Trash in the Desert

The kids had the day off from School in So Cal today so I took both
(5/10 years old)of then out to Barstow this afternoon. The Wife and I just let them ride while we had a few cold ones and ate the leftovers from the Supper bowl. We had a great time as usual BUT there is always a BUT, the trash is out of control, not just the "normal" sloppy campers, motorcyclist and target shooters but illegal dumping of residential trash concrete and tree trimmings it is a wander they are not closing down more areas. I have used our public lands for more than 20 years now including all of the desert from Cajon Pass to Nevada border and the way I see it, is the OHV areas condense more people in one area and a lot of trash is left behind by uncaring individuals. I am not sure what to do about this issue, all I know is it makes me mad when I cannot ride an area I used too but I some ways I understand closing it because the trash left behind is a huge PITA to clean up time after time.

Dan L

I also blame our local gov,,,,why because it costs so dang much to dump stuff properly that all the diy guys see fit to just slide it off the back of the truck. Doesnt make it right just sayin they (we?) make it costly to dump stuff.

This does not refer to the beer can throwing idiots (ref above)

Hey Dan
I remember last year I think, reading a very nice thread over at ThumperTalk about the same issue
The guy went with the family to the dessert to ride and trash is getting to be a problem…

Anyway the nice part about that thread was what the guy does with his kids;
He makes it to be sort of a game for the kids to take a trash bag and see who brings more trash back…
So the kids are happy for the prizes in the short run and in the long run they are gaining a valuable lesson about right and wrong, where do they fit in with nature, how to coexist with your surroundings and so on and so on

I thought it was genius of him and a sure way to produce better human beings into this world

Sadly there’s no way for us (legally) to fix other parents/people misguided view of “I can throw this trash here cause I’m not gona see it after I leave…”

We can only try to better ourselves and our kids

Great to here other people are also taking note of this issue. The issue that I am making note of is house hold construction trash, for example a pick up bed load of concrete,same size load of mulberry branches/tree trimmings/tree stumps and some dead sod mixed with rocks from a failed lawn. Some of this trash is coming from contractors licensed or not (most likely not) regardless, cutting corners to save a buck because they have all cut each others price do the job for free or less and have no money to pay the dump fees. Of course you also have Urban sprawl getting ever closer to the areas that were once pristine wide open desert and now is well traveled by locals that pull off the road and dump there trash on the way home. Lets face it I'm sure it's not the visitor from out of state hauling his or her broken up drive way out to Dale Evans Parkway just to say "I dumped my trash on Dale Evans" It is some of our fine neighbors that don't care what this state looks like. I cant speak for all US states but southern California has some real trash issues literally.

Dan L

You should see the trash left by illegals down near the AZ/Mexico border. Enough back packs laying around to fill a few dumpsters plus all the waterbottles etc... Its a real mess.

perhaps some reading between the lines

Every summer I go to ride in Idaho and in the Nez Perce Indian Reservation there are dumpsters occasionally, on the side of the road, located near areas where people live.
Except for the occasional beer can, there is very little trash.

We also travel to ride/fish/hunt in the 11 western states mostly Utah,Arizona and New Mexico, across the board the people in the states surrounding Southern California are much cleaner. Utah has roll off trash cans and turnouts to help people do the right thing. I am sure that our budget deficit is going to have a huge impact on what gets attention in this State.
Dan L

The thing that gets me is people blame the OHV community for all the trash left in the woods. They must think we load up our trucks with bikes/atvs and construction debris. Over the summer riding in the woods of south Jersey I came around a blind turn and almost ran into a huge pile of roof shingles complete with nails. Another time I almost hit a boat in the middle of the trail even though I was 20+ miles from any water.