Re: [Paddlewise] Peace River experience

...I think we can agree to draw the line at strewing the river and its
shores with trash, don't you?


>Do the "rednecks" have any less right to enjoy their pastimes on their
>river, then we do? It's a tough question with no easy answer..
>
>Cya
>
>Bob Denton
>Delray Beach
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
>[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of Peter van den
>Hurk
>Sent: Monday, November 08, 1999 12:40 PM
>To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net; gasp_at_lists.intelenet.net
>Subject: [Paddlewise] Peace River experience
>
>
>Last weekend (Nov. 6-7) we did an overnight canoe trip on the Peace River,
>from Zolfo Springs to Gardner, Fl. I want to use this opportunity to
>express my disgust about what is going on on this river. While we were
>waiting for our shuttle to be set, we saw 5 busloads of paddlers being
>dumped at the put in at Prairy Creek park, by the Canoe Outpost and Canoe
>Safaries. And more must have been brought in earlier. Most of these
>paddlers were very loud already, and stuffed their canoes with coolers and
>suitcases of beer, not being bothered by the presence of other,
>non-commercially-outfitted, nature loving paddlers. During the waves of
>these annoying rednecks coming over, we even lost some of our gear. Once on
>the river we were constantly bothered by obviously intoxicated river users:
>they flipped their canoes, leaving their stuff floating down river, they
>were loud, annoying, and hitting on the females in our group. And they were
>everywhere! By the end of the day, while looking for a campsite, there was
>no way to avoid these hords of neanderthals: all potential campsites were
>taken. We ended up on a muddy site, as far away as possible from the noise.
>But still, after dark there was no way not to be bothered by the noise
>produced, which culminated when loud fireworks were set off next to us in
>the middle of the night!
>
>We were looking forward to a quiet weekend on the Peace River, away from
>the Homecoming madness in Gainesville. But this was even worse. And it is
>not only my own peace that I am worried about, I am worried about the
>river. I was disgusted by all the trash that is floating around, and I can
>see that the landowners are not happy with the hundreds of people camping
>on the banks each weekend, without any facilities around. Obviously nobody
>cares to dig a pit for his/her droppings, fire circles are everywhere,
>clothslines are left behind, and then there is the trash! Beer cans and
>glass everywhere!
>
>Needless to say that I had a very bad experience this weekend. And I blame
>this on the commercial outfitters, who obviously make good money out of the
>exploitation of the precious natural resources ($60 per canoe). I am not an
>advocate of alcohol restrictions, adults should know how to drink
>responsibly.
>But in this case I think it would help a lot when alcoholic beverages would
>be banned from the river, to weed out the people who should be in a bar,
>and not on a beautiful river. And I think that the commercial outfitters
>can do a lot to help achieve this: just don't allow beer in the bus. In the
>end this may even help their businesses survive! For now I will not advise
>anybody to go paddling on the Peace River.
>
>Peter van den Hurk
>
>
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