I don't mind an occasional fire ring and cleared out area every few miles. As long as they are kept clean and look established, it's a reminder that people actually use the trails. We don't have many hikers in my neck of the woods. I get so tired of being asked what I'm hunting. All we have are ATVers and deer hunters, they pretty much have control of the national forests. If you mention you're a hiker, people act like they've never heard of such. As far as the beautiful local rivers, we get partying idiots in the summer, and they trash the place. The locals don't know anything about paddling, they only use noisy johnboats and take their fishing as seriously as their deer and squirrel hunting. The area is so poor, that the meat they take does help sustain their families, I'll give them that much credit. At least you can pick up trash and toss the rocks from a fire ring. Many of our trails have been irreversibly destroyed by ATVers, and there is nothing the handful of the local hikers can do about it. ATVers around here are usually drinking and carrying firearms, and are threatening to hikers, since they hate them so bad. They just hate it that their "rights: to use the forest are outlawed and we have no motorized vehicle signs on the trails. They even vengefully trashed some old trail we recently rehabilitated, in retaliation for us invading their pot growing and meth making hideouts. Heck, I'm glad to see a little litter once in a while, if it is hiker litter. It's quite nice compared to the outlaw ATVers.
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