Quick Check: Surprise Lake Trail (American Adventurist Lying?)

This stated by bob was the point of my first statement on the subject.

Me personally with friends and family use to have free range to drive and hunt werhausyer and or Willamette Industries land for a long time. Till people started trashing it and the gates went up over night.

Now people just post photos thinking they are having fun, all it is is ammo for the Libtards to close land or delegate it to a Pproperty Management Corp".

We all need to be cautious of short cutting and photos. I.E if you dont re close the ranchers gates, Do you think he wont care you came through?


Yes it wasn't any of d.a, buisness either, and made his bed of shit talking.
Edited: for grammer

 

I understand and agree with what you’re saying, but it’s just not the point of this thread didn’t post to try and cause any sort of debate or flaming

 

I totally agree, and see where you are coming from. This happens quite often, where an anti orv group or similar takes a random photo and manipulates the story to fit their narrative and no one is the wiser unless they dig deeper to the underlying cause which usually has nothing to do with the behavior on display.

 

It’s true. Just have to be sure our community doesn’t stupe to their level it’s different here in Texas where everything is private and pay to play, so it’s not a fight I’ve ever had to partake in, but the spread of misinformation does nothing but shoot ourselves in the foot

 

I'll throw in my opinion and experience with Surprise Lake.

My first trip up there, almost 7 years ago, I ran into a local wheeler who was on his way down the trail as we were coming up. We talked for awhile about the area and he gave me a "heads-up" about how to access the sandbar/camping area on the far side of the lake, by driving along the water's edge where it is shallow enough to make it to the sandbar. I would've never known that the water-crossing if it wasn't for him giving me a heads-up. This was an older, local guy who had been living in the area for 20+ years; he and his friends/family had been visiting Surprise Lake for decades and driving up there/through the lake to get to the far side. Nothing new. BUT - he and I were both adamant about keeping the area clean and respecting the land in an effort to keep it open and accessible for recreation. It was a very positive and awesome experience overall.

I've been up there a few times since then, and each time I've gone up there I have run into more and more people. The area has become saturated/sensationalized and more-popular with the off-road community, some of which do not have the same level of respect and "tread lightly", "pack-it-in/pack-it-out" mentality. It has been about 3 years since I was last up there, so I don't know the condition of the area as of late, but I imagine any closures or gates being proposed are likely due to sale of the property to a larger entity, such as Weyerhaeuser. Big logging companies/conglomerates like that do not like to open up areas (like that) to the public for a number of reasons: trash dump sites, insurance liability, damages, illegal timber harvest, poaching, environmental impact etc.

I think the recent FB post about the Jeeps in the lake are nothing but a scapegoat for grand-standers to use as ammunition to push their own ideals and agenda. The lake has existed as-is for decades, and as far as I know, it has not suffered any negative impact due to the activities going on up there; the local flora and fauna are thriving and the lake is not polluted.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt - just speaking from my own experience.

 

Mixed thoughts about this. Regarding the lake which I don't know much about that photo is a great example of how and why places are shut down.

Regarding AA and DB (founder) I've known him since the early days of the "rendezvous". Back then it wasn't a business venture as AA is now. While AA does advocate for protecting access the recent actions noted in this thread don't surprise me. Somewhat Orwellian behavior to delete posts though. Hopefully AA hasn't become like overland bound where the owners fail to chastise their members who blatantly litter national parks.

 

Please let me clear up a few things and end the rumors.
I am the new owner of the section of land that Surprise Lake occupies. I bought it from Weyerhaeuser, the deal closed on June 28 of this year. I have no idea who started the rumor back in July that the access to the lake had been closed; I was in Alaska when the deal closed and didn't get back to Washington until July 29th. I didn't close motor vehicle access to the lake until early August after observing several really disgusting actions by some of the four-wheel drive crowd.

First a couple of things about myself. I ride snowmobiles and ATV's, I am also an avid hunter, in other words I'm not some radical tree-hugger, far from it. The first time I visited Surprise Lake was when I drove my Volkswagen Fast-back up to the lake in 1978. But I have really been appalled by what has been taking place at Surprise Lake lately. I thought everyone knew that you don't drive through lakes and intentionally create mud-pits along lake shores and in wetland areas. What rock have some of you guys been living under? It's no wonder more and more lands are being closed to motor vehicle access, I don't like it any more than you guys do, but now I see why it happens.

The local WDFW agent was working on a case that had been reported to him by some fisherman at the lake, the fisherman had provided him with photos of several people driving through the lake. The agent had been trying to locate me. When we did speak I told him that I was going to try to keep the property open to the public, but that I was now planning to eliminate unauthorized motor vehicle access to the lake.

Hike in access is still allowed to the lake. I'm sure this will be a disappointment to some of you folks, I understand that, but the increased use and abuse of the land around the lake has made this necessary.

I've attached a couple of pictures of the "mud-pit" area, I can't imagine that anyone thinks this is okay behavior.
P.S. I'm not including pictures of poop and toilet paper in the little creek flowing into the lake near the "mud-pit".

 

Thanks for coming here and clearing that up.

 

Good to know. I can't really blame you for shutting it down to off-road use. Like Bob, thank you for taking the time to let us know.

 

Dang man it wasn't that bad the last time I went up there a few years ago. I fully understand and respect that choice. On other subjects, are you active and working the old tunnel claim. I saw some new activity there the other season and the road had downed trees. Feel free to message me on the subject if you are, if you would be willing to educate me on a few unspoken rules it would be greatly appreciated.