Chat
04-11-2019, 11:00 AM
We arrived at Davy Crockett National Forest on Thursday morning, April 4th. It was drizzling when we stopped at the Ranger Station to check in and make sure we were still "good to go" with our packgoat event. It turned out they were intrigued and rather excited about it, but not excited about our planned location given the weather forecast. We were supposed to be stationed in the primitive Piney Creek horse camp, but with no facilities other than a vault toilet, they thought we might be rather miserable out there. So they pulled some strings and allowed us a variation so we could camp in the very nice Ratcliff Lake Campground where we had use of a covered pavilion and bathrooms with running water and hot showers!
Nevertheless, Phil and I decided to explore the horse camp before setting up in the lakeside one. It was a very nice area, but we could see how it would be quite miserable in a prolonged rainstorm. The ground was very soft, so we might have had trouble with trucks and trailers getting stuck in the mud. No one wants to winch their way out of a camping spot!
Phil and I quickly realized that the horse camp seems to be frequented by less-than-respectable citizens who have no concept of pack it in/pack it out. We could not hope to make a dent in the big piles of trash left near the pond and the trailheads, but we saddled up Finn and Sputnik and cleaned up both sides of the roadway leading into the camp. Had we stayed in this camp for the weekend, I know what our work project would have been!
By the end we had filled both goats' panniers to the top with empty beer bottles, cans, and plastic cups. Interestingly, Bud Light and water appear to be the litterbug's most-preferred beverages in both Texas and Colorado.
After the garbage run, Phil and I took a 3-mile hike on one of the trails that started from the camp. It was very muddy so not really the best hike I've ever taken, but I found a cool little archway!
Nevertheless, Phil and I decided to explore the horse camp before setting up in the lakeside one. It was a very nice area, but we could see how it would be quite miserable in a prolonged rainstorm. The ground was very soft, so we might have had trouble with trucks and trailers getting stuck in the mud. No one wants to winch their way out of a camping spot!
Phil and I quickly realized that the horse camp seems to be frequented by less-than-respectable citizens who have no concept of pack it in/pack it out. We could not hope to make a dent in the big piles of trash left near the pond and the trailheads, but we saddled up Finn and Sputnik and cleaned up both sides of the roadway leading into the camp. Had we stayed in this camp for the weekend, I know what our work project would have been!
By the end we had filled both goats' panniers to the top with empty beer bottles, cans, and plastic cups. Interestingly, Bud Light and water appear to be the litterbug's most-preferred beverages in both Texas and Colorado.
After the garbage run, Phil and I took a 3-mile hike on one of the trails that started from the camp. It was very muddy so not really the best hike I've ever taken, but I found a cool little archway!