Hidden Dump on Mt Hamilton

29 Nov 1996 - by Rich Calliger

(I did not have much fun as David and Rich doing Silliman and Alta Peaks but I got a pretty good workout with a 25 mile / 3000 foot gain loop around Lick).

I had found a very serious dump site, previously "undiscovered" by the rangers, approx. 300 feet off- trail at Grant Park/Lick Observatory several months ago. I reported it to the rangers and even stopped one of the rangers on the trail and pointed it out to her (to much amazement they never new it was there) and I was assured it would get hauled out as it was clearly contaiminating an all-weather creek/stream that runs into the watershed towards Calveras resevoir.

It seems substantial (about 50 feet by 75 x 2-3 feet deep- could be many thousands of cubic feet) . It is filled with rusted cans and assorted other crudities from about 10-15 years ago. (Steel cans versus alumininum may date it later back than that perhaps). I expect this is moderately toxic due to some of the car parts there.

On today's conditioning hike I swung by the area expecting a clean canyon... no way...It is still not cleaned out but looks more condensed than I remember.

Does anyone know of a mechanism/the right people to contact get this cleaned up? Perhaps the water company?

Has anyone previously found this and reported it?

Or am I being naive and will have to organize a cleaning party to get it?

Jeff Mick replies:

At Pt. Reyes (Palomarin area), I have reported to the rangers about

Zero response. The frontline cop and maintenance guy just doesn't give a rat's rear end, and effective supervision is slim to none.

We long ago began to refer to Pt. Reyes Law Enforcement Rangers generically as "Two Shines:" one shine on their boots and the other on the seat of their pants. You were able to stop a ranger on the trail, but in 5 years I've never seen one out of his/her 4WD at Pt. Reyes.

So, for two years we have been taking down the barbed wire and covering it with its own fence posts, hoping it will rust to nothing in a few decades. I packed out the dope-growing equipment in three trips. And I have shot-putted several badly beaten, illegal pedal bikers into the underbrush along Ridge Trail, tossing their vehicles after them (minus the front wheel wing nuts).

I'll bet that you "will have to organize a cleaning party to get it." The rangers, even the 30-year-old ones, are just marking time till retirement. Sad, but true.

Sometimes it's direct action or no action.


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