Pacific Crest Trail Reopened After Booby Traps Found

TEHACHAPI, Calif. -- Illegal off-roaders have been a problem for property owners around the Pacific Crest Trail for awhile now, and in November 2009, ABC23 first reported the extreme lengths one unknown property owner was going to in order to deter the riders. But law enforcement and other property owners said it went too far.

Mesonika Piecuch is a property owner and a part of the ORV Watch Kern County and said, "This person who did this had to be extremely disturbed. They spent a lot of time burying them into the ground such that someone can puncture their foot, a horse can puncture its hoof, someone could get seriously injured.”

On the trail was glass, rebar, barbed wire and nails set in cement. Sergeant Richard Wood with the Kern County Sheriff's Department said 50 nail devices were removed and truckloads of other debris.

And whoever planted all of the debris could be facing felony charges.

“On the state side there is a section that makes it a felony to plant a device like that that could cause death or serious bodily harm to an individual,” said Wood.

Wood also said there could also be federal charges for tampering with the Pacific Crest Trail.

Wood and Piecuch said they don’t believe the devices were planted to cause harm to hikers but to deter illegal off-roaders, which have been an ongoing battle.

Wood said officials have made some progress in fighting the problem.

“In the past, I think the belief was that we, we not only took a long time to get up there, but they were hard to catch once we got up there. I think the enforcement we have been doing has helped a lot and quite frankly, they just don’t know when that helicopter is going to be up there,” said Wood.

The Sheriff's Department, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Services are working together to increase patrol in the area and keep illegal off-roaders away.

Piecuch said that since they've increased patrol in the area, the number of illegal off-roaders has decreased.

Now that the trail has been cleaned up, Piecuch is hoping they will once again be able to enjoy it.

“There’s nothing that’s unsafe about it. I am going to be hoping that people are going to start bringing their horses back, their mules back and will come back to hike and enjoy and appreciate our Tehachapi Mountains for the way their meant to be appreciated,” said Piecuch.

Forest Service officials said the investigation of who was involved with setting all the debris is ongoing and would not elaborate on any potential charges or penalties.

While the trail has been cleaned up, if you spot anything unsafe on the trail, you should contact your local authorities.

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Source: http://www.turnto23.com/mountain/23534520/detail.html

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