Stay safe out there!

[Old Fart]

Narcs Find Pot of Gold (7/31/06)
This weekend, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Narcotics Division announced the largest outdoor grow ever recorded in the County's National Forest Service Land. Acting on a tip, the Sheriff's Marijuana Eradication Team hiked into the mountains southeast of Angelus Oaks and discovered 54,720 plants capable of producing over $198,000,000 worth of pot. A gravity fed irrigation system from a stream in the nearby canyon was found. Sheriffs say the site was eradicated but no suspects have been identified. The investigation is ongoing.

[sam 15]

These type of growers will normally have some type of alert system outside the perimeter of their grow. It could be as simple as lookouts or a trip wire system much like the principal of a spider web, once the trip wire is moved it will alert someone watching over the grow that someone is near. They may or may not have lookouts posted to relay information on whose approaching (cops, hikers, 4 wheelers). Growers are protective over their crop because they have a lot of time and potential money invested. They will normally plant in an area that isn't too acessable to people for obvious reasons. If you happen to run into these people in a remote area, they will most likely try to steer you away from their grow by telling you how impassable it is up ahead. They may try to convince you that they are hikers just out for the day. Take note of their clothes. Are the normal clothes that someone would wear on a hike? How about their shoes, are they worn out tennis shoes with holes? Do they have any hiking gear with them? Bludges in their clothing?

These people will normally have other people around that you may or may not see and will normally be ARMED.

Meth labs are also big in San Berdo and extremely hazzardous. One of the ingredents used in the manufacture of Meth is Coleman camping fuel. So if you're on a trail cleanup, that mess of crap that you think was left behind a camper that just doesn't care (and there are a lot of them) may just be an abandoned meth lab. Once the meth cooker has his final product, he/she will leave or dump the hazzardous watse by-product almost anywhere. Be careful. When in doubt, leave it alone and report it.
Why do you think see law enforcement and HazMat team suited up while doing these cleanups.

If you see these indicator signs and that something just doesn't seem right, take note of their postition (GPS would be great) leave the area like you are none the wiser, and report this to the local law enforcement.

Always be aware of you're surroundings (not only on the trail) and like Old Fart says.......Stay Safe

[Old Fart]

Yep, there's a whole section in our Rules and Regulations class that Steph and I teach dealing with Bad Things That People Do In Our Forest And How To Recognize Them.

Biggest advice is a reiteration of what Sam said - be somewhere else!

[FJ Crawlin']

Sam, Thanks for the heads up and info. As far as the recent cache from LE, I can imagine that the size and value of missing dope must have created some really pissed off dopers. I noticed the date and area of Angelus Oaks. Isn't that the same day the lady from Oregon turned up missing in the same area? Any relation to this capper?

[GrimJeeper91]

I stumbled upon a very suspicious site about two years ago north of Big Bear lake. Reported the site to both the Forrest Service and SB Sheriffs department and nothing was done. I even provided the GPS coordinates of the site. I kept in touch with the Sheriff's department for 6 months before finally giving up. It was pretty disappointing.

[Old Fart]

It happens. SB County is huge, with (unfortunately) LOTS of this type activity - so I'm not too surprised it didn't get immediate attention.

FWIW, we have 3 or 4 Level IV's (guys with guns) to patrol the whole SBNF. That's why we teach our OHV staff not to get into situations where they feel the need to "call for backup"

[GrimJeeper91]

If you're interested or know someone that might want to follow up on it I'll give you directions to the site. I've always wondered if anything is still there but I haven't had the balls to go back.

[Old Fart]

PM me what you have, I'll forward it on to one of our LEO's