[Beave]

This just was not a good week to try and ride!!!! Tuesday: Beth's going-away party.... Good party, but I didn't bring my bike =( Wednesday: Bob's Testeroni ride @ Tolt.... Forgot I had prior commitments; Had to bag it =( Thursday: After Work @ Ed's... One of my favorite weekly rides; I fell asleep after work and missed it =( Friday: Half day @ work.... Half day to ride!!!! If only it were so easy!!!! Being deprived of weekly mileage and lacking a companion around 2pm, I set out to log some uninterupted miles.... But where to go?? Iron Horse trail sounds good.... Hadn't been back since my North Bend-to-Easton loop the previous year.... As you all know, it was a beautiful day today... Got to the Twin Falls TH (packed with cars) and was riding by about 4:30.... Got a decent pace going and reached the tunnel in no time.... Flick on the Night-Rider and continue through..... 10 minutes later I emerged on the Eastside and continued up to the pass where I got some gas (chicken chimichanga), did some mountain climbing recon, and hung out by the South Fork Snoqualmie for a few.... Rode back the same way, trying to ignore the stationary chairlifts and miles of singletrack I was passing by..... Back through the misty, damp tunnel and onward I flew.... I was now riding into the sunset and the gentle downhill grade made for some great big-ring sprints.... Moving at a decent clip, my mind was at ease.... I watched the peaks of the Alpine Lakes whizz by to my right..... I named them all, and recalled sweet memories of those climbs.... Things couldn't be better.... Rounding the corner and descending to the TH, I was pleased to see my trip meter reading a healthy 45 miles.... Not bad for a Friday afternoon spin =) Being an avid hiker and mountaineer, I usually find myself parking at TH's Friday thru Sunday, without ever thinking too much about it.... Looks like I was taking things for granted.... I rounded the corner and noticed my locks on my pickup were unlocked.... Closer inspection revealed my rear slider had been broken open.... Even closer inspection revealed my dash was torn apart, and I was missing a serious chunk of $$$$$$...... Some dirty #@(*$&#@ broke into my truck and stole, among other things, my MP3 deck (which was hidden), my CB radio, my dash-mounted gauges, my new sunglasses, an off-road jack, chains, tow straps and some other things..... They even left my dome light on, in a brash attempt to kill my battery!!!! I spent the next 1.5 hours on the phone with the police and my insurance company.... Another 5 minutes of "Macguyver'isms" (zip-ties and a Leatherman) and my truck was once again driveable.... (Had to crimp the oil pressure line, as the thiefs cut all the plumbing and wiring.... Nothing like having 5W-30 spray into your cab at 80psi!!) I hate thiefs!!!! To think someone could be so bold as to drive into a packed TH and rip somebody off like that!!!! Makes me sick!!! =P Time to trade in the truck and get something a little more low-profile.... Anyone have experience with Subarus or Volkswagons?? On a lighter note, I still have my bike and my sense of humor =) Ride on, but don't leave anything (ANYTHING) of value in your car.... Craig

[JimK]

First, I'm real sorry to hear of your break in. In 20 years of hiking I have done approximately 900 trips. Of those I drove about 800 times. I have had my cars broken into exactly zero times. To what do I attribute my good fortune? Luck must be part of it. The other part is the car I drove to the trailhead. For the first 3 years it was a lime green Ford Pinto. The stereo in most cars was worth far more than my whole package. Next I bought a 1985 Plymouth Horizon. I made sure to always park next to a better looking car. That was easy. Every car was a better looking car. When I bought a nice car in 1994 I kept the Horizon. Why not? It had almost no resale value. It was a very good car for me though. I kept using it for a hiking car until it died last year. It was reliable, got 30+ mpg and I didn't care if I scratched it or banged into a rock on a bad road. I must have put 10,000 miles on it on dirt roads. The moral is that bad cars can lead to far less headaches at the trailhead.

[salish]

Hey Beave, Sorry to hear about your misfortune. A bummer. This type of thread came up last December, I think, and it was an interesting one - lot's of great ideas and viewpoints. For the record, my hiking buddy and I invested in what we call a POS (Piece of sh##) vehicle for TH parking, trips to the dump, and other things. Our vehicle of choice is a high mileage 1983 Ford pickup (the little one). It's 2 wheel drive but has tons of ground clearance. Ours has a canopy to keep our packs & gear dry and while not an eye-sore, it's obviously very well used. It has a gaping black hole in the dash where an ancient am radio used to reside, and there is nothing of value anywhere in it. We paid $400 for it, and it's licensed & insured only for a few months of the year. The kicker is that is has a very strong running motor & tranny, so we're not always paranoid that it's going to break down on us. Sometimes we leave empty beer bottles in the back and we never lock it. We wanted it to look as much like an unemployed redneck vehicle as much as we could. We haven't been bothered yet. My wife owns a 4x4 Subaru station wagon she bought new back in 1987, and while it's been a great car for camping, traveling and just about everything else (gets 29mpg highway!) to me it leaves a tiny bit to be desired in poor road conditions. It bottoms out pretty easily in fairly shallow snow and deeply rutted roads are a pain. It's just a ground clearance issue, to me, because they are great outdoor cars in every other way. I think older ratbeaters are perfect choices for TH cars and my preference is for older pickup trucks with little or no value. The trick is finding one that's a strong runner with a low chance of breaking down on you. As illustrated in your message, if these bad people really want to screw with you and be malicious, they're probably going to do it regardless of what you drive, but I think a ratbeater is less attractive a target than a normal car. Cliff

[Newt]

Sorry to hear about this. Bummer indeed. I have low tolerance for scum that f@#% with other people. Hope they fall into a bottomless pit. I had a rig stolen from a parking lot one night. What a depressing feeling to realize it's gone. I felt violated. The police found it a week later parked buy the river. Engine was reved to the point it blew. Then kicked out the back window. Had a friend who parked on a downtown Seattle street years ago. When he came back his passenger door was open with a couple of legs hanging out. Some SOB was working under his dash. My friend slammed the door closed on his legs a couple of times, pulled him out and kicked the s%$# out of him. Told the guy thanks for the stress relief and drove away. By the way, I read a while back that the Lake 22 TH and Barlow Pass parking areas were fairly high vandalism. I lucked out as I had left a camera on the back set for a couple of days and nights at BP. Lucky me. NN

[-lol-]

[Backpacker Joe]

Once again, another sorry to hear the Beave. Nobody can safely leave a rig of any type at a trailhead that has ANYTHING someone else might want! I've done it before and been lucky. Like James, I've done how many trips with zero vandalism. It's best to have a vehicle that you can leave the doors open while youre gone. Some people just need killin! That's still a defence on the books in Texas. One day I'm gonna catch somebody breaking into my car at the TH, and being that I'm armed, it's gonna be a very interesting experience! Tom B

[Tom]

Sorry to hear about your truck Beave, ouch! Not to make light of your misery but you forgot to mention a Jeep Liberty as an alternative . If there's anything good about the FS visiting trailheads to check for trail park passes it's that it could potentially result less theft and vandalism during the day. BPJ, I sincerly hope you never end up in that situation, but if you do I hope you've run thru all the possible scenarios in your head before hand. Killing someone is probably not a decision you'll want to leave for the spur of the moment.

[Backpacker Joe]

Nobody knows the responcibility that goes along with carrying a gun more than I. That said, depending on how aggressive the bastard ended up would determin the outcome more than my actions. At the very least he'd be walking down that dirt road naked and shoe-less! Then his wallet and cridentials would end up in an industrial shredder! Tom B

[Slide Alder Slayer]

For busy trailheads with lots of cars, I would suggest an alarm system for your next vehicle. Thieves are looking for the easiest target, not difficult ones, the last thing they want is to be noticed or have attention drawn to themselves. Next, understand how bold some thieves are. If anyone other that the owner approached your vehicle, a thief would have a ready-made excuse to explain what they were doing, i.e., the stereo isn't working or the car/truck won't run. Having an alarm go off is much harder to explain. Lastly, a thief is not going to wait around and have someone draw a gun on them or be placed under citizen's arrest. They will run from a drawn firearm or at the first sign of confrontation, unless you present the cornered rat scenario. Then, you the car owner, assume all responsibility for any injury incurred, if not criminally, then in a civil suit. It is not fair, and I agree with a lot of Backpacker Joe's sentiments. However, your best course of action is to avoid the cornered rat scenario, get the best description you can including license plate, and phone the police as soon as possible. These career criminals, drug addicts, or out of control teenagers have no respect for you, the law, or your property. They will not act rationally when confronted and will do the exact opposite of what you expect. It's not that you couldn't slap the crap out of one or physically detain them under a citizen's arrest. Just be warned, that once you do that you assume full responsibility for anything that happens. I am currently employed in the criminal justice system.

[salish]

Good points, SAS. I agree with you wholeheartedly, that an alarm makes really good sense. One thing I might take exception with is your statement that a car prowl burglar would run away from a drawn firearm or at the first sign of confrontation. I would amend that to say he would *probably* run away, and given that there is so much violence and "meanness" (I borrowed that word from my Grandma) in our society almost anything is possible. But I agree with in regard to opening yourself up to incredible civil litigation as well as possible criminal issues by getting involved too deeply in a scenario as described while using a gun. I'm not quite sure how I would act if I caught some people messing with my car. I guess I'd just have to cross that bridge when I came to it. I used to be employed in the criminal justice system myself.... Two weekends ago at the Foss Lakes TH I saw a sign on the readerboard that said there might be a possibility of hidden closed circuit cameras at this TH, due to recent vandalism. This is a great move, too. I just hope it's true. One last thing, if there are any potential TH car thieves monitoring these websites and reading these messages, be forwarned there are probably more BPJ types out there than you are aware of and you might find yourself in bad way if you continue to do the bad things you do.

[Backpacker Joe]

Utimately you guys are right. The gun is for the defence of life, not so much property. I admit the difficulty level of NOT shooting the bastard that was stealing my sh## would be HUGE! I wouldnt just sit there and let him finnish though. I'd zip tie his hands and feet and let him lay there. I'd call the coppers and let them come get him whilest I made my get away. Tom B

[Newt]

I agree. Only I would kick the crap out of em. Throw them in the back of the truck and take em for a long ride down a dead end logging road. What are the cops gonna do to em? 'Course that's kidnapping and the poor innocent victim may die. But just think of what you had done. Rid the world of one more a#$h%#@ that will not inflict pain and agony on anyone else. Ever!! Show no mercy. They don't. Radical I know but I have no tolerance for those that mess with other people and their stuff. NN

[Backpacker Joe]

G. Gordon Liddy said that three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead! Hey if we're gonna talk what "should" happen. I'd shoot the bastard, take him someplace, cut off his hands and head then burry all four parts in very different locations! Take the gun apart, grind off the serial numbers, then burry its' parts in very different locations. Keep your mouth SHUT forever and you'd never get cought! That's a lot of work for one scumbag! Be easier to zip tie his hands and feet, leave him rolling around while you make an anonomous call the local fuzz! Tom B.

[Tom]

Ehh, this is getting a little extreme don't you think...

[Newt]

Ehh...you're right. I'm no redneck, just an old hippie. But I like to get even. Peace, make love not war. I'm done. NN