Did this hike in the afternoon, it was fine. I am writing the report to warn BIPOC that Nazis were on trail. Passed two guys in full fledged reenactment Nazi uniforms, armed (not sure if guns were real), taking pictures on the trail. When I ran into them on the way down, they were at Little Eightmile Lake and had taken their shirts off, displaying a variety of Nazi themed tattoos. Be safe out there, as a POC I wouldn't want to run into a bigger group, especially if I'm by myself.
Type of Hike
Day hikeTrail Conditions
Minor obstacles posing few problemsRoad
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
Bugs were an annoyanceSnow
Snow free
Comments
Very sad and disturbing to see people around with that mindset. I would be uneasy myself and I'm just an old white gal. So sorry this happened to you and a reminder to all that unwelcoming situations are for real.
Posted by:
Muledeer on Jun 21, 2021 11:34 AM
You put the wrong date on, must have been...yesterday?
Posted by:
C P on Jun 21, 2021 12:35 PM
Sorry, you are correct, hike was on 6/20, I fixed the date.
Posted by:
xphotohikerx on Jun 22, 2021 08:20 AM
It’s not just PoC, unfortunately.. it’s also LGBTIQ and Jewish people, at the very least :(.
Wtf…
Posted by:
ngie on Jun 21, 2021 01:01 PM
Scary, very scary. We are heading to Leavenworth this next weekend and thinking of hiking up from Little Eightmile to Lake Caroline. Were they taking pictures of themselves like photo shoot or ? I'm so sorry about your experience.
Posted by:
Lisa Elliott on Jun 21, 2021 01:35 PM
PS I hope you made a report to the ranger station. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Headquarters
215 Melody Lane
Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 664-9200
Posted by:
Lisa Elliott on Jun 21, 2021 01:38 PM
There’s not much the LEOs can do if they’re not actively breaking any of the regulations :(. If they had been discharging firearms within 150’ of the trail/lake though, or harassing hikers, that is something the ranger station/LEOs would definitely care about.
Posted by:
ngie on Jun 22, 2021 08:08 AM
They were takings pics of themselves, posing with their guns and gear. I didn't file a report, because honestly I don't think that does much, but I thought giving a heads up here would be better. My guess is they are local, unless they are REALLY committed to their "reenactment" and traveling long distances to do this stuff.
Posted by:
xphotohikerx on Jun 22, 2021 08:23 AM
Thank you for the report. I’ve come across swastikas on hikes 3 times in the last couple of years. Carved in a tree along the trail to Big Four, spray painted in the Lake Lenore Cave and spray painted on a bridge in Skagit Valley. It’s sad and scary thing.
Posted by:
hikingwithlittledogs on Jun 22, 2021 06:53 PM
I will say in the 45 years I've been hiking I have seen ZERO evidence of hate on the trails. Most everyone is wonderfully nice and kind towards each other. Therefore if you see it occurring in a way that raises your eyebrows or makes you think, you should report it. It is a highly unusual occurrence that needs to be put in law enforcement so they can decide how to proceed.
Posted by:
Lisa Elliott on Jun 22, 2021 07:02 PM