Sugarland Mountain down Husky Gap:

8/18/13

Lest you think we have abandoned the Smokies rest assured I am not run out of there that easily. We have hiked Jakes Creek and done the Chimneys since I have returned.  Just no overnighters.   We enjoyed a wonderful gathering at the Bostick residence last evening, by the way.  He entertained and fed us and the SFW house band provided entertainment.  AJ came up from Georgia.  Gregg spent the day smoking pork and I made a porker of myself.   Good times.

Anyway, we hatched a plan to dayhike something.  We settled upon Sugarland Mountain and shuttled back from Husky Gap.  It was a great walk.

(this is where my photos should be but I lost a lot of things in Pakistan, the camera was just a small item)

Popped in the backcountry office first.  Was told that since the fee they have hauled out over 500 lbs of trash from the backcountry.  Staff was breaking their arms to pat themselves on the back.  Then the volunteer coordinator came in and said, "Hi John".  Hauling out trash seems to be the new mantra. We started doing the math with the alleged two new bc people and two bc rangers that comes to about 1lb of trash per government employee per day.  Wow.

I told the guy that was bragging about the trash haul out that we offered to do that, along with several other things, for free, for Ditmanson.  But he was too busy to respond to our offers.  I was reminded of how Walter offered to build and maintain a reservation system and Ditz was too busy to respond to that as well.  In addition, Ditz told us he would respond to our mtg suggestions at Sugarlands last summer, that didn't happen and now they are asking for their third extension of time to get their ducks in a row for the lawsuit. They have to respond to that one.

Hiked up from Fighting Creek Gap and dropped back down Husky Gap to the road.  Encountered a couple with their dog in a creek coming out Husky.  AJ reminded them that there are bc rangers lurking about.  They acted like they didn't know about the dog thing.  Fifteen minutes later, a uniformed bc ranger came climbing up Husky Gap, he was one of the two law enforcement rangers packing heat.  He asked if we saw a dog on the trail.  I didn't give him an answer but asked him several questions.  He said that someone told him about it.  His shirt was still freshly starched which tells me that he sure as heck hasn't been living out on the trail like Ditmanson and  junior, Fitz told us the new backcountry rangers would be for days at a time at the Sugarlands meeting.  He also wasn't carrying out any trash but there wasn't any to be carried in the first place. I'm sure he was disappointed to not meet his daily quota.

 But this fee isn't paying for backcountry rangers anyway because they don't have permission from DC to do that so what does it matter.  Just more tax money spent so dudes can sit on their rear ends and drive brand new 4wd's at our expense.  I guess they really need that fee money.  They could just put a police station right where Sugarland Mtn and Husky meet back in there.  They could have a jail just like Yosemite does.  The more I hear and see, the less I want to be there.

 more lies from the Liars brigade.   We should FOIA the logbooks of the two bc rangers to see how much time they are spending sleeping in the backcountry.

                        It was a nice day to be out hiking, though. 

Still working on the ebook of Broad Peak Trip.  Have a title and most chapters finished.