Stay out of the creeks and rivers, people. I just have to say this! This f's the waterways up. I can understand fording a shallow creek or river, if necessary, but leave going up and down the creek to the canoes! For the past several years I've been canoeing a particular creek in my area, and the incidence of 4 wheelers in the creek has increased dramatically (mostly ATVs). These knuckleheads inevitably get stuck and sit there spinning their wheels churning up silt, leeching oil and gas into the water, and stinking up the place. Once, all you would see on the sandbars were animal tracks- deers, hogs, birds, turtles, raccoons, even the occasional black bear tracks. Now many of the sandbars close to (new) population areas are just a wreck- tire tracks all over, sand all churned up, beer bottles everywhere, tires chucked into the creek, soiled diapers and I've even found cans of starting fluid under the water. If I were an old Indian, I wouldn't cry like in those old commercials... I'd have some fine additions to my scalp collection!!!
My friends and I used to pick up and dispose of whatever junk we could find, but since have stopped because it is a losing battle. It's really not that hard to resist the temptation of driving into the river. I have a Trooper, and I love what it can do for me off road, but you know what one of the great things about it is: the large roof, where a canoe ties down beautifully.
The idea should to use what you got to get you to the river so that you can enjoy it for what it is... beautiful nature. It is not a motorway, or a dump!
Please excuse me for preachin', but it's something about which I feel strongly.
--Steve
