HikeArizona.COM

Check out The Chiricahua Corridor in this week's Tucson Weekly (available online). Not all that long ago Nick and I were down in the border ranges and saw a lot of this degradation first-hand.

On the other hand, sine they now seem to be passing over 9,000'+ peaks, we might have some new HAZ members on their way into the US!

I've read a number of similar stories in recent months. One of Mrs. big_load's friends was a lifelong resident of that area before getting fed up and moving to eastern PA.

Hmm, quite the interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

The "buttslide" method of short-cutting a switchback was a new one by me

Haha, yeah, I noticed that. I chuckled at the mental image.

We are over in Iraq/Afganistan fighting terror and at the same time the same Federal Government has closed most of Organ Pipe NM because we can't secure, or even somewhat control the border crossers in our federal land. Then, when the Minutemen attempt to do the job that the government is botching, they use their (according to them) 'scarce resources' to battle the Minutemen, not the illegals.
My first-hand experience was a few months ago on the AzT just north of the Huachuca section, through Canelo East & West. We had set up a fire ring in the wash about 200 yards from where we were sleeping - my hiking partner left his 'kit' there .. stove, pan, hat, hanging food bag, etc.. Sometime in the night illegals stole his gear & food. Fortunately I had taken mine up the hill & to my sleeping area. For this exact reason I had brushed clear the dirt on the trail near where we had our sleeping area and saw, in the morning, no less than 20 sets of footprints headed north - that is in ONE NIGHT on one trail. The trash along the trail(s) is abominable. The photos in the article show nothing of what it's REALLY like out there.
Helicopters, balloons & electronic surveillance equipment ain't working. These folks travel at night, hiding in washes and tree cover in the daylight hours. We need trackers out there, maybe with hounds, - men on the ground, not in the air or putting around on quads or in trucks. Since 2001, 5700 Border Agents have been added - the 2008 budget calls for the addition of 3000 more, bringing the total to 18 THOUSAND! If we didn't buy one new $90K truck or $10K Quad for each 4 agents and instead put these guys on the GROUND we'd make headway, and have more funds for AGENTS. That, and practicing border control with a little more 'teeth' than the catch-and-release system that is in place currently. The old saying goes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'... Well... this is BROKE, we need to fix it by doing something different than what we've been doing!

Well said Kurt!

I still can't believe the thing about how the Douglas sector commander was reluctant to send agents out there because there was "...Someone with an AK-47 running around." Earth to genius...it's called law enforcement;that's what you guys are paid for!! What are your agents packing, water pistols?!! If they are unwilling or unable to confront that level of hazard maybe we do need to let our military handle it?

Jeff MacE wrote:I still can't believe the thing about how the Douglas sector commander was reluctant to send agents out there because there was "...Someone with an AK-47 running around." Earth to genius...it's called law enforcement;that's what you guys are paid for!! What are your agents packing, water pistols?!! If they are unwilling or unable to confront that level of hazard maybe we do need to let our military handle it?

I would suggest that you have never been on the wrong end of an AK47. If you had, you would know that the Border Patrol is sadly outgunned.

troehr wrote:

Jeff MacE wrote:I still can't believe the thing about how the Douglas sector commander was reluctant to send agents out there because there was "...Someone with an AK-47 running around." Earth to genius...it's called law enforcement;that's what you guys are paid for!! What are your agents packing, water pistols?!! If they are unwilling or unable to confront that level of hazard maybe we do need to let our military handle it?

I would suggest that you have never been on the wrong end of an AK47.

Be careful, friend; you have absolutely no idea who you're talking to.