Samson Lake Lean-to TRASHED

[wkies]

I just wanted to give a heads up to anyone heading to Samson Lake Lean-to in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness. Unfortuately Someone(s) trashed the place. They left behind everything (including 5 blow-up rafts, food (3 bottles of mustard!), mounds of thrash, clothes, blankets, and more. My buddy and I bagged up most of it but couldn't carry it out due our schedule (day two of five day trip).

The journal entry seems to have indicated that the group on 7/21/06 was guilty!! Some people just don't get it.

[Kevin]

Sounds like a job for the DEC to investigate.

I'll look up the ranger for that area and let them know. Thanks for the head's up .

[wkies]

They were some DEC officers in the area last weekend but I don't think they ever made it over to Samson Lake.

[lumberzac]

My buddy was up there a few weeks ago with his wife and told me the same about that lean-to. He couldn’t pack out the trash because his pack was full from the trash someone left at the West Canada Creek lean-to. He was pretty upset about the trash there and by the time he got to Sampson Lake and saw the condition of the lean-to there he was furious. You’re right; some people just don’t get it.

[Kevin]

It's been reported to dispatch. I left my name and phone number for the officer. If anyone else whose seen this wants to private message me their name and phone number I can pass it along to the DEC officer. I doubt multiple calls/reports will help. I was detailed in my desciption.

Thanks again for checking in here. Taking such reports is one means of using the forum and I was glad to help.

[fvrwld]

I was in at the Sampson Lake lean-to a few years ago and it was the same thing...absolutely disgusting. There were rafts, half empty bottles of ketchup, mustard and other food strewn all over the lean-to, lots of magazines left. I did what I could to clean up the place and so did another hiker that came through. I wonder if its the same group of people?

[wkies]

Kevin - I sent you a private email with my contact info.

Lumberzac - I saw your buddy's journal entry at Sampson. What a scene it was. Amazing that what people do. The 7/21/06 entry seemed as if it were a group of kids getting drunk. I could hardly read the entry...chicken stratch. Some wierd stuff though.

[Justin]

I'm wondering how many people come across a trash free lean-to. In my 20+ years hiking and backpacking, I would have to say that I don't think I can count on one hand how many times I've seen a lean-to with NO trash, or ANYTHING left behind. It is very rare when I don't have to bring something out that someone left. Seems like even when you'd swear you're the first person, in that nice little spot, far away from the lean-to, or the trail, or stream, or lake, and you look down, and there's that beer bottle!! I believe in karma- suckers

[redhawk]

I think that lean-to may get trashed because it's fairly accessible for local kids with ATV's via the Pillsbury Trail.

Usually when a leant to or camping area is easily asseccible, it geterates a lot of "party traffic", people who are interested in getting hihgh and have never been taught responsibility or respect by their parents. That seems to be a more and more common event these days.

[MattC]

That's a shame. Hats off to Wkies and others who do extra to compensate for the carelessness of others. As I was reading down the posts, I was thinking this place must be easy to reach. Then I saw Hawk's post about the easy access. I don't know the area. If this is an ongoing problem, and it can in fact be connected to ATV access, can said access be curbed, say with a gate? I'm assuming the ATVs are illegal anyway, if it's a wilderness area.

Matt

[fvrwld]

The "Fench Louie" trail between Pillsbury and Sampson Lake gets pretty rough in spots. I doubt that ATVs are getting that far in. Its over six miles to the Sampson Lake LT from the Pillsbury Mt. trailhead . Even getting to Pillsbury would be near impossible. Sadly enough, this is hikers doing this.

[wkies]

There were no ATV tracks the entire trail. It seems that they hiked the stuff in and just left it there. Pillsbury lean-to is much closer - it must have been oppucciped.

I have only seen this once before (Pharaoh Lake) in almost 12 years of backpacking in ADKs. It usually is the easy access lean-tos that get hit, this one surprised me b/c it was over eight miles to the trailhead.

[lumberzac]

It usually is the easy access lean-tos that get hit, this one surprised me b/c it was over eight miles to the trailhead.

That's what surprised my buddy as well. He also noted that there were piles of beer cans along the trail about every mile from Sampson Lake to the Pillsbury Trailhead.

[Kevin]

It usually is the easy access lean-tos that get hit, this one surprised me b/c it was over eight miles to the trailhead.

It may have been because of the distance back out that they said "**** it" and just left much of the gear there. *******s.

[wkies]

Someone must have picked up the beer cans b/c there were none.