[Larry]

Heard on the news this morning that major trailheads, such as Tiger Mountain, Cougar Mountain, Cle Elum area, Darrington area, are getting some major breakins. They showed only the major ones as being hit. I have had my eye on a 2003 Honda CRV, and this was to be my trail car. But...I'm keeping the Old Beater Datsun longer, since it still runs good and gets 30mpg. Too bad that things like this have to influence a purchase, but I can't see having two vehicles. So...the rust bucket will still be my wheels.

[El Puma]

I watched that as well. Normally I park the Subaru with nothing in it, empty glove compartment open. Sometimes you can't help but leave a jacket or small bag in it, lest you want to schlepp everything up the hill. Perhaps I'll start doing as they do in Detroit: Leave your car unlocked, that way you won't have to replace the windows. And who's interested in a Fuji Heavy Industries Dashboard Radio anyway? I do love all the signs at the parking areas stating "This area under constant video surveillance"...

[Larry]

Right on, Puma. Also, don't forget to take the registration and any other identifying stuff out of the vehicle. Depending on where I am, I'll sometimes bag up my valuables and stash them a pretty good distance up the trail, and way off the trail, rather than carry the weight. I use a plastic bag, and put that into a metal animal-proof canister, and bury the whole thing. Nice to leave an empty car. Also, good idea Puma on leaving the glove compartment open.

[Gordy Comer]

My old truck only has a radio, who would want that? When I had a tapedeck, I pulled tape out of an unwanted casette, and stuffed that into the deck, giving the illusion that it was broken. Don't leave the car too empty, make it look pathetic. Scatter old newspaper, dump some garbage in the back. Make it look like my ride. Good luck.

[Larry]

[reststep]

One of the strangest cars I have ever seen was at the Heart of Hills Lake Angeles trailhead outside of Port Angeles. It had printed circuit boards and other various electronic components glued all over on the outside of it. I doubt if the owners had any trouble with breakins.

[Backpacker Joe]

How about a sign that read, "This car protected by plastic explosives!" That should keep them away! Or kill them. Either one works for me. TB

[MooseAndSquirrel]

There was another thread here about break-ins a while ago. I read recently that many trailhead break-ins are done not by local youths or other bad guys but by individuals or teams from organized crime gangs that hit all over the country. Evidently a lot are of foreign origin, i.e., Russian & eastern European crooks. They operate with the same m.o., flying into a region, hitting popular trailheads, and especially stealing credit cards from wallets & purses and leaving them where they found them, so the victim hopefully won't be aware of the loss for a while. Meanwhile they use the card as soon as possible. They've found an almost fool-proof way to steal without much threat of being caught. Anyone who leaves anything of value at a trailhead is just asking for it.

[Backpacker Joe]

How about a release of serin gas once the interior has been breeched? I know, once the interior has been breeched, bouncing betty's go off all around the car! Now that would leave a mark!

[Bushwacker]

Sounds pretty severe. Maybe just a toe-popper or two! Seriously though, it's the same deal every year. The most popular trails get hit. ie...Lake Twenty-two, Pilchuck, Dickerman, Foss Lakes. The cruds blend in with the crowds. I drive a nice rig and I've been lucky so far. I guess the odds increase against me everytime I don't get hit. The whole situation stinks. BW

[Backpacker Joe]

I remember years back, there was a PAID old guy who camped out at Foss and just hung out watching the trail head! I'd prefer a well armed guy in the woods waiting with a satellite phone. Then call the cops and make sure the bastards don't leave before the cops get there. If they try and leave, prevent them. TB

[mb]

So are you suggesting a posse? Hang out 20 feet up in the trees of a popular trailhead, monitor the cars (maybe add some motion sensors), and swing out (or shoot but only if you always hit your target) when they act? Of course, if they're organized crime, they might have backup.

[MtnGoat]

I think the posse isn't a bad idea, but you'd want to stay out of any direct confrontation. Here's my idea. You find a good hiding place with good sight lines for shooting videotape, and for night ops, make sure you have an infrared sensitive camera (quite a few standard ones are) and an infrared spotlight to light things up while they think they're working in the dark. Down the road from the trailhead a bit, you have one more person with a big 'ol chain or cable fence already anchored with locks to a tree. When you spot a break in, you start filming, and radio the guy down the road to drag the fence/barrier across the road and lock it to the trees or whatever on the other side. *then* you call the cops and back off without ever making contact, until the cops show up that is. With film of them breaking in, a car full of goodies and other cars with prints all over them, and the culprits possibly still ripping off cars (or fuming and fussing at a barrier keeping them at the crime), seems to me you could run an effective trap without exposure to pissed off car robbers, at least until you show up with cops.

[Slugman]

The problem with these approaches is that the thefts are intermittent, making stake-outs impractical. It is nice to think about, though. I use the old, empty car method. I drive a '92 Subaru wagon and I make sure there is only obvious junk inside when I head up the trail. It is harder on hikes following car camping, so then I might utilize the "hide it in the woods" gambit for camping gear, etc. My main protection against the worrying ruining my hike is to be philosophical about the whole thing. I have left a car at a trailhead at least 200 times, maybe more, and I haven't been victimized yet. Some day I might be, but taken as an average cost and hassle spread out over many great trips, it just doesn't seem significant. I know that on the day something happens I'll be miserable, but I'll wait until then to worry about it. It is a nice feeling to get back from a multi-day trip and see the car is still there!

[Larry]