I did not have high hopes when I set out for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The goal was to see if the barrel I found last week had been removed by the park service or if it was still sitting in the exact same spot. This time I came a little more prepared, I brought a handheld GPS unit and the number for the Northeast Region DEP. I figured if the park service didn't move on this barrel by now a little kick from the DEP would get them moving. I worked my way down the same stream as last time and started working towards the debris piles.
Started finding trash items and started jamming them in my pack. I had a little trouble orienting myself and after walking in one circle I figured out I wasn't far enough down stream. Much of this area looks the same, flat, rocky, with bent over small trees. It didn't take much longer and I found the area I had previously cleaned.
No surprise, there it was. I took down the GPS coordinates and then walked over and gave it a tap. My heart sank when I heard an internal echo in the barrel. It was no longer full. I grabbed the top and slowly lifted it up and was relieved to not see oil underneath it. I placed it back down and ran my hand along the bottom of the top seal. It felt like water, I smelled it and there was no odor. That for me solved the mystery. It was filled with water. I wasn't going to waste the DEP's time. That didn't mean I was letting this barrel go and just sit there. It is still a barrel with unknown contents on park service property. I continued with my clean-up, but it was back to the park headquarters after I was done.
All of this was just a few steps away from the barrel down river. I didn't even see this last time, I stopped going further after I had found the barrel. It didn't take long until I had a whole pile of things.
The cooler was something. Something that probably should have never been invented. Lets take something that is often lost in rivers and add speakers and wires to it. With the exception of the yellow rubber bag on the end of a metal rod everything else was pretty ordinary river trash.
Sorted out the recyclables from junk and packed it all into my car. It was off to the headquarters! I was greeted by the same nice man who had helped me contact the right people last time and I gave him the coordinates of the barrel. He informed me that the safety officer had spent over an hour with another individual searching for the barrel and could not find it. That very well could be true, but I did leave my contact info. I have not received any calls or e-mails from the park. So it wasn't found and was just dismissed? To me that is not doing a job right. The nice man behind the front desk then told me with the coordinates they would take care of it. I then asked him if the park would be able to take the non-recyclables I collected today. The cooler boom box was too large to fit in there small cans outside the headquarters. He then called another nice person and she informed me to bring the trash to another building. There I was greeted by her and another employee who took the non-recyclables off of my hands. To all of the park employees that I talked to in person today, thank you very much. Your help was much appreciated. As for the barrel, I am still not pleased with the way this was handled. I will be back again next week to make sure it is gone.
Before heading home I decided to do a more relaxing hike in a different section of the park. I was still cleaning up trash, but just enjoying the day and going down some new trails was the main focus.
This was one of the oddest things I have come across in the woods. It was like a woodland open air church. Large pines acted as the walls and provided a soft floor of needles to walk on down to the front, where the only religious marking stood affixed to the top of a small wall. Draped around the cross were old rosary beads. The whole scene felt weird. I think that all churches should be like this though. It would allow those attending to worship and bird at the same time and I do think that would be a draw to many.
Took a minute to sit on the riverbank and just take in the view. Not another person in sight only Penny and I. Will so many people in this world it is pleasant to find moments like this one.
The water is still too cold to even try for this can. It was fairly far in and this can will probably remain on the riverbed for another thirty years.
This was the total haul for the second trip of the day. Everything combined I think I got a lot accomplished.
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash
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