This past weekend the Ventana Wilderness Alliance, working with the Forest Service and the Ventana Mounted Assistance Group, removed irrigation tubing and related trash from two marijuana grow sites near Chews Ridge in the Ventana Wilderness. 26 VWA volunteers, including many of our usual graybeards and a refreshing group of seven students from CSUMB and UCSC, moved about 40 backpack loads of irrigation tubing and trash from the grow sites to the ridge top. There, the tubing and trash was loaded on to pack animals provided by the Forest Service and the Ventana Mounted Assistance Group who then packed the trash out to the trailhead at Tassajara Road. The packers also packed in some of our gear, water and a fine backcountry dinner enjoyed by all on Saturday night.

I would like to thank everyone who participated in this project and give special thanks to Julie Anne Hopkins for preparing and serving the feast; Bob Dawson for coordinating the trailhead and radio communications; and to Dave Bidwell, John Fedak and Dave Lautzenheiser who led the crews to the grow sites and, more importantly, got everyone back up those very, very steep ridges with their loads. Special thanks also go to Forest Service personnel Pat Bailey and Dario Malengo and the volunteer packers from VMAG.

Tom Hopkins, President
Ventana Wilderness Alliance

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Photos from the first two outings to these sites (where we bagged and bundled everything) can be found here and here
Rich Popchak's pictures from this trip are here.