PATROL ONE 2004 OUTINGS

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   On Sunday May 2nd 2004, Fellow OHV users came together to volunteer some of their time to attend the 12th Annual 2004 Left Hand OHV Cleanup NW of Boulder, Colorado.  This area is notorious for shooters leaving whatever they brought to shoot up.  You drive by this 'dump' every time to head up to the Left Hand OHV area.  Local motorcycle and 4wheel groups get together once a year to clean up the canyon from trash left by lazy shooters.  The Left Hand area is adopted by the Trailridge Runners, so they coordinated the event once again for the 12th year!  Last year's 2003 Left Hand Cleanup was also a great success, if just for a day...  The HoboJeepers met on a cool morning at Denny's in Boulder at 7:45 am, then headed for Left Hand to met up with the 100 or so volunteers. 

    Given the unpredictable Spring Colorado weather we have this time of year, many were wondering what Sunday was going to bring.  The week before, the whole area was hit with a Spring storm, but the warm days after melted it all away as the area was dry for the cleanup.  Surprisingly this year, the usual computers and large items were there again in the separate 'legal' shooting area we cleaned.  Most of the cleanup was for smaller shell casings and the like.

    Over 100 volunteers and 80 vehicles from many OHV organizations throughout the Front Range were in attendance in cooperation with the Boulder Ranger District, Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest.  All were side-by-side with other 4wheeler for a good cause.

    A special 'Thanks' to the following 4 HOBOs of Patrol 1 for their attendance: Pete R (TJ), Paul "WeiszyGuy" Weisz (CJ7) & his son Brett "WeiszDude" Weisz, Scott "Mad Max" Maxwell (TJ) & his son Pete, & Prospective Hobo Jeff (TJ) & his girlfriend, & myself Bill "Hobo Willy" Hallinan (riding with Pete).  

    Bag after bag, and pail after pail of trash, was pitched or dumped into several trucks to be hauled down to the large dumpster on the highway at the beginning of the trail.  It didn't take long to fill this large dumpster up.  Like last year, the larger variety items were less, while the smaller stuff still seemed endless.  Maybe our efforts are paying off, we hope so.  The Arapaho National Forest Rangers were also in attendance.

    Here is a comment from 2001's cleanup on rules for picking up trash (Same every year!): 'Picking up the trash was a "no-brainer".  Just bend down in one place, scoop a big blob of trash into your bag, the do it in a 360-degree radius, then move 2 feet.  Everything conceivable you could think of that a shooter would want to shoot is there for the pickin's. I never knew you could shoot so many things.  I always thought that shooting bad apples or watermelons was a cool thing, but seems now everything has to be manmade.  Bag after bag of muck was shoveled in, then transferred to waiting stations to be trucked down to the "big dumpster" on the highway.  Spent shells scattered everywhere where even picked up.  The rule was "If it's not natural, it's trash".'

'Much Better!!'

    The around 100 volunteers worked until about 11:15am-ish in our area, and the canyon began to look more natural again.  Some of the volunteers began cooking hot dogs early in the 1st canyon, and lunch was served to everyone that helped.  I am not sure what the count is for the total number of volunteers that attended or which specific groups were there, I heard around 100 in 80 vehicles.  The Hobos made plans for a run up some local trails afterwards.

2004 Lefthand Cleanup--100 people + 3 hours time = a 90% trash-free canyon!

Please pack out your trash, anywhere, anytime!   

    As I said last year: "It's a shame the canyon will not stay this way. In less then a week, the trash will pile back up, shooters will be back to haul anything from action figures to home computers up in their vehicle, set it out, shoot it, and leave it.  They leave it, til the next time responsible caretakers of public land get tired of driving by and looking at it.  If you see trash on the trail, stop to pick it up."  

Carnage Gulch Anyone?!?!?!?!

    Question: What do you do when you are so close to a jeep trail with good friends and your jeep?  Go Jeepin of course!!  At approximately 11:45am, the HOBOs jumped in our jeeps, and headed towards the beginning of Carnage Canyon to air down and do the 'disco'.  We had our three jeeps of the 'WeiszGuy' (CJ7), 'JeepDog' (TJ), along with prospective Hobo Jeff (TJ).  Plans were to head up Carnage Gulch, but that changed when we hit the traffic jam, and the fact everyone had to turn around and come back down.

    As we started up the trail some locked in 4wheel drive, numerous small to huge rocks (on the trail) afford challenges.  Up the canyon a few hundred yards, we ran into traffic.  We decided it would be best to find a less crowded trail like Gillespie Gulch, so we headed back down to the highway.

Ok, so Gillespie Gulch Anyone?!?!?!?!

    After going slow thru Jamestown, we found the trailhead to Gillespie Gulch (FS Road 331).  Most of the trip up Gillespie Gulch seemed pretty easy, though the trail gains a lot of elevation, it's a constant climb.  

    There was surprisingly little to no snow on Gillespie in May 2004.  In 2001, there was drifts in feet in May.  Some pockets of snow had thick ice that had built up over the winter from a nearby mine shaft.  Pete tried to climb the ice ledge but got sideways into an old wood pile with numerous nails.  Out came the winch to save the day.  We tried to get out FS road 509 via Gold Camp.  But, there was a gate closed by Boulder County preventing a loop.  The gate should really be at where 102J meets the ridgeline road of FS road 509.  Thus enabling you to come up Gillespie and out Gold Camp/Ward.

Ok, then it's Nugget Hill home...

    We backtracked and went down the south end of FS road 509, which follows down Nugget Hill.  Thus, this section with the dangerous obstacle is called Nugget Hill Trail that leads back down to Left Hand Canyon highway.  It had been years since I saw the Nugget Hill  obstacle, and it hasn't changed.  A protruding slick granite rock with many off-camber sets is not to challenging.  The danger comes with the off camber dips that could send you down a tree-less hill some 400+ feet.  Some have said it's very similar to 'Jaws 2' at Blanca Peak.

    Since I wasn't driving this trip, Jeff, Paul and Pete made the decision to head down FS road 509 instead of backtracking down Gillespie.  With the right line, some great driving, and a spotter, they all made it thru safely.

    We headed back down to pavement and aired back up.  What a great day!  We headed back to Denver together all smiles again.  A great morning to give a little back, and a fun afternoon to play!  Just we 4wheelers need to do.  Land use issues are not going away, they will only get tighter and tougher.  We need to stand together and support our hobby.  Get involved---it feels good!!

Here are some other Left Hand Canyon Area Trip Reports:

2003 Left Hand Clean up/ Castle Gulch Trail- Hobo Trip

2003 Left Hand Clean up-Trail Ridge Runner 4x4 Club

2002 Left Hand Clean up/ Castle Gulch Trail- Hobo Trip

2002 Left Hand Clean up-Trail Ridge Runner 4x4 Club

2001 Left Hand Clean up/ Gillespie Gulch Trail- Hobo Trip

2000 Left Hand Clean up-Trail Ridge Runner 4x4 Club

2000 Left Hand Clean up/ Castle Gulch Trail- Hobo Trip

Castle Gulch 01'- Hobo Trip

Left Hand Canyon- Hobo Trip in Jan 2000: Slide Show

Gillespie/ Left Hand- Hobo Trip in March 2000

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