Adventure Pass

[Nolena]

And where DOES that Adventure Pass money go?

[TableMtn]

Adventure Pass monies were used in the refurbishing of Appletree and Peavine campgrounds, the total overhaul of the "comfort station" across from the Big Pines building (by mountain high west--it was supposed to be completed this fall but the Forest Service and the contractor are in a disagreement on how to deal with the lead paint issue on the exterior of the building), to purchase new picnic tables at the non-concessioned campgrounds, to pay salary for people who are staffing the Big Pines information station and patrolling in the area (and if you think there is no representation, without the Adventure pass, in FY 04 the Forest Service budget is so bad, folks would be laid off and most of the camgrounds besides Table Mountain, Mountain Oak, and Lake would be closed).  Adventure pass monies are being planned to join in with a previous grant to pave a parking lot at the Big Pines building, also to construct the handicapp access ramp (the Forest Service is waiting for review of the plans by the State Historic Preservation Office), and to reconstruct the Jackson Lake rock house that was the west entrance of the old Big Pines.  Adventure pass monies were used to purchase  a sand blaster to blast off graffitti from rocks and buildings, it is also used to pay the bill at the dump for a lot of the trash picked up in the area and to pay for pumping all of the vault toilets at all of the developed sites around the area.  Thats what I know it is being used for but I think there are some other things that it is used for too.

[Nolena]

That's informative!  
Do you have any more information about that Jackson Lake rock house? I've never heard of it.

[Breezymtns]

The building you are referring to is located just below Mtn. Oak Campground on Big Pines Hwy (corner of Ball Flat Rd. & Big Pines Hwy. to be exact)

[Wrightwood]

I hope more details about this structure are covered in the Wrightwood Historical Society Roots Newsletters that we will be offering soon.

We are in the process of building a permanent web page for the Wrightwood Historical Society that will offer over 50 of their newsletters published since the early 1990's by George Tillitson.

George (Forum member tiltronix) has spent endless hours preparing the detailed newsletters in PDF format and will offer a wealth of Wrightwood history to our visitors.

[Snowbird]

We are in the process of building a permanent web page for the Wrightwood Historical Society that will offer over 50 of their newsletters published since the early 1990's by George Tillitson.

George (Forum member tiltronix) has spent endless hours preparing the detailed newsletters in PDF format and will offer a wealth of Wrightwood history to our visitors.

I am so much looking forward to that! I know how much effort and work you put in all your work concerning family history for example,  tiltronix (how strange to call you that in the forum).  
Can't wait!

[TableMtn]

It is my understanding that the Jackson Lake house was the west entrance for the old LA county Big Pines winter park.  When last used by the Forest Service, it was a residence for employees.  It is not up to county code, etc so before it can be used again, it has some major renovation work to be done.  That all has to be coordinated with the Archeology folks, the Forest Service engineers, and the State Historical Preservation Office.  All of that is like herding cats, so it may be a year or two before the work actually is completed.  But I heard that the long term plan was to set it up to be rented out by the public (don't hold your breath, federal bureacracies move S-L-O-W).  Like for a week or weekends, etc.  Under the Adventure Pass legislation, there is something called "High Cost Recovery Sites" where the forest service can run the area and collect fees but 80% of the monies collected remain on site.  

If you ever get a chance to see Barbara Van Houten's (I'm probably butchering her name!) presentation on the old Big Pines park, it is VERY interesting.  I saw it at the sept (?) historical society meeting.  

It will be KEWL to have a webpage for the Historical Society!

[WWHillbilly]

At first , I, like most other residents of Wrightwood, was upset at what seemed like double taxation when buying an Adventure Pass. Our already exorbitant tax rate, I felt should have paid my way in to a National forest area. After hearing from TableMt. I tend now not to mind so much. An exact accounting of  how our pass fees are spent would make us all feel better. I would not like to  think that most of the money stayed in Washington for our fat cat politician friends (Republican AND Democrat alike) to SQUANDER. Another benefit of the  Adventure Pass is that it keeps some of the riff raff out of our area.                                            (God love and keep our service men and women!!)

[ezzpete]

[TableMtn]

Yea, but a lot of bad guys don't like to be in an area where they might get a "ticket."  It's the toothpaste tube theory--squeeze in one spot and it goes someplace else  

[Ensen]

I'd like to see it enforced more.  When it snows, you can drive down Hwy 2 and maybe 1 out of 10 cars has the pass up.

[Wrightwood]

I've heard that enforcement this year has been increased near the Big Pines area.

[Breezymtns]

You are correct Wrightwood... Adventure Pass compliance enforcement was up 91% for 2003.  Hopefully that figure will double in 2004

[Moose]

[ezzpete]

here's what the parking lot a Vincent Gap looks like. guess the forest service can't find any volunteers to pick weeds. god forbid the rangers do it, that would take time from writing tickets for no adventure pass.

[K9luvr]

I'd like to see it enforced more.  When it snows, you can drive down Hwy 2 and maybe 1 out of 10 cars has the pass up.

god forbid the rangers do it, that would take time from writing tickets for no adventure pass.

Gee, don't YOU want to work for the Forest Service?  You can't win for losing!  First they get dinged for NOT writing tickets.  Then they get dinged for spending time writing tickets. 

Do you realize there are THREE permanent full time "Recreation Technicians" for a district that is over 350,000 acres?  One of those positions is currently vacant.  There are two student helpers that have been hired to take up some of the slack.  DO THE MATH!  How would you like to have a 100,000 acre unit to patrol, keep all the restrooms clean, write citation, take complaints, be expected to "fix" everything, yada, yada yada....  On a district that is a 90 minute drive from 15 million people.  0.1% of that is still 15,000 people.  These people are out there busting their butts and no matter what they do, someone is wanking about what they are doing or not doing.  OH, and don't forget--there is no law enforcement backup so if someone gets violent--your basically on your own kiddo!

Recreation budgets keep getting cut.  So don't expect to have more people hired to help out. 

And another hot button of mine (uh oh, on a roll....).  THIS AIN'T DISNEYLAND.  This is supposed to be wildland, openspace.  It isn't going to be groomed and perfect.  Don't expect to be entertained.  It is supposed to be wild and messy.  That is the way nature is.   

[K9luvr]

I've thought some more about this.  Now, lets take a look at what the workers on the district have been dealing with in the past couple of weeks.  Lets see:

skinheads trying to take over south fork campground--including an attempted rape

MS-13 Gang bangers (the really baaad guys) drinking up a storm in Sycamore Camground to the point where one guy has done nothing but drink tequila for 18 hours.  Grand Mal seizures from dehydration and alchohol poisoning.

Drag races after hours in the Littlerock Dam rec area parking lot.  Not to mention parking 4 deep and massive drinking occuring in the rec area during open hours.  To the point where CHP camps out and watches people getting in their cars--those that are weaving while walking get immediately pulled over once they drive out of the gate.  Oh, and don't forget the woman who managed to drive just past the exit gate only to pull over and pass out. 

Big Rock creek at about 10X the carrying capacity.  Illegal BBQ's, campfires, and fireworks (that is all over the forest....)

After hours parties, especially in Rowher Flat OHV area.  Kids get mad for getting busted so they pull in a car and torch it, throw molotov cocktails at the outhouses trying to get them to burn.

Working with a Boy Scout on an Eagle Scout project to pick up about 150 tires and mounds of other trash that have been dumped in an intermittant stream poisoning the water supply. 

This is on top of the usual picking up massive amounts of trash from the forest users (oh, and the trash truck is broken AGAIN so pickup will be very late), cleaning up graffitti, cleaning out the outhouses, especially when demented people decide to smear their feces all over the walls (happens a lot more than what you would think....), etc. etc. etc.

And you are upset that the weeds haven't been whacked at Vincent Gap parking lot?  Well, I guess the folks that work on the district have been a little busy.

[Chesslike]

You need to quit beating around the bush and tell us how you really feel K9.  I am just amazed that people aren't clamoring for those forest jobs...........holy cow!

[RobertW]

[ezzpete]