My son's 1st cross country ride.

[flynrider]

Man, was there signs saying you couldn't climb down there? A $250 fine seems rather STEEP ( see what I did there LOL)

It's Crater Lake Nat'l Park. You're supposed to assume that after travelling across the country to see it, that you wouldn't actually be allowed to hike to the shore. Sheesh!

[Lord Popgun]

They seemed a little heavy handed huh? A warning wouldn't do, I guess.

I found this in a NPS site for Crater lake:

Where can I get to the lake to go swimming?

There is only one place where it is safe and legal to get down to the lake shore. It is the Cleetwood Cove Trail, which usually opens mid to late June. The trail is 1.1 miles long and drops nearly 700 feet down to the lake shore. Visitors are welcome to swim in the lake from the shoreline at the end of this trail.

OTOH, the faq also said you can catch all the fish you want with no license or limit. Woo Hoo!

[rboe]

We were at Crater Lake earlier this year. National park, no bush wacking allowed (in any national park, they take a dim view of it) and if you were there and saw how steep the drop is - I estimated I'd stop when the water was well over my head). He was lucky.
Just a heads up; National Parks take a dim view of speeding too; Federal agents - pretty much no fighting it (most of my experience is from stories folks have told of Yellowstone, but they were of the opinion it was the same everywhere). Young lad on his first road trip - on a Ducati. He will be tempted.

Save his good luck for when he really needs it.

[ChipBeck_imp]

Man, was there signs saying you couldn't climb down there? A $250 fine seems rather STEEP ( see what I did there LOL)

Mick,

There aren't any signs but the Rangers told him it would've been on the handout they give everybody when you enter the park. Since Charley was riding a motorcycle with gloves and a helmet on he didn't take a handout. They also wouldn't give him a ride back to his bike which was about 25 miles away. But when he hitchhiked they had a Ranger follow him to make sure that he didn't go back down the 50 yards to get his gear. So he killed about four hours waiting for the Rangers to get his gear. A little frustrating but all's well that ends well.

Chip

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Man, was there signs saying you couldn't climb down there? A $250 fine seems rather STEEP ( see what I did there LOL)

It's Crater Lake Nat'l Park. You're supposed to assume that after travelling across the country to see it, that you wouldn't actually be allowed to hike to the shore. Sheesh!

It's Crater Lake Nat'l Park. You're supposed to assume that after travelling across the country to see it, that you wouldn't actually be allowed to hike to the shore. Sheesh!
Two months ago I was there myself...with my crushed camera. The trail down was closed. Half the loop road was closed...snow and ice on the roadway. The concession trip to the island was not up and running.

It's a national park; yes; but those charged with protecting it, seem to want to protect it from those who're actually interested in it. As if this were, not a park of the people of the nation; but of the ROYALS of the kingdom.

Too bad about Chip's boy. Sounds like he's taking it in good spirits...

[Cormanus]

Man, was there signs saying you couldn't climb down there? A $250 fine seems rather STEEP ( see what I did there LOL)

It's Crater Lake Nat'l Park. You're supposed to assume that after travelling across the country to see it, that you wouldn't actually be allowed to hike to the shore. Sheesh!

It's Crater Lake Nat'l Park. You're supposed to assume that after travelling across the country to see it, that you wouldn't actually be allowed to hike to the shore. Sheesh!
Two months ago I was there myself...with my crushed camera. The trail down was closed. Half the loop road was closed...snow and ice on the roadway. The concession trip to the island was not up and running.

It's a national park; yes; but those charged with protecting it, seem to want to protect it from those who're actually interested in it. As if this were, not a park of the people of the nation; but of the ROYALS of the kingdom.

Too bad about Chip's boy. Sounds like he's taking it in good spirits...

JPT,

I think there's an immutable law of the universe that says that national park rangers everywhere believe that that the most important thing they can do is keep 'the People' out of 'the People's' national parks. I can't decide whether they are just incredible selfish and want the joint for themselves or whether it's just some profound misunderstanding of their goal.

It seems pretty clear to me that, if they have enough surplus capacity to follow Charley Beck while he hitch-hikes and send one of their number abseiling down a cliff, the don't have enough to do.

Still and all, if it's only by keeping out the folks who pay for the rangers and their playground that the said playground is protected for the long-term benefits of the folks who pay for the rangers and their playground, it's got to be a good deal. Hasn't it?

[redbirds_imp]

Seems a simple warning and a ride back to his bike would have been the better option for these "Barney Fifes". They must be bored, with nothing better to do than cruise around in their high performance boat in one of the world's premier natural wonders.

[ChipBeck_imp]

Seems a simple warning and a ride back to his bike would have been the better option for these "Barney Fifes". They must be bored, with nothing better to do than cruise around in their high performance boat in one of the world's premier natural wonders.

Red,

Complete agreement here. The National Park Service in the US is out of control. They pride themselves on making life as miserable as possible for taxpayers who actually own and pay for these parks. During the government shutdown they went so far as to barricade parking spaces near Mount Rushmore so people were not able to pull over to the side of the road and look at it. They barricaded the national mall so people could not look at that. They barricaded entrances into the Grand Canyon and didn't allow hikers in. And when they found out people were stopping on the closest highway and walking over to take a look down into the canyon they barricaded that as well. For God sakes you certainly don't want people looking at something during a government shutdown. Hotel accommodations in Yellowstone park were closed and the people staying there were forced to clear out. As the buses carrying them were leaving the park the tourists were told that they could not take photographs on the way out of the park or the Rangers on board would ticket any tourist attempting to photograph the park during the shutdown. Their instructions were to make life as miserable as possible until all funding was restored. During last years Ford GT rally in Las Vegas we drove through the valley of fire and a park ranger ticketed one of our members for taking photographs without a permit. It's insane.

When I'm up in Montana they always have the best four-wheel-drive trails barricaded. I'm so fed up with it that I just ignore their barricades and drive around them. For the most part I just go where I want to go like I did when I was younger and if they catch me I'll pay their stupid ticket. All the best.

Chip

[rboe]

The National Park service is in charge of protecting the park resource for everybody and future generations. If they let just anybody and everybody go were they please in time at all it would be ruined. There are simply way too many people to do otherwise.

If you were a park ranger and had to deal with cowboys everyday that wanted to go about doing whatever they please you would quickly develop a zero tolerance policy in no time. It takes a special individual to deal with the public day in and day out; too many feel entitled. You gain an understanding of how the Indians felt when folks pushed west; thinking they had a right to do so.

The parks are also under funded to a criminal degree; I would not be too surprised to see some closed until monies can be found to do repairs and maintenance.

Keep an eye on the larger picture vs. your own individual wants.

[4 Paws_imp]

Way to go Chip.
Sounds like an adventure filled trip, glad the encounter was over hiking and sight seeing rather than anything illegal or dangerous.