we have been camping @ hay canyon for over 10 years with no problems. That was until two years ago when the local raft guides( 2 local companies but i wont name names) decided this is a great spot to party and leave trash behind. The sheriff stopped by one morning and told us he had no problems with us staying there but the homeowners down the road are complaining about the garbage,cars speeding up the road, and all the noise on the weekend that carries down the valley. Unfortunately it only takes a few people making poor decisions to spoil it for the rest of us. I think the forest service is trying to deter people from camping there so they don't have to deal with as many complaints.I'm not saying tossing your stuff in the garbage is okay but we all get lumped together as the "problem". I've watched multiple spots get closed down due to these types of problems and I hope hay canyon doesn't become one of them.

That sucks-- too bad "Washington's largest raft company" can't or won't provide an alternative place for their "guides" to stay. That is only one reason why I think said company is lame

But, its not Mr. Raft Company Tycoon's fault people are being sloppy w/ their garbage. Then again, I remember a time long, long ago (on a river far away) when the LEAVE NO TRACE ethos was firmly embedded in the code of the raft guide.

Raft guide culture as a whole these days has been mostly reduced to a collection of wannabes, carbon copies of carbon copies of poorly copied copies. These guys are wannabes, but they don't know who they wannabe, or who they should be. No wonder the entire industry is failing. But then this circles back to the root cause of that: the owners of these companies.

No offense, rutrow, but I'm not sure why you would leave anything behind unattended in the first place. Seems like an invitation "hey- come jack my stuff (or throw it away if you are forest service)"

I see the convienience of staying at Hey (douchebag, can you pick up after yourself please?) Canyon, I just don't see the romance of it. I never liked staying there myself.

I am just gonna say +1

Well, I agree we should police ourselves. And again, yep I don't have the facts or details here. Just seems like a weird response from them. Once that jeanie is out of the bottle they do owe you, and thats why I think its F'd up. Because it is a waste of resources all around.

Still, I'da thought it more likely that some random asshole would have stolen your stuff before the forest service did. Seems like the act of a mindless robot or something incapable of reason (I guess like the government).

Just wanted to add I'm not saying its all the raft guides fault, I realize locals dump trash as well. The sheriff did mention he received a lot more complaints during the time the guides were there. The bottom line is we cant change what the local rednecks do @ hay canyon but we can work to improve our image as kayakers with the residents @ the bottom of the road.