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Post by bacpacer on Sept 30, 2019 11:27:11 GMT -8
On Sept. 26 we were on a 4 day backpacking trip and stopped to eat lunch at campsite 64 on Noland creek when 4 park service ranger vehicles pulled in. 4 rangers and a policeman in blue with a K-9 got out and proceeded to put on vests and got ready for something. They parked 15 feet away from us. We kiddingly raised our hands and asked what we had done. They were all business. One asked where we were heading for the night, we told him, but he didn't seem concerned. The only answer they gave was "there was a minor incident here last night, nothing to be concerned about". Sure, a minor incident that required 5 officers. I haven't seen that many rangers in the Smokies, together, ever. Anybody possibly know what happened? Kevinumberger, you heard anything? |
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Post by kevinumberger on Oct 4, 2019 18:15:33 GMT -8
i have not heard anything............
i have been outta town for the last couple of weeks dealing with family stuff, so i havent heard scuttlebutt in the newsroom either...
i can drop an email to the park PIO but kinda doubtful i'll actually get any facts beyond "rangers investigating"..
the PIO's for the last few years, since the retirement of bob and nancy, are a little more tight lipped about what's going on...
bob and nancy would give it to me pretty straight forward and all that....
so, they drove the vehicles up the trail?
i have seen that on hazel creek..........early in the morning i heard what i thought was a car and thought it was weird way back in the backcountry..........popped my head out of tent and sure enough saw them zipping by....
another time---i hopped a ride on the back of an atv and got a ride up hazel creek to bone valley.....a two hour hike or whatever it was, turned into a ten minute ride.....it was awesome....
so, anyways, ill drop an email............and its also the weekend so not sure when or if i will get a response....
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Post by bacpacer on Oct 7, 2019 8:52:18 GMT -8
I've seen park service trucks at campsite 64 before, so that wasn't surprising. But 4 cars,5 LEO's and a dog was very unusual.
I appreciate anything you can find out about this.
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,866 
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Post by Westy on Oct 7, 2019 9:52:52 GMT -8
I'll take a SWAG. Reason for large contingency. Training new rangers on an innocuous incident.
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Post by kevinumberger on Oct 7, 2019 11:05:00 GMT -8
as of 3 pm eastern time, still havent heard anything back from park's PIO...
probably got lost in the shuffle since i emailed saturday night.....
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Post by kevinumberger on Oct 7, 2019 14:33:53 GMT -8
got an email just a bit ago from the PIO----she is outta the office on a work trip but passed the inquiry on to the head ranger....
once the head ranger gets back to me, I'll pass it on....
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Post by kevinumberger on Oct 11, 2019 17:26:50 GMT -8
got an email today from the Park's PIO and below is what she wrote me.
It was kinda what i thought it was going to be----without many details and very vague...
I hope she answere my follow questions i have for her...
"Our rangers received assistance from a Waynesville Police Department K9 unit to search for evidence related to an open investigation in that general area. The incident was not related to any crimes against people. The site was not closed to the public as there was no threat to people hiking or camping in the area. "
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Post by ashepabst on Oct 12, 2019 5:34:23 GMT -8
Going after someone with weed?
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,936
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Post by driftwoody on Oct 12, 2019 5:54:37 GMT -8
Going after someone with weed? Operation Smoke-Em-Out. Are you sure this didn't take place at Smokemont? |
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Post by kevinumberger on Oct 12, 2019 18:58:47 GMT -8
going after people without weed.....
it's a crime to go backpacking with miss merry jane.....
and up in Wisconsin, and it's about an hour away from alpine valley music theatre, which has featured
the grateful dead and phish with the fans camping there----is (richard) bong state recreational area.
sadly, the rangers there dont like the green lettuce, and will ticket/arrest people..
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Post by bacpacer on Oct 14, 2019 8:07:16 GMT -8
Kevin, appreciate your efforts to find out what was going on.
Lots of manpower to look for a little weed.
When we left to get back on the trail, they one ranger was motioning with his arms in a 10 foot circle, pointing to the ground and said something to the effect "It was in this area right here".
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Post by kevinumberger on Oct 15, 2019 21:27:17 GMT -8
Lots of manpower to look for a little weed. keep in mind----the weed part is only a joke....... ive been meaning to email her back for more specifics but i've been dealing with family things the last few weeks.... |
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