Camping in the Crosby Mines

[MNLakeDiver]

there was only 1 dive shop camping there. 3 shops diving there but they had trucks and cars parked there.
when I left the area was much cleaner then when I arrived.( I was Camping there)
I have spoken to the state about camping there and they said they can not enforce the Policy of no camping because they dont own the land and there id no law against camping unless the owners complain obout tresspassers.
If we had all camped at Portsmouth and drove to the sight it would have looked the same
my point was actualy it is not the divers/campers making the mess it is groups of teens that go in there to party and drink then leave their mess behind.

[arcFlash]

How close are we, as divers, getting to losing access to the private land?

An observation, some people have set up tents to change in so it looked like campers but they were not.

[AngelFire91]

It is a mjor problem I would agree. The first times I started diving around the Crosby area I felt ok with leaving my car unlocked or something laying on the side of the entry area. This most recent time I went I didn't want to leave anything laying around or I really didn't want to leave the truck just sitting there. There were a bunch of "Iffy" people hanging out around there and it wasn't a very plesent experiance. I'm only 24 and didn't like what was going on around there. I don't remember ever being that way when I was in high school. I always cleaned up after myself leaving it better then it was before. Last time the "Camp site" that is just to the south of the entry, the place with the rope swing, was trashed worse then I have ever seen it. Talking to a local, he said there was a party of about 40 to 50 kids there the previous night and it looked like they had trashed and burned everything they owned. There was a BBQ grill that had been distroyed, what looked to be a mattress that was burned and everything. I'm very dissapointed in what has happened to the area, but talking to a couple of local land owners in the area from what I understand the area around a lot of the pits is privately owned and the State has no avail to patrol or fine anyone in the area. Even more from what I hear the people that own the land around the Louise access are actually not from around there and don't live nearby and probably don't even know what's been going on there. Correct me if I'm wrong or someone has better information please. I still don't see why the state couldn't just drive by, every now and then. Even if they can't do anything just the presents of them might cut down some of the riff raff.

Just my 2 cents,
Kevin

[MNLakeDiver]

the police can not patrol the ares because we are protected from that by the bill of rights. the whole thig about needing a warrent to serch private property.( I for one am unwilling to give up the bill of rights to save me from cleaning)

[wtdrm]

Mrweekend and I met with the person in charge of planning that site. Boy are there some misguided people in that group. 1st you have to understand. The state only owns about 5% of the land that they want to develop. The Louise area is not part of that 5%. The no camping signs you see are only on what the state controls. Believe me, Milt, that you do not want the state controlling any more than they do.
As far as the control, we divers have to organize. It has been said before, to try and prosecute the people that are doing the harm. I used to go to Crosby 8-10 times a year. I have not been there but once this year. Not because of the conditions but other personal things going on in my life.
Crosby in my opinion is still hands down better that Wazee. More sites, shorter trips (for anybody living in the NW metro)and so far it is free.
As far as then Portsmouth campground not having facilities, I will explain to the best of my ability. STATE REGULATIONS When the state bought the campground it had all the amenities. The work had adhered to local regs. However when the state took over it now had to adhere to the state regs, The state cannot afford to bring it up to their own codes.
Now, do you still want the state to run the site. Milt or anybody else for that matter. PM me with a contact # and I will talk personally about what I discovered at the meeting.
I personnaly think all of us divers should band together, kick in a couple hundred grand apiece and buy it.
When I win the lottery thats what I will do. I will name it the Jere Thorne dive park.
CJ

[DiverQueen]

I think Jere would have been honored to have the Crosby dive area named after him! 

[Milt]

I agree with you in part - Most divers that camp are very respectful of their fellow divers and do make an effort to clean up after themselves. However, I am finding more frequently that the garbage and litter left at dive sites is from divers, not as you say, teens. Teens don't use Aqualung products, or Zeagle products. Labels from these products were mixed in with the beer bottles and soda cans that were piled up and left at the site. I also find it very inconsiderate when divers park trailers on the access ramp to Louise so other divers cannot get to the access easily. Louise happens to be a very popular dive site. It has great visibility, recreational depths, and a variety of things to dive on. Dive groups should be respectful of others rights to dive the same site. I feel that, as a community, the divers need to be a little more thoughtful of others that may want to enjoy the activity and see the things we see.

[Milt]

  Milt, I do not know which shops were camping in the pits but that's a pretty bold assumption you have that the dive shop events are responsible for trashing the pits.  If you do not have facts then don't make accusations. 
  Also, from what I have heard from several sources, the state cannot enforce no camping rules on the entire cluster of pits because they do not hold land rights to the entire area. 
  For more information I'd recommend contacting MSD and talking to Bill or Todd.  No one is more in tune with the real deal regarding regulations up there than they are.
[/quote]
That was not a bold assumption. I found Aqualung and Zeagle labels mixed in with beer bottles and cans left in a pile for someone else to clean up. It may not have been from your shop, but it definitely was from divers. When hikers and campers enjoy the wilderness areas of our country they carry garbage bags with them and whatever they carry in, they also carry out. Perhaps, divers need to adapt that same policy. As a diver, I should not have to clean up someone else's garbage before I can go diving. I should not have to clean up someone else's garbage for any reason. I know for a fact that the police can patrol the Louise area because I personally witnessed two patrol vehicles enter the area last year and arrest several teens for drinking and littering. Unless the laws or jurisdictions have changed in the last year the police are still a viable option for support.

[freedivernd]

those dang teens that are ripping off those aqualung and zeagle labels to throw with their beer cans and other trash just to make it look like it came from us divers.. what's next? 

No, I agree, I don't like others' trash.. but of all the trash.. what really gets me is broken bottles.. that'll fricken' (is that a bad word? One of my daughters uses it all the time.) ruin a site in no time and ruin it good.

Fred
"Where's that bar of soap?"

[LKunze]

I am not affiliated with any dive shops.  Not sure what you meant with that comment.