HikeArizona.COM

Hi All-

I was just out on a four-day backpack in the Supes that got abruptly cut at night 3.

When I returned to my basecamp at Second Water, someone had removed my hanging bag. I lost a brand-new ultralight compression sack, a Solo Stove, a Snow Peak pot, food, medication and then some. For me, that's a lot of money. And, there's some sentimental value there, too.

Strangely, they opened the bag and chucked one small pill bottle into the grass. Everything else, including the string, was gone.

If, by accident, you removed my bag--or know who did--please contact me for the return.

I should also mention that while walking in Boulder Canyon I came across three abandoned tents. There was food in them and even some durable items. A little further up the canyon I also saw a water stash with a metal pole sticking up. Is there migrant/drug traffic in the Supes?

SJFL wrote:Is there migrant/drug traffic in the Supes?

Around Tucson when I come across migrant & smuggling sites the tip off is carpet squares and lots of empty food containers along with piles of clothing.

@SpiderLegs
Yeah. Seen a lot of that near Tucson and on the border.

I spoke to a ranger who mentioned that with the crackdown on people squatting in cities and on public lands, some folks are moving deeper into the wilderness... would be interested in knowing more about that observation.

@SJFL
When I was a kid AJ and the surrounding area was ground zero for squatting. Think Quartzite today. It is sad what happened with your belongings, the outdoors should be filled with good people.

That sucks. Why I favor stealth camping and go out of my way to avoid any use site and to be out of site of any trails ( animal or human--don't want booboo to have to step over me in the middle of the night). If I am really concerned I will brush my tracks to my campsite. If I am using a bivy really easy to find a small tucked away site.

@RedRoxx44

I hear you. It's hard to stealth it in the low desert. I would have just done a throw-down (no tent=more inconspicuous) but again, the mice.

The upside of the story though is that they didn't go for my tent/bag/pad, which they had to pass off-trail on their way to take the food bag.

The only encounter with critters I have had in my stuff is a mouse ate a hole in my tent in the Gila, it was in a use site and I did that because it was raining like hell and there was nothing coming up that I knew of.
I had a ringtail in the trash inside my soft top Jeep in Canyonlands years ago ( of course the back plastic screen was open.)
Other than that I have never had a problem with food leaving it in tent or bivy now in supposedly scent proof zip locks that again I will double to make sure. But most of my backpacking has been in areas that are not frequented by many people.

That sucks and taking some medication while tossing one bottle is pretty weird. I’d be interested in knowing if there was something different about that med vs the others and maybe they thought they were “being nice” by doing that? “Good” they only took that as we all know the other equipment is the more expensive stuff although I’m sure they just wouldn’t want to carry the weight/take the risk of the time to pack it up when the owner might still be by.

There’s not really a vagrant problem I’ve ever seen in the supes which makes sense, because it’s not close (on foot) for food resupply/etc that everyone needs. Much easier to do it in the city. Similarly for trafficking drugs it just doesn’t make a lot of sense like you see on the border. If those tents were truly abandoned and not just left while people were dayhiking, it’s the holidays fault. I usually go to the supes the first week after thanksgiving and the new year and find crap like that all the time. The wilderness gets mobbed up by people who aren't really backpackers and leave tents and bags behind to lighten their heavy backs on the way back. It’s really the only time of year I see that out there outside of random stuff here and there.