The following document is going to be placed in the registration can at the Chicken Strip. It's not meant to be preachy, and I'm not trying to be the governor of the CS, but some of the occurrences at the CS this winter have been, er, unfortunate.

I know that the vast majority of the people who use the CS are incredibly good stewards of the area, but the attention the strip closure generated has attracted a lot more people to the strip, and with increased use has come increased problems. Garbage has increased, scavengers lurk around at night, and someone built a fire ring in the middle of the turnaround at the top of the strip. Some of the users have been clueless about operating from a dirt strip, to the detriment of everyone else parked there.

The real impetus for the document was the open-air latrine thirty feet from the camping area. While it baffles me to contemplate it, someone (and from the "evidence", several people) though that making a rock toilet and then leaving large piles of feces and toilet paper laying around next to the camping area was a good idea. I'm crapping you negative, which is exactly opposite of what they did. That little mess has been cleaned up, and a shovel engraved with "Go Deep or Go Home" has been left at the registration can. If parts of the document seem a little snarky, well, maybe it's because I had a shitty morning. I mean, this is the sort of crap the CS doesn't need. It stinks of irresponsibility. OK, I'm done with the puns.

Without further rambling, here is the document I've drafted. OH, and before someone suggests it, I DO NOT think that trying to get a real latrine put up at the CS is a good idea. For one thing, they stink. Worse yet, it will turn the strip into an overflow campground for cars when the springs get too crowded. And really, shitting in the woods isn't that hard to do right.


NOT EVERYBODY LOVES THE CHICKEN STRIP!!
HELP KEEP IT OPEN BY OBSERVING A FEW SIMPLE RULES:

The Chicken Strip is an unofficial airstrip located in a WILDERNESS AREA inside a NATIONAL PARK. It is extremely unique, but not everyone thinks it belongs here. Unlike the roads in the valley, there is no provision for the airstrip in the wilderness act. If we don't treat it like wilderness, we may lose it! The attention the Chicken Strip received after being closed in the summer of 2011 has drawn many more users than previous years, and some of them have been pretty disrespectful or ignorant of how to behave. Following are some simple guidelines which will minimize our negative impact and the subsequent complaints which can be lodged against the airstrip. People do monitor the airstrip, and all of our actions, good or bad, are noted.

SIGN THE REGISTER EVERY TIME! A record of people using this strip is perhaps the single biggest thing we can do to keep it open. Having a long established record of airplanes safely using the strip provides the NPS with some legal cover in the event of an accident and subsequent law suit, which is one of the biggest threats to the air strip.

BRING SOMETHING FOR THE SPRINGS EACH TRIP. Everyone else does. Whether it's accurate or not, aviators are seen as people from a privileged class, and as such it's imperative that we do our part to help keep the springs operating. Talk to Lizard Lee and see what you can do to help the springs. Bleach, fertilizer, toilet paper and grass seed are always in demand. Lee and the upper spring caretakers can always use fresh produce and fruit. The springs operate almost entirely on volunteer labor and donations, so lets do our part and then some.

HUMAN WASTE: If you cannot make it over to the toilets, use proper wilderness toilet practices. Go AT LEAST 100 yards from the airstrip and DIG A HOLE AT LEAST 12 INCHES DEEP to bury your waste. BURN YOUR TOILET PAPER. Burrowing animals such as foxes and coyotes will sometimes dig up waste, and if you bury your toilet paper it can be excavated. Toilet paper will last for years in the desert, and it's not nice to come across. Matches are in the registration can if needed. The Chicken Strip is a treasure, which should remind you of the need to bury things. If burying your own waste and burning your own toilet paper is too distasteful for you, kindly quit eating ten days before arriving.

FIRES: If you want a campfire, you need to bring in your firewood. Do NOT collect firewood from the desert. It's against park regulations, obvious to a ranger looking for evidence of it, and inherently inefficient. Additionally, dead wood around the Chicken Strip is literally teaming with scorpions, and the brush is prime rattlesnake habitat.

If you bring firewood with you, USE A FIRE-PAN. It's required by park regulations. Coincidentally, the rocks around the Chicken Strip will explode if used for a fire ring, sending shards of hot rock in all directions. No, we're not making that up. Do not burn plastic, foil, food packaging, etc.. If you wouldn't smoke it in a pipe, don't burn it in your fire. Pack out your ashes or disperse them in such a way as make them less obvious.

Do not leave cardboard or newspaper or any other material which can blow away. Secure your aircraft and camp against the windstorms that frequent the area. Everything that blows away is a piece of trash for someone else to find and complain about. Tents which are not properly staked down can blow for miles, even with gear inside them.

Police the area for micro-trash. Cigarette butts, pistachio shells, broken glass, twist ties, etc. are all things which need to be packed out.

Secure all food inside your plane. Coyotes will chew through plastic tubs and force the lids off of coolers. Ravens will destroy styrofoam coolers in seconds. Ravens and foxes are very adept at stealing any unguarded food, including "empty" soup cans, food packaging, and dirty dishes. The food containers get carried off into the desert where they become trash. Foxes come into camp each night, so secure all foodstuff before going to bed.

It is recommended that you not sleep on the ground without a tent during warm months. Rattlesnakes and scorpions are common around the strip and active at night, and campers have been bitten while sleeping on the ground. Remember, all wildlife, including rattlesnakes, are protected inside the national park.



AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS:

The surface of the Chicken Strip is EXTREMELY abrasive. Use great care not to prop-blast other airplanes parked at the strip. A regular run-up, especially with a propeller cycle, will cause significant damage to your propeller, nose strut (if you're unlucky enough to have one), and empennage. Utilizing the short-field technique taught in private pilot school of applying full power with the brakes locked will take twenty years off the life of your airplane, create a biblical cloud of dust, and make everyone around think you're an idiot. Feeding in power gradually while rolling will do wonders to protect your propeller and airframe. MOST aircraft don't need full power applied until they are 1/3 of the way down the runway.

Not everyone loves airplane noise. Military aircraft are basically exempt from complaint, but civilian aircraft are not. Make your climb-out away from the springs and do not buzz the springs on arrival or departure.

Beware of burrows. Several burrow-trails cross the airstrip, and they aren't smart enough to stay out of your way. If burrows are heading towards the strip, consider postponing your takeoff or landing till they have passed.

Encourage people to get proper short/soft/rough field training before coming here. Inexperienced pilots having accidents is NOT GOOD for the future of the strip. Along those lines, if you damage your airplane on arrival or departure, swallow your pride and resist the temptation to lambast the airstrip conditions. Dozens of pilots flying every conceivable type of airplane use the Chicken Strip hundreds of times each year without incident. If you bent yours, it's not because the strip is too rough... As pilot in command you are responsible for determining if the runway environment is suitable for your aircraft and skill level. If you were erroneous in your determination, don't make excuses. Suck it up, clean it up, and shut it up.

Agreed. Thanks Hammer

Proper rant/advice.

Where you been Hammer?

Thanks for posting - sure sucks when places get trashed!

BURN YOUR TOILET PAPER. Burrowing animals such as foxes and coyotes will sometimes dig up waste, and if you bury your toilet paper it can be excavated. Toilet paper will last for years in the desert, and it's not nice to come across. Matches are in the registration can if needed.

You guys that burn your toilet paper be carefull if you do that up in the woods. Smokey the bear might be watching.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 96,9779000

Hammer is right on. If we don’t manage our own we “WILL LOSE THE CHICKEN STRIP”.

The President of the RAF John McKenna has just signed a new and more restrictive maintenance agreement with the National Park Service, Death Valley version. I was lucky enough to watch it happen and it was VERY obvious that the NPS wants the strip CLOSED. The maintenance agreement wasn’t due to renew for two more years but because the RAF didn’t give them a reason to leave it closed last November they decided to bring the old maintenance agreement up to current requirements with new wording. AGAIN the RAF did not give them something to hang there hat on to cancel the agreement so a new one was signed. WE, all fliers, that go into and enjoy the Chicken strip, must do our best to show a professional appearance and clean up after the ones that don’t know any better. California is the WORST place in the country for remote recreational back country strips to enjoy. In order to hold on to what we have we must make that extra effort to keep them. Then make that Extra Extra effort to educate those that would take what we have away. As a result we will then be in a position to maybe acquire new or old closed places to enjoy.

OK I’ll get down off my Soap Box.

Rick

Well said, Hammer. Thanks both for the cleanup and leaving clues for the clueless.

The California chapter of the 170 assoc. is planning a fly in to the chicken strip in March. I will forward this to them/us and probably solicit a wish list of goodies for us to fly in.

Spend a little time with the Mexican road grader [rake]. I did 10 minutes. Take 1 or 2 pieces of garbage with you when you leave. I do that everywhere I go in the backcountry. Tread lightly. Leave only foot, and tire prints.

Good post Hammer.


Apologize for for being picky (myself being way down on the list of good spellers).

Burro - a small feral donkey who shares his larger brethren's penchant for finding out what you want him to do - - and then not doing it.
Burros - a group of such stubborn animals.

Burrow - a hole in the ground that some animals dig to make a home. There have been no reports of burros burrowing.
Burrows - a number of such holes, none of which are likely to contain burros.

bumper

bumper wrote:
Burrows - a number of such holes, none of which are likely to contain burros.

bumper

Unless the Burrow is large enough In that case, I guess it would be called "A Large Hole"?

OK........ I'll stroll back to my corner for another time out

Unless the Burrow is large enough In that case, I guess it would be called "A Large Hole"?

Or with some of the Burro I work with, "Large A Hole"

BTW....... Good post, Hammer.

What about installing a sign at the airstrip with the Rules & Regs posted for all to see and with a note about possible closure of airstrip if the rules and regs aren't followed?

And also, I'd like to think that most all pilots are good stewards of the land, airstrip and campsites. But, there is also nothing there at the Chicken Strip from keeping other vehicles out of the area around the airstrip and camp sites. Sure there's always a bad apple in every group, but could this be an attempt at sabotaging the airstrip by some other non-aviation type group of people or person? Or the very people that don't want the strip open? (OK, call me crazy. But just a thought ).

After all, somebody already tried to close the airstrip down for good. Well, "Plan A" didn't work in his/their favor. So maybe on to "Plan B"? I know I might be far out there in left field, but just saying.

Sounds like Chicken Strip could close when pigs fly.

bumper wrote:...Burrow - a hole in the ground that some animals dig to make a home. There have been no reports of burros burrowing.
Burrows - a number of such holes, none of which are likely to contain burros. bumper

Hammer wrote:....Beware of burrows. Several burrow-trails cross the airstrip, and they aren't smart enough to stay out of your way. If burrows are heading towards the strip, consider postponing your takeoff or landing till they have passed.......

I wondered about this, as I'd never seen a herd of holes on the move......