Table Mesa is in trouble.  Just weeks after a cleanup which filled several large dumpsters and netted at least 4 burned out cars the place is looking like shit again.  Amazingly the culprits are in plain view everywhere you look:  it's the shooters.  Despite the no dumping signs posted everywhere I saw people plugging away at car doors, hoods, computers and old appliances.  The most pathetic display was seen on Thanksgiving afternoon as I drove in the road towards camp.  Off to the side of the road I saw a guy put his water bottle down and approximately 20 feet away from himself which he then proceeded to try to plug it full of holes.  Thank god water bottles aren't known to attack or this guy would have met a quick end.

I pulled into camp (which was relatively spotless two weeks ago when we stayed overnight) and was greeted to piles of trash  and cans littering the area.  Big surprise in the mound of bacon boxes, egg shells and paper plates I found a pile of unspent .22 rounds and a receipt from the place the jackasses bought the ammo: Wal-Mart. The trail of Capri-Sun kiddie drink containers that wound thru camp confirmed that the cretins were also transferring their total disregard for our public lands to their offspring. 

An unsightly desert isn't the only problem out there. I believe it is only a matter of time before someone is shot out there based on groups of shooters we saw plopping down in every convenient spot and firing away in every direction including parallel and perpendicular to roads and heavily traveled washes. The situation is totally out of control and only going to get worse until someone either sets up contained shooting areas, bans shooting all together or closes the area altogether.  I predict the easiest solution for the land use agencies will be their top choice, guess which one that will be...... 

So once again the first thing we do after pulling into camp is get out the garbage bags and start picking up trash.  We netted several bags of trash and 1/2 a garbage bag of crushed beer cans. I made the chore into a game for my son, he loves hauling stuff in his toy truck. After setting up camp we did a quick shakedown run for Jack's buggy and ran a few trails before sundown (Collateral Damage, Terminator and Judgment Day).  On the way in to the first trail we discovered a new burned out car that had appeared within the last 4 days in the river bottom.

Friday we ran Dirty Sanchez.  The trail is really tight with a large double ledge at the start.

Jay broke one of his transfer cases after the second waterfall.  The trail is so tight your whole drive train is put to the test at every turn.

Jack climbing the first falls. Video link.

A climb towards the middle of the trail.

On the way back to camp we gathered some firewood.

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