April 17, 2000

This year's IRC Trail Clean-Up was quite entertaining.  I had the opportunity to ride in an uncommon military cargo vehicle and Steve Duifuis found a foot.  

Like the past few years, I walked onto the ferry due to the high vehicle fare (I am doing my best to avoid ranting about how our pathetic NDP government has mismanaged the ferry system).  Rick (Tiny) Reimer picked me up from the terminal and we headed out to Sooke to meet up with the rest of the Island Rock Crawlers.  By the time we arrived, the clean-up was well underway.  Most of the club was out on the trails collecting trash while a skeleton crew remained at the base site to sort through garbage and clean-up the trash in that area.  As they had done in the past, Sooke Disposal had donated the use of two very large garbage dumpsters.  This was the club's fifth clean-up event in the Sooke area. Prior years were spent at the Harbourview Road trail system but fortunately, dumping has decreased to the point where the club only sent two vehicles there this year. The rest of the club members (approximately 50 people showed up, even though the weather forecast called for rain) focused their efforts on the Butler/Boneyard roads.

The biggest mess this year was created by some  moron that dumped several hundred pounds of roofing material.  The most offensive garbage was the same as last year...animal carcasses.  Fortunately, carcasses decompose rather quickly, in much the same way that asphalt roofing shingles don't.  Each club truck that returned to empty its load was filled more than I thought possible.  Huge rusted culverts, broken bicycles, bullet-hole-ridden appliances, burned and crushed vehicles; nothing was too big or too inaccessible for them to collect. 

It was heavy work but fortunately there were a lot of people helping out.

We filled the scrap metal container to overflowing.

 

Half way through the day, some non-club members, Bob and Marg Patterson, from Duncan arrived to help out.  They've logged several thousand kilometers exploring the trails around Sooke and they decided to give something back by helping out on the trails.  They proved to be a great distraction...or more accurately, their vehicle was a great distraction.  I was crouched down with my back to the road when I heard a large, diesel-powered vehicle approaching.  Someone said, "what the heck is that?!"  I turned and found myself staring at an ex-US Army Gamma Goat.  It made quite an impression: Detroit Diesel power; a rear-engined tractor coupled with a partially articulating trailer with its own driven and steerable axle; sealed and pressurized external drum brakes; 6x2 or 6x6 operation; and both units built on an aluminum hull design that allowed the 7000 lb vehicle to float.  The camouflage paint job was the icing on the cake.  

Needless to say, everyone who set eyes upon the beast had to stop and ask what it was.  Bob and Marg displayed infinite patience by happily answering the same questions over and over again.   

The 'Goat was ideally suited to the task of trail cleaning.  Bob and I packed its trailer to overflowing and it could have easily handled twice as much more weight.  Those who were driving vehicles at the other end of the payload spectrum made up for their smaller capacity by making more trips. Every time I turned around, Ian was coming back with another load in his CJ-8.   

Bob and Marg's Gamma Goat was cause for frequent work stoppages as volunteers couldn't resist inspecting the unusual vehicle.

Eventually, the 'Goat was pressed into service and hauled its fair share of garbage.

Since we first started doing these trail clean-ups, we had joked about the possibility of finding a body in the bushes.  Well, this year was a little different.  A rumour was spreading along the trail that Steve Duifuis had found a human foot.  On our way back to the base, the rumour was backed up by the presence of an RCMP truck parked alongside the trail.  I am embarrassed to admit that my first instinct was try and get a photo for the Doh! Pages.  The constable was waiting for a conservation officer to arrive to confirm that it was not a bear paw.  Until then, he was going to stay on the scene.  I'll bet you're eager to know the outcome, aren't you?  Well, it's not particularly exciting...it turned out that it was just a bear paw.  A skinny bear paw, but a paw nonetheless.

  The clean-up officially ended around 4:00 and we headed down to the Sooke Community Association camping grounds for a BBQ. Like Sooke Disposal, they have always been ready to help out the club's efforts at keeping the trails clean. I should also point out that not all the volunteers were from the club. Some were friends of club members, others were students from the Lester B. Pearson College in Metchosin. Some came from as far as Comox to lend a land.

Club members and other volunteers were treated to a free BBQ after the clean-up. Thanks to the Sooke Community Association for lending us the campsite!

The much-rumoured human foot.

Once again, I think the IRC did a fantastic job.  Hopefully the garbage they removed won't be replaced by the time next year's clean-up rolls around.

...lars