Attention Skyliners

[DancesWithTheMountains]

Hi Everybody,
Last weekend when I was on skyline I noticed that someone took
my 4300ft stone marker and pulled it all apart. That marker has been there for 10 years. How sad that some idiot had to take it apart. It has been a focal point for so many hikers over the years as to where they are on the trail. I know it wasn't any of the regulars because most of you don't even go that way anymore. I am wondering if its the same hiker that has been blocking the real part of the trail with stones and branches and forcing hikers to go up a short cut instead of the real trail. Who ever you are, you don't know the trail. The area I am talking about is around 3800ft and its after you pass the first ribbon wood tree and then get to the ridge. There is an area that you can go right, towards the boulders, which is NOT the real trail and then you can bear left, which IS the real trail. Once you get to that area you will see what looks like a tombstone. That's the real way. I have no problem with people doing the short cut, but, don't block off what is the real trail. I will continue to remove these branches. Also, if you are getting on the trail really early in the morning, please remember to keep your voices down till you get up to the picnic benches. The noise from the parking lot up to benches is so loud that its only a matter of time before the houses and the hotels on the side of the trail, start to complain to the city. Lets not become another Bump and Grind. Don't mean to tick anyone off, but, I have a special place in my heart for this trail and I feel like its my baby!!!(lol)
Doreen

[drndr]

I wondered where the marker went. And I could tell there are small parts of the original trail that aren't used at all now.

[lesper4]

Yeah I think I saw the marker on the 27th but I wasnt sure. There are deffinitly way too many short cuts especially in that area and towards the top and deffinitly at the bottom.

[lightgy]

I went up about a week ago. The 4300 marker is generally where I have a small break. I nearly passed the area because the rocks had been "scrambled". Thanks for your devotion to the trail. I'm one of the lurkers who enjoys the results of yours and others work on the trail. Thanks!

[Ellen]

Howdy Doreen

I am so sorry someone ruined your 4300 marker I've loved seeing rocks marking the elevation at 4 K, 4.3 K and 5 K.

Thank you for everything you do to maintain the trail.

Also, I appreciate the reminder to be quiet in the museum parking lot. I'm afraid I've been guilty of contributing to the noise at the wee hours of the morning

Miles of smiles and hugs,
Ellen

[cynthia23]

I'm sorry to hear about the scrambling of the 4300 marker, Doreen. It's always been helpful. I'm not surprised by the attempt to the block the real trail, I have noticed that a couple of times. The erosion-promoting shortcuts are bad enough,but the attempt to impose them on the rest of us are really irritating. I have fixed the ones I found.

And while we're venting ...... Steve Fausset crashed with me last night after doing C2C on Saturday, and brought back half a dozen pieces of paper printed with cutesy names for various Skyline landmarks (i.e. "the magic garden", blah blah blah), which someone had oh-so-cleverly stuck on various plants along the way.

Excuse me, person-who-did-this, but ARE YOU MENTALLY ILL? Because in my book, that's the only way you get a pass on this. Anyone else, you are a JERK and a LITTERER. This is the wilderness, not your backyard garden party! Like the discarded plastic water bottles, toilet paper, and gu-tabs strewn along the way aren't bad enough? As if the multiple, pointless shortcuts brutally savaging the vegetation aren't destructive enough? No, you needed to deliberately, on purpose, add EXTRA garbage and f- up the trail even more!

MORON. Go back to mall-walking, where you'll be surrounded by others of your blank kind. And if I've offended you, I really don't give a twit. In fact, when I find out who you are (and I'm looking), I'm going to ....

No, I think I'll leave it a surprise! Until then, live in well-deserved quaking fear, you stupid idiot!

[eric1234]

I was up there Saturday and saw the same thing. Mike and I were ahead of the crowd and might have been the first people up that day. There were those annoying little signs every half mile above 3,000ft stuck in branches and placed on rocks. I assumed that they were for the big group of 100 people that were below us. I made a mental note to take them down on the descent. When I headed down, they were already gone.

Also, someone been pigging out on halloween candy all the way up Skyline. Every 20 minutes or so I would pick up a hersheys wrapper that was dropped on the trail. There may have been many more I didnt see as the brown color of the wrapper blends into the trail. Also, at ~5,000 ft on one of those hills, someone purposely left a gatorade bottle, placing it strategically on a cactus as if it were a piece of art. If they wanted art, they shouldve stayed down at the museum, not Skyline.

While I was heading up the trail, I noticed the water bottle in the bucket cache was there (~6:30am), but it was gone when I descended (~4:30pm). There were two water bottles placed a half mile before Coffmans Crag. I didnt remove them because they were still mostly filled with water and might have been a cache for someone. They were still there when I descended. If anyone goes up there after today and still sees them there, they should probably be removed or taken down to the bucket cache.

Luckily, the 4,300ft sign survived the hoard of people. It was still there in perfect condition on the descent.

[drndr]

I also saw the signs on friday and wondered if they would blow away if the wind kicked up. They looked fairly secured and just figured it was a fun, one time gimmick for the big group the next day. I would have bet if someone liked the trail enough to have names for various points they would have also had a plan to pick up the signs eventually.

[DancesWithTheMountains]

WOW!! I'm impressed with all the responses I got on this subject of the
trail and my 4300 ft stone marker. Well, I too was on skyline on Sat.and
I saw the litter of the bottles and it made me so mad. I did however,
replace my stone markers at 4300ft so hopefully these idiot hikers will
leave it alone. Its nice to know that I am not the only one upset by
all the damage done to this trail. I think we are "loving" it too much(lol)
By the way, did anyone see Fernando hiking with no shoes on??(lol) I don't
know how he made out at the end of Skyline. I hope he was alright.
Did I miss you Ellen??? I heard that Steve and Patti were on the trail as
well. Sorry I missed you all. It was a great day on skyline and I was glad
I missed that big group of hikers. As to the suggestion of names along the
trail, I have always called the ridge above 4300, "The Enchanted Garden".
That small little ridge is so unique and beautiful with its yucca and agave
plants. Its enchanting for sure and no one has ruined it!!!
Love you all
Doreen

[bluerail]

Sorry to miss you dear, Ania and I were trying to catch Patti...heard you were there and kept an eye out for you.

Yea I pulled remaining tape etc. Off rocks .....freaks, that's hideous.