Darrington Washington DNR 435th Ave shooting pit

[Highland Lofts]

The DNR owns a lot of property here in the state of Washington.
They have a bunch of gravel pits that are open for public shooting..
The one I take my grandson shooting at it the pit located on the 435th Ave in Darrington.this pit gets a lot off use just as the other shooting pits.
I pick trash up every trip there and at the other pits we occasionally go to.

Two years ago I organized a pit clean up for the 435th Ave pit and we got it totally cleaned up.
People bring so much stuff to shoot at and just leave most of it there.
Over on the Suiattle River Road there are two DNR shooting pits that get a lot more use, a whole lot more use.
We very seldom go there because of the volume of people that are there.
Last year I organized a clean up for these two pits and we took a lot of trash out or there, twelve & a half tons. Two ten foot dump trailer loads, a fourteen for trailer load and a pickup truck with racks on.
Twelve & a half tons of garbage. $1,200 to dispose of it. It was so bad I'm surprised the DNR didn't shut it down.
I am organizing another pit clean up for the pit on 435th Ave . It will take place August 20th from 8am to noon.
I contact the DNR District Manager and set up with him to shut the pit down during the clean up and to have a DNR law enforcement officer in the area in case any trouble happens to show up.
I post the events on the three semi local gun forums for clean up volunteers and I advertise range brass for sale to help out with the dumping fee and to buy food & beverages for the guys.
I also have a friend make up a clean up poster that we place around the near by towns to try get more help on the clean ups.
Sporting Goods stores, local gun shops, pawn shops, hardware stores.
Close to the end of the clean up we have some one cook hamburgers, hotdogs & sausage and we provide beer, coke, sprite & water on ice.
This has been fun organizing these events and it is a real benefit to the shooting community.
I will be listing some brass & lead in the reloading classified section to help out on the cost of the clean up, food & beverages.

My grandson at the 435th Ave pit



White Horse mountain across the road where the pit is located.

 

[J-Bar]

I am humbled by the example you set. Hats off to you, sir.

 

[Speedo66]

Shame such a beautiful location gets trashed.

Good on you for stepping up!

 

[Archie]

Looks like the young man is involved in the clean up work AND proud of being shown with a revolver. Another excellent example of child rearing. Good work, sir.

Maybe there's hope for the United States after all.

 

[citizenconn]

White Horse mountain across the road where the pit is located. View attachment 1093852

That beautiful river makes me want to go wash the Saharan dust off my fly fishing gear, give Houston a friendly one finger goodbye wave and head up your way!
When I worked for General Dynamics in the 90s I used to fly up to Seattle and the surrounding area for work several times a year and loved the birdwatching opportunities and the fishing.

Outstanding! Tell that young man to keep up the good work.

 

[Riomouse911]

Nice!

The big desert open-shooting area about 65 miles from my house would probably need four roll offs to haul away all the debris from the trigger trash who leave their mess behind.

Great job keeping your corner of the country clean, and great example to all who shoot.

Stay safe.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Thank all of you guys for your kind comments.

I posted some brass and soft lead in the reloading classified to help cover some of the dumping fee. If you need any of it you will be helping out on a good cause.
I take my grandson shooting up to this pit every weekend and alway take out trash with up. It's amazing the amount of trash people take up there and never haul anything out.

Every trip we alway take trash.

 

[lightman]

Our Country needs more people like you and less trashy people. And it also looks like you are a great Grandparent! Good job, Sir!

 

[Mark_Mark]

Thank all of you guys for your kind comments.

I posted some brass and soft lead in the reloading classified to help cover some of the dumping fee. If you need any of it you will be helping out on a good cause.
I take my grandson shooting up to this pit every weekend and alway take out trash with up. It's amazing the amount of trash people take up there and never haul anything out.

Every trip we alway take trash.
View attachment 1094248

View attachment 1094249

View attachment 1094250

good job boys!

 

[Mk-211]

All of the local open shooting areas in the San Gabriel Mountains (CA) have been closed due to trash. Used to be a few of them, a couple are now private.

People brought all kinds of garbage out there and then left it. They had clean ups but they were just an excuse for city people to get rid of trash.

I never frequented them as it was more of a wild west, shoot everything in sight thing. One of the worst was Lytle Creek, actually had a drive by shooting there, not to mention other issues! It's now a controlled public range, for these reasons.

I like to travel out to the desert as the further out you go, there's far less people and further range to shoot. There's still some trash, we burn everything we can so that there's less to bring back.

 

[Highland Lofts]

There are slobs everywhere. You have to keep cleaning the spots or they get shut down.

 

[Old Dog]

I shall strive to make it up there.

 

[Highland Lofts]

If you can make and need directions send me a PM.

 

[DustyGmt]

Good on you! An important lesson for the young man, I bet he won't be heaving his McDonald's bags out the window and littering, being so thoughtless as some people are and the sight of such things will offend him in the future.

I can't believe how careless some people can but it's a blessing when somebody takes initiative as you have done and teach good character at the same time, win win. Our range gets pretty littered. I just can't picture why somebody would haul their junk in somewhere, riddle it with bullets and leave it behind. Such low moral character, a guy at my range just complained to me about a guy who shows up with a dozen or so two liters and blasts away, packs his gun up and leaves the trash. These people weren't raised right.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I like this pit we shoot at. A half amile down the forest service Road is a nice little camping spot along the Stillaquamish River we camp at. Beautiful camping spot, the tweekers will steal cars, drive them until they run out if gas and leave them were they die. They abandoned one at this camp site. The land is privately owned by a logging company. I tried contacting them about gett the proper paperwork done so I can haul that car and another they abandoned a year ago.
It's sitting behind my Ford explorer.





I'll be camping here the night before the pit clean up.

 

[Mk-211]

I like playing in the desert but it would be nice to have some greenery and streams every now and then.

Having 2000+ yards for the .50's and other stuff is hard to give up.

 

[hso]

Good for you!

People like you help everyone in the shooting community by keeping these sites open.

 

[lemaymiami]

Good on you... Highland ! Has anyone tried posting a sign or two asking shooters to clean up after themselves.. I'm talking about humorous signs - the opposite of government signage... Something to the effect "your mama don't work here.. please clean up after you shoot... " with the logo of whatever group or business sponsored the sign...

I was one very cynical guy when I retired out of police work - it only took about five years to remember that most folks aren't pigs... but there are enough of the piggy variety to need a whole raft or rules and enforcers... Wish it weren't so..

ps... I can remember when my son and a buddy did their Eagle Scout community project - all those years ago (required for the Eagle rank..) at at local church. Something like signs or other means to encourage folks to "do the right thing" would make a fine project for more than a few Eagle candidates in your area...

 

[Highland Lofts]

Things are coming together on the 435th Ave pit clean up.
The gates on the 435th Ave has been open for a couple of months. I went to Darrington yesterday and put up a few flyers about the clean up next Saturday. On the way back to Arlington I took my grandson up to the pit and the 1st gate on 435th Ave was locked.
I will be in contact with the DNR District Manager tomorrow so he can put the combination lock on it by Friday so we can open it for the clean up on Saturday.
I bought three cases of clay pigeons for the guys to shoot some trap after the clean up and I'll have a couple of target stands and paper targets as well.
I'll pick up the food & beverages Friday as well for the clean up.
I love it when these clean ups go good.
It shouldn't take long to do a through clean up next Saturday August 20th.
We will start the clean up at 8am. Food will be provided at the end of the clean up.
If any one would like to attend and needs directions please send me a PM.

I also still have 9mm, 40cal, 223 and 308 brass that I am selling to help cover the clean up cost.
If any one needs any please send a PM.
Pat

 

[Highland Lofts]

I contacted the DNR yesterday and got the gate all squared away, they like to keep that locked so you have to come in the back way to the pit.
It is an extra five miles of forest service Road to get to the pit going in the back way.
Everything thing is shaping up great for the clean up.
Tomorrow evening I will be picking up a 14 foot dump trailer to haul out the trash we pick up.
There should be about ten people showing up to help out on the clean up operation.
I will be picking up the food & beverages Friday night as well as three cases of clay pigeons and paper targets for the guys to shoot up after the clean up.
This will be the third shooting pit clean up that I organized.
I will check out the other pits and see how bad they are and see if they need a clean up .
If they need to be addressed I'll work on scheduling a clean up next month.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I picked up the dump trailer today and got it up to Darrington for the clean up.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I made another paper target stand after work today for Saturday after the clean up.

 

[Caplock]

I recently discovered construction demo bags. They are made out of a woven tarp type material. They are big, super strong, and the best part reusable.
I fill them up at the range. Every time I paint steel or staple on a new target I bring a arm load of trash back to the bag.
For range clean up these are the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Highland Lofts]

The pit clean up went good yesterday. Six guys showed up to help out on the clean up. We filled up the 14 foot dump trailer with trash. All of the steel we threw in the back og my pick up.
All of the wood we stacked in to a pile to burn when they lift the burn ban.
I need to get a ride up to Darrington later to pick up the truck & trailer.
I'll probably go dump the trash tomorrow or Tuesday.

After the clean up my friend Bill cooked the hotdogs & burgers.
We also had potato salad & chips. I picked up twelve packs of cope, sprite, pepsi & mountain dew and a case of budweiser.
After the BBQ we set up and did some shooting for a couple of hours.
We didn't get to the upper pit yesterday so I'll set up another clean up for that pit.
Thank you to all of you guys for your help cleaning the pit yesterday. With out your help it wouldn't of been possible.

Pat & Mason.

 

[Old Dog]

The pit clean up went good yesterday.

I wish I could have made it up; regrettably, your event conflicted with our local Americana Music Festival (with family and friends performing) that had been scheduled for over a year now. It looks like you guys did a terrific job, and as a Washingtonian and a shooter, I'm truly appreciative of your efforts. My sincere thanks, and I am really looking forward to hooking up with you for some shooting in the future and also willing to help with the clean-ups!