Jeff Pack wrote:Mortuus wrote:To my knowledge, they are not unused. It is a line that runs from East Beach to Sledgehammer, and I know many people who have run it. I also plan on running it (not all the way) this summer with a buddy of mine. So I know at least two people who would definitely appreciate it if it were left in
Make that 4, we plan on doing the big line run as well.(Actually a rather large group was toying with the idea)
Yes, line isnt "necessary", but getting out of Rock Garden with its wild topology is certainly aided by line instead.
The people who made that big line run certainly put alot of effort into it.
As for East Beach, the only reason its closed to divers is because the head ranger chooses to bias its use to beach goers only parking and not allow others parking access (even when its empty), which as a potential user and tax payer I find quite prejudicial.
Jeff, I kinda know where you're coming from but I want to share some thoughts on what you said.
First off, you don't do big dives by scootering down a line in open water. You might do long dives or deep dives that way, but in the end all you're doing is following a line.
Now, I'm not against laying line ... or under the right circumstances leaving it in place. The line to the MT6 and the bomber are useful, not as avenues to big dives, but just because the chronically poor vis in the areas where they lay make following a line a reasonable way to find the target. That reason doesn't exist in Lake Crescent. Also, those targets don't exist inside a national park.
Leaving a line in Lake Crescent may seem a reasonable thing for people who dive there occasionally, but again it's inside a national park ... and the whole point of a national park is to leave things in their natural state. It's easy to say that a little line in the lake isn't hurting anything ... but where does one "draw the line" about appropriateness? A little line sets a precedent ... to more lines, to the diver who decides that the lake's too boring and needs a scuttled boat or car to go look at ... and where does it end? Once that precedent gets established, there's always a natural tendency to take it to the next level. Go do some reading on the Broken Window Theory ... not so much from the criminology aspect but in terms of how it affects social norms. Once it becomes "OK" for divers to start putting stuff into the lake it loses its pristine nature and starts taking on the aspect of "improvements" ... as defined by anybody who cares to start putting stuff in the lake.
And that leads to the access issue you mentioned. Are you sure you're just dealing with a ranger who's got a bias toward beach goers? Or has this ranger possibly had bad experiences with divers before and decided they're not worth the effort? The "it's my tax dollars" argument doesn't really fly ... you aren't being denied access to the park, but it's not your place to determine what's appropriate use of the resource ... that's their job. You can affect that decision by being respectful not only of their job, but of other users. One of the major roles of the rangers in this respect is the preservation of the park resources ... and many of those guys are divers too. If you do something that they find objectionable you not only risk your access rights as a diver ... you risk those of everyone else who might want to dive there.That's exactly what happened when a few divers decided that they were entitled to remove pieces of the Warren car ... which for a time closed access to that site to everybody. Those few divers got their souvenirs ... and screwed every other diver in the process. They also left an indelible impression with the park staff which is, I don't doubt, having some impact on decisions that are affecting your access even today. I don't blame the rangers or their "bias" for that ... I blame the divers who decided it was cool to rob a grave site inside the park.
That line might seem a little thing to you ... a convenience. And under different circumstances I'd be inclined to agree with you. But I think it's inappropriate in that location ... inside the park it's an intrusion on the purpose of the park, which is to allow people to experience a pristine area without the usual litter that comes from living in a populated area.
And I think the people who put it there, who left it there, and who support leaving it there are failing to consider those aspects of how it affects not just their use of the park, but everyone elses ... who also, by the way, pay taxes that make the park available to all of us.
Take only pictures ... leave only memories ... and if you can't get there and back without following a guideline, it isn't really a "big" dive ... it's just another tourist destination ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)