Up The River,

I think that you make a very good point, I also wouldn’t have thought to mention what you have. But on another note I think it’s important to mention that it isn’t just Juan and Pablo or a Mexican mafia involved in illegal grow operations, but people of many other ethnicities as well that go out to remote locations to set up grow operations, that if you come across them and the operation while out for a stroll in the mountains one day, they are definately going to look at you as a threat to their hefty profits, and unless you’re bullet proof, one can find themselves in a very dangerous situation. I think it just reiterates the fact that regardless of what you’re doing out in the wilderness, always use common sense.

Manerva - 19 August 2008 04:59 PM

A very similar thing happened to me about 9 years ago.  I won’t ever go up an logging road again because of it.

You know, this just makes me sick.  Literally sick. 

One of the things I always loved about living here was being able to drive up an abandoned logging road whether it be in a car or on a motorcycle and just explore.  Now, the old roads you could once go up are either blocked by a big steel gate or guarded by pot growers.  It was always a nice to have so many recreational areas so close to home, especially when visitors from out of town visit.  But, try hiking on a popular, open trail and you can get gunned down and then be chided posthumosly for being stupid enough for being there and not wearing bright colors.  Go down below, and you now have to worry about drive-by shootings and other sundry gang activities in public places.

Don’t get me wrong, living here is still worlds away from Seattle or LA or Phoenix or New York, but it appears that given time, and at the rate it’s going, it won’t be much more safe for very long.

Well said LivinUpRiver, very well said man.

I do realize it isn’t just one ethnic group using our public lands (taxpayer paid) for their pot crop.  It just seems so many Mexican run operations have been in the news lately.

My personal opinion is that the Mexican run operations are probably more dangerous.  They have taken HUGE chances already and have huge crops.  They are very organized in their endeavors. Their cousins or friends have keys to the gates because they have been working up there.  They don’t mind hiking a ways because, heck, they already made a big trek to just get into the US.  My guess would be, and just a guess, that the white guy’s crop is only a few plants for personal use.........  I really don’t know.  I don’t mean to sound predjudice but as I learn more, I am leaning towards pointing a finger one way a lot of the time.....

Just be careful out there.  We just don’t know what we will run into anymore.

Yeah man I totally hear you, we really don’t know what we’ll run into anymore.

But yeah I have heard of hispanics who have rural pot growing operations, and I even know a guy who is a FedEx delivery man who told me a story about when he made a big delivery to a house up in concrete of ultra-violet heating lamps. That a guy came out of a barn with a very large shotgun wanting to know if the delivery guy was affiliated with the goverment, and the guy was a white dude who had the gun. I’ve heard of black guys who have had grow operations deep in the wildernees of marijuana as well. Just all i’m saying is anyone who is a rather successful drug dealer who is growing large amounts of marijuna who catchs you coming across their cash crop is not gonna like you that you found it, and you might end up sleepin with the fishes"in the words of Al Capone”. But there are alot of crops that are located that often times are so far out in a remote location, that authorities don’t find the owner because there is no need for the grow operater to stick around, except for to periodically come back to check and tend to their crops.

So indeed be safe out there people, you never know what you might run into.

dj-defkawn - 19 August 2008 05:57 PM

you might end up sleepin with the fishes"in the words of Al Capone”

Actually, those are the words of Richard Castellano’s character “Clemenza” in The Godfather.  The actual line was “It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes”.  ;-)

LivinUpriver - 19 August 2008 06:06 PM

dj-defkawn - 19 August 2008 05:57 PM

you might end up sleepin with the fishes"in the words of Al Capone”

Actually, those are the words of Richard Castellano’s character “Clemenza” in The Godfather.  The actual line was “It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes”.  ;-)

“Leave the gun, take the Canolli”

LivinUpRiver:

I totally agree with you....I was also so excited to have so many recreational spots to go to (when I moved here), but after that experience (and how it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up) I’m afraid to try it again.  Especially being a woman with a child.  I just don’t feel safe.

Manerva - 19 August 2008 06:11 PM

“Leave the gun, take the Canolli”

Ha-ha!  One of my favorite movie lines ever! ;-)

Manerva, same situation here, as a female and young daughter with me, my experience was very unnerving.  I don’t let it stop me though.  We can’t live in fear, we just have to be more aware.

Thanks alot guys lol, I am pretty rusty on my mobster movie history facts lol.

Yo and I totally hear you Manerva and Up The River. Being a mother in a rural location with your child, and then possibly driving head first into an illegal drug growing operation, that was probably really scary. You know it’s sad that people even have to be afraid to go and check out some of the beautifal places in the remote wilderness that are off the beaten path because they’re afraid for their own safety, or of who or what they may run into.

dj-defkawn - 19 August 2008 07:27 PM

Yo and I totally hear you Manerva and Up The River. Being a mother in a rural location with your child, and then possibly driving head first into an illegal drug growing operation, that was probably really scary. You know it’s sad that people even have to be afraid to go and check out some of the beautifal places in the remote wilderness that are off the beaten path because they’re afraid for their own safety, or of who or what they may run into.

I just hate the fact that I can’t take my daughter just anywhere to hike and explore anymore.  I guess that’s how I take precaution..but just not going to all.

Up The River, I agree with you that we can’t live in fear and generally I follow that rule of thumb; however, I NEVER take those chances with my daughter.  It may be my “soccer mom fear” (as my brother calls it)...but I’d rather be safe than sorry.  That’s also what makes me questions this 14y.o.’s parents/grandparents decision to let him go out there alone.  If they were better safe then maybe they wouldn’t be so sorry.

Manerva,

Yet another totally good point. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you taking the better safe then sorry approach in your case. As a mother I know that your strongest instinct is to wana look out for the safety of your child. Perhaps indeed if the young shooter’s family in the case of what happend on Sauk Mountain, esspecially the boy’s grandfather played it safe, then maybe we wouldn’t even have this topic to discuss in this forum right now.

But yeah, it’s definately going to be interesting to see what happens in this case with this young man.

Hmmm, interesting article in KING5 news.com today.  Makes me wonder if they have been reading this forum since it’s related to the last few posts.  I’m glad they are reporting it.  Here’s the link- http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_082008ENV_washington_pot_growing_TP.189eaa3d.html

Ha ha that just shows you the lengths that the corprate media will go to try offer quote on quote news. I’ve seen a number of media outlets that have published stories related to this incident on Sauk Mountain, and a number of them could of almost been direct quotes from forum posters on GoSkagit.com. At least the Skagit Valley Herald is nice enough to offer actual news and site their sources of their information, and not steal other people’s view points just to make a story lol. So King 5 if your reading this your can shove it where the sun don’t shine. Let’s see exactly what they publish in the headlines about that statement lol, stay tuned!

dj-
ha ha ha I agree.  Shows what kind of investigative work the online reporters actually do.
Hey King5 guys and gals, do you need some REAL reporters for upriver Skagit?  We are far more informed than you could ever be.
Also DJ, notice in that above referenced article, they were not reporting any real ‘new’ news.  All had been previously reported over the past few weeks by various news media sources.  Except maybe the quote from the fish and wildlife guy.
Ummm, what does fish and wildlife have to do with pot farms?  Why did the reporter go to him as a source?  Last resort?  Except maybe he knows the areas.

Up The River - 21 August 2008 05:17 PM

dj-
ha ha ha I agree.  Shows what kind of investigative work the online reporters actually do.
Hey King5 guys and gals, do you need some REAL reporters for upriver Skagit?  We are far more informed than you could ever be.

Don’t be silly.  Print and broadcast reporters use what they can when they can and get it any way they can.  It’s the nature of the business.  As long as what they are reporting isn’t libel, it’s all fair reporting.

You guy’s really give yourselves way to much credit!!
And yes I am a beginner in this so I am sure you will critique my comment somehow, someway!