More PWV Wilderness Patrols Needed. A message from PWV founder, Chuck Bell. As we were forming PWV in the winter of 1996, we had a healthy debate about what to call our new organization. We settled on including the word “Wilderness” because, while we expected to patrol some non-wilderness trails, it was the preservation of the four wilderness areas in our district that we felt was of paramount importance. In my mind, this is still the case today, because it is in wilderness -- not along the easy trails of the lower canyons or Red Feather Lakes -- where the majority of visitor damage to the resource is taking place. Yet, for the last several years, we have been grappling with the fact that a large majority of our patrols are in non-wilderness areas. So far this year PWV patrols in wilderness that have either taken place or are on the schedule, represent less than a third of our total effort. On weekend after weekend, we have had no one on the West Branch Trail, or the Browns Lake Trail, or the Rawah-North Trail, or the Blue Lake Trail, even though there are scores even hundreds of people hiking and riding these trails. And a few of these folks can be found camping next to lakes and streams, pitching their tents right next to the trail, building fire rings, and throwing unburnable trash into their fires. While few in number, these people damage the resource, and it is our responsibility to meet up with them and try to persuade them to follow Leave No Trace practices. This is the core mission of PWV. That is why, on page 12.2 of your field guide, “members are asked to patrol at least four high or medium priority trails each year.” The key wilderness trails in our district are all designated as High Priority. But what’s happening is that there are only 4 patrols on Browns Lake and 19 on West Branch, but 64 patrols on the low priority Lady Moon & Granite Ridge trails. I urge you all to take a good look at your schedules and see if you can get in at least one or one more --patrol in a wilderness area yet this year. I know they aren’t easy, but the personal rewards are great, knowing that you really are making a difference by “hiking or riding with a purpose.” And above all, you will get into some incredibly beautiful environments. Nancy and I just spent a week camped up in the Rawah Wilderness, above Rawah Lake #1. We worked hard, but we wouldn’t trade for anything the opportunity to hike among all those wildflowers, pristine streams, and towering mountains, and have a cow moose stroll nonchalantly through our camp as we sipped coffee early one morning.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 21:32:31 +0000
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