Things to watch out for.

[Alligator]

The following are excerpts from the weekly law enforcement report of the USFS. While the first two items are not local to the trail, they may certainly be found from time to time. The third excerpt is to provide a better light to the second. These are just a few of the activities on the national forests.

Bitterroot NF – On 5/5, an employee of the Sula RD on routine recreation patrol discovered a large amount of trash near a gate leading to a trail. It was not until all of the bottles were in the back of her pickup that she realized she had picked up a possible methamphetamine lab dump. Fortunately, the containers were sealed and the employee was not exposed to chemicals. There are many new and different methods of making methamphetamines and the number of chemicals involved is extensive. The chemicals involved in making methamphetamine can be extremely hazardous and may become explosive when moved. These chemicals include but are not limited to Red Devil lye, anhydrous ammonia, iodine, stripped out lithium batteries, fertilizer, toluene, sodium metal, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, sodium hydroxide and trichloroethane. Trash found on the forest with bottles of any chemical mixed in should be avoided and reported to law enforcement.

Lolo NF – On 4/27, LEO’s received a report of a possible pipe bomb at the base of tree on the Superior RD. Officers responded to the area and discovered a 3-inch diameter PVC pipe 13 inches long with a cap on each end. The LEO and local SD deputies decided to explode the PVC pipe in place. After the smoke cleared the officers discovered that the PVC contained a notebook and was actually a Geo container. Geo-Caching is a new “sport” where various objects are hidden in the Forest and participants obtain GPS locations from the internet to find them. These caches are becoming popular on many forests.

[Geocachers, clearly label your caches to avoid game interuption. Pipebombers, clearly label your bombs as caches. ;) ]

[SA-?, SD-Safety Dispatch?, LEO-Law Enforcement Officer.]
Cherokee NF – On 5/10, an SA received information from the Polk County SD that a reported fugitive was camping at Spring Creek on the Ocoee/Hiwassee RD. The suspect had warrants for arrest from Wisconsin for repeated sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Officers were advised that the fugitive would flee if approached by law enforcement personnel. Late that evening, an SA and the Patrol Captain, with an LEO, Polk County SD deputies and a K-9 close by, posed as fishermen and went to the reported campsite where they located and arrested the fugitive without incident. A 29 year-old mentally impaired female was found at the site. The fugitive was turned over to Polk County SD deputies to be extradited back to Wisconsin.

[Alligator]

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - During the spring and summer of 2003, there were more than 45 car clouts in the Little River area of the park. On July 11th, a special operations group was formed in an effort to catch the thieves. Rangers kept close watch on five different sites in the area. A Ranger who was watching the Alum Cave trailhead parking area saw a man break into three cars and take items from them. Norman Everett, 45, of Limestone, TN was arrested and charged with theft of property, unauthorized entry, possession of morphine, and possession of marijuana; a 46 year-old female companion was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of marijuana. Everett has been in jail since his arrest. Everett was recently sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy, ten counts of aiding and abetting in the use of an unauthorized access device, and eleven counts of interstate transport/commerce of falsely forged security (unauthorized use of credit cards and checks). He was sentenced to 30 months in jail and ordered to pay $13,573 in restitution. He will serve his time in a federal penitentiary in Nevada. Through the hard work of the investigative team, two other people have also been charged, including his female companion. Baird and Hughes will be sentenced in June.

[MOWGLI]

The chemicals involved in making methamphetamine can be extremely hazardous and may become explosive when moved. These chemicals include but are not limited to Red Devil lye, anhydrous ammonia, iodine, stripped out lithium batteries, fertilizer, toluene, sodium metal, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, sodium hydroxide and trichloroethane.


REI does not sell Polar Pur in any of it's (3) ATlanta Stores for this very reason. People were purchasing the product in order to manufacture Meth.

[Alligator]

Cherokee NF – On 5/25, Lester Eugene Harmon was found guilty in U.S. District Court of timber theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. On 10/19/03, an LEO responded to a report that two men were stealing timber off the Watauga RD. Harmon was arrested, along with Alvin Delano Clawson, after being discovered by witnesses as the two attempted to flee the timber theft scene. The trees involved were two veneer-grade black cherry trees worth over $3,000. The utility truck they were using had been stolen the previous week in Lenoir, NC. This investigation was an example of close cooperation between LEI, Carter County SD, TWRA, THP, Lenoir PD and witnesses in the local community. Harmon is scheduled to be sentenced on 8/23. At the time of these offenses, Clawson was on pre-sentence release from the same U.S. District Court for an earlier timber theft in a nearby area of the Cherokee NF. That theft involved the removal of $28,000 worth of American Chestnut logs. As a result of the most recent offenses, Clawson’s release was revoked and he has since pleaded guilty to both timber thefts and to the possession of a stolen vehicle. Clawson was sentenced to serve nine months imprisonment and three years of supervised release, after being granted a downward departure for his cooperation in the trial of Harmon.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, the Watauga RD LEO worked closely with the Carter County SD in the arrest of six individuals in FS areas around Watauga Lake. One man was arrested for public intoxication on the Appalachian Trail after he fell into Watauga Lake and was pulled from the lake by a group of teenage swimmers. Appalachian HIDTA SA’s assisted in patrols of the Rec Areas for the holiday. They arrested one man in Carden’s Bluff CG on a warrant after he was observed smoking marijuana in his campsite.
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On 6/8 in U.S. Magistrate Court, Christian Patrick Jenson pleaded guilty to nine counts of possession of controlled substances, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. On 5/16, Jenson was arrested by an LEO on the Appalachian Trail on the Nolichucky RD. The LEO found Jenson to be in possession of marijuana, hashish, psilocybin mushrooms, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Adderall and 2C-T-7. Jenson told the LEO that he was hiking the trail to get off of drugs. Jenson is being detained until the sentencing hearing which is scheduled for 9/16.

[Brushy Sage]

Almost every week brings a new report of the bust of a methanphetamine lab somewhere in the western NC - eastern TN area. Trail maintainers here have been alerted to beware of trash piles that smell or look strange, and to contact law enforcement authorities rather than attempt to clean up the trash themselves. The trash might be toxic, and even explosive.

[kythruhiker]

We remind our trail crew monthly to look out for this sort of thing...especially what appears to be old coolers, coffee cans in trees, etc...A growing problem these days in Eastern Kentucky.

[Alligator]

Appalachia HIDTA-Tennessee - SA’s responded to a "shots fired" assistance call from the Unicoi County SD. Upon arrival, agents assisted with the dismantling of a mobile methamphetamine lab located on the Unaka RD adjacent to the Appalachian Trail. SA’s participated in a three-day search for the suspect that ended when Johnson City, TN PD officers arrested him after a brief chase. Agents cleared over eight miles of the Appalachian Trail while assisting in the search.

Sorry, no date provided, should be relatively recent.