[sunshine]

Thank you to the people who placed 20 or so carved pumpkins on various rocks on the San Juan River between Sand Island and Mexican Hat!!

 

[shoptech1]

Sunshine! not sure if your stoked or sarcastic?! but assuming your avatar is sunshine i'll assume your stoked!! anyways long tradition of leaving pumpkins down there along the river-lot's of folks from flag and D-town having fun on the river!
peace

 

[Andy H.]

I hate to be a downer but...

Unfortunately the pumpkins get nasty with time, no one comes back to pick them up and they sit there and rot after Halloween. The PH can be cited for littering and some places, like Westwater, have been cracking down on the practice because they've become such a problem. Someone will have to carry that stuff out and a pumpkin here and a pumpkin there will soon be enough pumpkins to fill up a work party boat or two that could be hauling out old tires and junk.

If you think leaving a pumpkin on some prominent rock will look really cool, ask yourself how cool it'll look sitting there on Nov. 1, or Nov. 15, or Nov. 30.

Maybe the rule of thumb should be, "only leave pumpkins if you're definitely going to come back the week after Halloween, rain or snow, and pick it up and haul it out. And all the others."

If you pack it in, please pack it out.

-AH

 

[jeffro]

I hate to be a downer but...
-AH

Do you though??

 

[Andy H.]

Do you though??

Not as much as I hate seeing rotting pumpkins in the Canyons....

 

[smhoeher]

Part of me thinks it's fun and another part says it's wrong. The ultimate side of me say's it's wrong. Keep the pumpkins in your camp and take them with you.

 

[matt man]

I’ve very much enjoyed seeing the pumpkins on the Rogue before...

But eventually it comes down to the idea of,
Leave no Trace.

 

[LSB]

I've done that stretch in late November and they were sill there and pretty nasty.

 

[raymo]

Boy, I've picked up my fair share of pumpkin's, throughout my life, only trouble is they won't leave.

 

[ColoradoDave]

It's a matter of aesthetics. The rotting pumpkins are a net positive for the river system.


I got chewed out once in Florida for growing beautiful orchids on a cheap PVC shelf system.

 

[RogueGuide]

It's definitely not a LNT tradition but I love the pumpkins in the Rogue river canyon! Last weekend I counted 27 pumpkins from graves creek to foster bar!

 

[sunshine]

I agree with the LNT sentiment. Was torn whether to love or hate and I fell into the love category as display was subtle, but awesome. I would love to hear from artist(s)

 

[RogueGuide]

That was the best part of the pumpkins on the Rogue! They were all painted and not all of them were pumpkins, some were gourds. It was really cool to see all the different funny faces and crazy intricate patterns painted on them!

 

[caverdan]

One's man trash is another man's treasure. :mrgreen:

 

[MT4Runner]

https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-rogue-river-classic-wood-boats-wild-scenic/

 

[RogueGuide]

Great article! Maybe a pumpkin clean up trip is in order? It's a great excuse to tell the wife why I need to go boating again lol!

 

[chitwoodc6]

We just did this float last week and we filled an entire trash bag with pumpkins, many of which were rotten. I like the idea, hate the execution.

 

[Willie 1.5]

I'm curious what the "net positives for the river system" are?

 

[phillersk]

It's a matter of aesthetics. The rotting pumpkins are a net positive for the river system.

Please, enlighten us about the "net positive" effects of pumpkins. I'm guessing rotting breakfast burritos would also be a "net positive"?

 

[DoStep]

If they are left behind they are just garbage someone left for the rest of us to clean up. Net positives? Yellowjacket, ant, mouse, or other vermin food? There is no justification, it's BS.