Bad Times Despite Great Dives at Crosby

[AandA]

A couple of friends and I went up to the pit lakes at Crosby to get in a couple of dives on Thursday and Friday this week.  We dove Huntington, Alstead, and Mangan.  The dives were very nice as always.  It was the time above the water that concerned me more….As many of you already know camping has been prohibited up there since spring and a few signs have been posted.  Of course some people are still camping, and I’m sure most of them are great folks and are very responsible campers.  One of my favorite night dive spots, the Portsmouth boat landing now has a gate on it that gets locked at 10:00 each night.  I was really hoping to take these other divers out for a night dive there to see some of the larger northern pike I’ve seen before.  But as the area is locked we opted for another site.  We went to Alstead South for our night dive instead arriving at our entry point at about 9:00 pm.  There were four vehicles there covered in mud that had clearly been out “off-roading.”  A tent was set up as well as a large tarp awning.  We chatted briefly with the people and they seemed nice enough and interested in what we were doing as non-scuba divers so often are.  We had a bit of a surface swim to get to where we wanted to make our descent.  During this time we heard some gunfire coming from the other side of the lake.  My buddy said to me half jokingly, I really hope they’re not shooting in our direction….We did the dive, not a great night dive, but OK.  When we got out of the water I was hearing a whole lot of loud talk and cussing coming from the campsite. I looked over to see one of their party get up out of his chair stumble a few feet with a bottle in his hand and then fall down.  As we were taking off our gear and putting it away, a fist fight broke out between 2 of the campers, which was broken up fairly quickly by one of the others…I guess ya could say that this detracted somewhat from the ambiance of the night dive experience. 
On another day we dove the far West side of Alstead.  We pulled up to the spot, which I had already talked up quite a bit to the other divers as being quite picturesque.  What we saw made my stomach turn and my blood boil.  I’ve encountered areas of trash up at the pits before.  I’ve encountered them so frequently I even make a habit of bringing a couple of extra trash bags with me.  This mess was just so wanton and deliberate that I guess it hit me a bit harder.  I don’t usually take photos of trash, but in this instance I did.  I know there has been a lot of discussion back and forth as to the pros and cons of limiting access to the area in an attempt to control and regulate those who use it.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any problem with people camping or for that matter people drinking.  I love to camp.  I’ve also certainly been known to enjoy a drink or two.  It’s those few people who just disregard the area and the rights of others that bother me.  I go camping I try VERY, VERY hard to make sure I leave the area in as good or hopefully better shape than when I arrived.  I don’t yell and scream and play my music so LOUD you want to get underwater to shut out the noise.  I’ve done a fair amount of camping over the years up at the pits, but as of this spring when I heard about the prohibition Alyson and I decided to abide by it.  We did this more out of repeated negative experiences than a law-abiding nature.  The trash, loud music, gunfire, and potential for violence is just not the type of experience we look for when we want to camp and dive…it’s not who we are!!  In my mind this is one of the reasons why I would support some type of regulation.  So many people can enjoy an area and treat it respectfully. It only takes one or two to ruin it for everyone else….I just love diving this area, and when IDIOTS are not around I also just enjoy being up there.  This area sees far too much abuse, and I shed a tear and get angry when I see it.

[BioDiver]

We saw the same thing on the north side of Hunnington.  People camping at a couple sites and at one site, the same intentional disrespectful piles of trash that you found.  Those idiots even made the effort to haul out a trash can and dumped its contents all over.  We (the MSD fun dive) filled all of the giant trash bags we had (filled four 50 gallon bags) and we still didn't even come close to getting it all.

These vandals had to have made an intentional effort to haul all of this trash out there for the specific purpose of dumping it all over.  This was not just "camping trash."

Overall, though, the pits are cleaner and safer now than a few years ago despite a few 'bad eggs'.

[wtdrm]

From now on. I am going to take a picture of campers and license plates. Then when I go by them if there is any trash around we know who to blame.
This REALLY PISSES me off. It is a great resource. We will all lose it because of idiots like this.
CJ

[scubadog76]

I first visited the Crosby pits in 2002 and loved it because of the rustic/wild mentallity.  If you wanted to camp, pick any spot and camp.  Accessability to dive sites was based on your vehicles ability.  The do-what-you-feel aspect was part of its charm.  The last couple of years I just get an uneasy feeling everywhere.  There are all sorts of thugs hanging out back there (even a streaker) and every time I dive, I wonder if I will surface to find a broken car window or a raided camp site.  The locals there have no clue what an enterprise that area could be for their town.  It's a small enough town that the cops have to know who is trashing the place and it's obvious they just don't care.  If you saw trucks covered top to bottom in mud, the off road rules have apparently not stuck.  When I first heard the state/dnr was stepping in I was so against it.  Now it's probably the only way people can keep diving up there.  Their involvement can't come soon enough.

[wtdrm]

In my opinion its notthe Crsoby locals. Brainerd is just the place for these thigs to come from!!

[LKunze]

Man, that trash is B.S.  What an eyesore!  > I wish the cops/DNR would step in to crack down on all of the damn losers that are ruining the place.  I hate to say it but I'd like to see the place patrolled even if it means an admission fee to get in.

[MAXFACTOR]

GENTLEMEN.....    art,    chuck   lonnie and all concerned.   

I will agree with all the statements that have been posted.  However,   it may not be the campers...    it may be nature itself.   Alright,  Iwill explain, because I know you're all thinking Im on crack. 

Yes... the campers may have left a bag there,  but  if you ever take a look up in the sky, you will see  VULTURES.....     VULTURES, can   and do open up bags, just like what you have seen.    Lets think about it reasonably here.    The avg. persons,  are all good, thoughtful, and considerate of nature.  Yes, there are some unrulely ones out of Brainerd,  but  I would be willing to bet that it was in a bag, or bags, and the VULTURES......  ripped them apart. 

I even saw a Vulture, open a can of beer one time for REAL.. 

Of course it was for a   Honey wise,  by Liney.

Thats my thoughts  for what ever they are worth.

MAXFACTOR

[LKunze]

Yeah, never thought of that one but if the A-Holes would take their trash with them when they leave and dispose of it properly there'd be nothing for nature to scatter.  The area is due for a clean-up event.

[MAXFACTOR]

Lonnie,  if your volunteering  I will co chair with you... Lets do it for the heck of it.  WE CAN ORGANIZE SOME FREEBEE's  from  CERTAIN BUSINESS's  I KNOW.. 

MEAT,,  BUNNS,  EGGs and potatoes....possibly beverages for the entire weekend for up to 50 campers.  and garbage bags

maxfactor

[MAXFACTOR]

ahhhh  haaaaa...... you see Dr. Art,,,,,,,,,      after careful examination of your own picture,   

the white bag in the center forefront of picture, to be more precise  ( I  copied it and blew it up to 250%)  you can see  the  name on the bag is  TOLEDO... and then it has holes that are not man made,  more vulturistic  as the  rips are not congruant with normal stretch type rips in plastic bags that we might normally recognize as being man made;

and when you factor in that The OHIO  state BUCKEYES... were in Brainerd last week, you may conclude without certainty of course that the BRAINERD  (usual easy targets) may not be the root of the problem,

Then again,  sure enough,  in the back ground  there is  a  Lienie  HONESY WISE can of beer.......    opened of course!

maxfactor