and stayed there a bit, as we figured if we popped up @ the See T/H, they'd make us leave ASAP, so we spent about an hour and a half playing in the creek. Eventually we went to the T/H and everything seemed calmer, but there was about a dozen USFS "swat-type" guys, with assault rifles still there. Well, come to find out they had been tipped about a pot growing operation way up and to the east of See Canyon, just below the Rim. They had been staking out the place for a month or more and had a transmitting GPS surrepticiously installed on a car used to take out the pot & bring in supplies. They went up-canyon @ 4:30 AM to approach/arrest the pot growers. Well, the four growers high-tailed it down canyon and a couple even made it past the USFS guys, but went to the store in C.C. and were apprehended while on the phone to Mexico. (I guess that's why they call it DOPE) Anyway, we talked up the USFS guys and they let us hang around & have a beer or two as we watched a helicopter make trips back-and-forth over our heads with cargo net after cargo net full of pot. We were told that there were in excess of THIRTY-THOUSAND pot plants. Subsequently, I've learned that the "estimated street value" is 200 MILLION! (I realize that that figure is generally inflated for sensationalism, but STILL!)

So, all-in-all, an exciting day @ Christopher Creek.

[galaxieargente]

What a crazy story, hah. That would have been an awesome hike. A great hike with the possibility of guys in camo jumping out a bushes sounds like a good time to me. I have to say that some of my current hiking buddies would have never even gotten out of the car though. If I waited to tell them something like that a mile in they would have probably lost it. These are the same people that freak out about ice though. Has anyone actually ever stumbled across anything while hiking? I used to hike in the mountains on North Carolina a lot and I've stumbled on more than one illegal thing. Mostly just pot and moonshine stuff...I never really felt afraid or anything. I sure didn't stop to camp their though.

[Desertroux]

I've found plants here and there while hiking, but never anything that would be considered a "crop". There was one rather large plant by the little lower beach in Wet Beaver Creek. Hundreds of people must have walked past it and not even noticed. Large scale for profit crops would definately have there danger attached to them. Although fear of such things is not going to sway me from hiking certain areas either.

[joebartels]

I think some see varieties that look similar. Leaves you wondering if anybody tries smoking it :rollH:

I thought to myself, maybe they found Robert Fisher

That's hilarious! - I figure it's also rough going into the Sierra's without second thought. Still can't believe he's on the FBI's top ten fugitive list with Bin Laden

[Sande J]

hikeaz, love your story and real time description, better than the news reports. Leave it to some hikers to tell all the good stuff that they just happened to see on their outing...thanks for sharing that!

[ajcanable]

There's a simple solution to the problem of evil pot growers running around with guns protecting their "crop".
Legalize it!
That would take the wind out of their sails!

[Trishness]

Legalize it!

What a concept that would be! I can see the labels now:

USDA certified 100% pure Acapulco Gold (not that I have ANY personal knowledge on this topic)



:mrgreen:

[Shi]

Gosh, I thought it was exciting a few weekends ago with Sande J's and my encounter with the Hells Angels at Mormon Village! I think I need to get out more! Either way, you do have to ask yourself, "what is wrong with this picture?" Mary :BH:

[joebartels]

Imagine the forest fire

[Hoffmaster]

In response to joe bartels' reply:

That is one of the funniest one-liners I've ever read on this site! Brilliant Joe!

[AZHikr4444]

Here, Here!! I second that!

As hikers, nature lovers, and conscientious environmentalists (or un-conscious enviros if you've hiked a little to close to that pot field) we should ALL be behind legislation to legalize the production of, at least, industrial hemp and the decriminaliztion of marijuana. Whats the worse that could happen, we run out of Twinkies and Frosted Flakes??

See here:

http://www.industrialhemp.net/

and here:

http://www.norml.com/ (why did I know that by heart?!?)

Gotta go to the store, buy a pack of joints.

[az420dude]

I think the worst thing that could happen is Cannabis Hemp become legal across the board. Overnight, prices for materials needed to homegrow herb would then sky rocket. Corporate America would be the only ones to benefit. (I did vote "yes" on prop 200 in '02 to decrimianlize Majijuana)

Doctors today should be allowed to prescribe medical marijuana to their patients and not have to worry about the feds going after them and losing their license.

The truth is the powers to be (primarily the Bush family) have large financial interest's in Pfizer and other drug companies. If cannabis hemp were to become legal - then there go the profits! Cannabis hemp is known to treat SAFELY glaucoma, tumors, arthritis, stress, migraines, and the list goes on and on. The drug companies know this. But yet Americans continue to die taking so called "safe" prescription drugs. And the funny thing is it was hemp that saved George Bush sr. life in WWII - his parachute was made of hemp!

"If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as trees for paper and construction were banned in order to save the planet, reverse the Greenhouse Effect and stop deforestation...Then there is only one known annually renewable natural resouce that is capable of providing the overall majority of the worlds paper and textiles; meet all of the worlds transportation, industrial and home energy needs, while simultaneously reducing pollution, rebuilding the soil, and cleaning the atmosphere all at the same time....that substance is Cannabis Hemp!" - from Jack Herer's book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" - a great read!

A great movie to rent and chill to -"Grass" by Ron Mann. A real eye opener!


-peace

[Abe]

Legalize it!

\:D/

[az420dude]

btw...Natures Path has a ~tasty~ cereal out w/ hemp seed called Hemp Plus. Its organic and full of Omega-3's and you can actually pronounce the ingredients!

Find it at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

[AZHikr4444]

Az420dude,

You are wealth of info! I'll try that cereal-sounds like a great alternative to the dozens of sugar laced cereals on the market now. I noticed some of the other cereals which are healthy taste amazingly like wet cardboard!

Cannabis Hemp seed is THE premier single best food source. It is the richest source of essential oil and contains ALL the amino acids and fatty acids. In addition to the numerous medical uses that AZ420dude mentioned, Cannabis Hemp seed has been used to treat HIV and cancer patients- the essential oils have a profound effect on strengthening the immune system and guarding against infection.

Glaucoma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, glandular atrophy, gall stones, kidney degeneration, acne, dry skin, menstrual problems, immune deficiency, the list goes on and on.

Our governments prohibition against what just may be the world's most important crop is insane. This country was FOUNDED on hemp production. In the colonies you had to grow it.

Climbing off my soapbox and eating my cereal!

Mike

[mcontreras]

I agree Legalize it. The government could only benefit from this, by taxing it. It would help so many people. I have heard of numerous people dying from taking one of the thousands of drugs out there, but never once have I ever heard of anyone dying from smoking a joint. It's crazy.

my 2 cents

[mttgilbert]

Let's all try not to forget, pot is a gateway drug, it inevitably leads to the use of harder drugs. Everyone who uses heroine or meth had at some point used marijuana. Come on folks it couldn't be more clear.




Sorry, couldn't keep a straight face on that one....


It's also true that 100% of heroine addicts had, at some point prior to their heroine use, consumed milk. By the same logic then, milk must lead to heroine addiction. We better get to criminalizing it, and fast.