RUSSIAN RIVER CLEANUP 2011

LAST SATURDAY I DECIDED TO HELP CLEANUP THE RUSSIAN RIVER BY VOLUNTEERING AT BURKES CANOE AREA. WE WERE GIVEN GLOVES AND GATHERED SOMEWHAT IN GROUPS AND WERE SHOWN WHERE TO CLEANUP BEACHES AND DUMPS IN THE AREA. THIS WAS A FUN AND VERY COOL DAY. I DECIDED NOT TO USE THE CANOES AS THE WATER TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 50 DEGREES IN THE MORNING AND I HAD USUALLY TIPPED OVER IN THE CANOES WHEN I DID THE CLEANUP IN ASTI AND GEYSERVILLE. ONE GROUP BOUGHT NEAT HAND CLIPPERS TO PICK UP SMALL TRASH WITHOUT BENDING DOWN AND WE CLEANED UP AN AREA WHERE THE HOMELESS HAD LIVED. SOME MEN BROUGHT UP TIRES AND HEAVY METAL EQUIPMENT PEOPLE HAD DROPPED OFF.. WE PICKED UP BOTTLES, BEER CAN, CARDBOARD CONTAINERS, PLASTIC, STYROFOAM, AND PLASTIC BAGS, ETC. IT WAS FULFILLING AS I GOT TO SPEAK TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON BEACHES AND DISCOVERED SOME NICE BEACHES I HAD NOT HEARD OF. I PROBABLY WALKED ABOUT FIVE MILES OR MORE UP AND DOWN BEACHES. I DROVE TO SOME BEACHES THAT SOME FOLKS HAD NOT CLEANED. AND THERE WERE SMALL CHILDREN SWIMMING IN SHALLOW WATERS. ONE CLEAN UP GUY CRAWLED THROUGH POISON OAK! I MET A NUMBER OF HIPPIES WHO WERE GETTING TOO MUCH SUN AND WERE WRINKLED. THEY WERE SWIMMING AND SMOKING ON ONE BEACH THAT HAD ABOUT 6" OF WATER. THE RIVER SEEMED TO HAVE PRETTY CLEAN WATER. THE RIVER WAS COOL AND THE KIDS HAD SOME FUN. I DIDN'T SEE ANY CANOES TIP OVER HERE AS THERE WERE NO RAPIDS. I HAD EXPERIENCED MANY MORE RAPIDS IN GEYSERVILLE. I NOTICED SEVERAL MALLARDS FLY OVER THE RIVER. I TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE ABOUT MY HIKING TOURS. THERE NO PREHISTORIC ARTIFACTS IN THIS AREA. THE WATER WAS UNUSUALLY CLEAN. GUERNEVILLE BEACH HAD HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THEIR GEAR IN LINE - THERE MUST HAVE BEEN AN EVENT HAPPENING. GUERNEVILLE IS KNOWN FOR ITS GAY AND HIPPIE COMMUNITY.