Dirt riders clean up debris

Visitors to the Mason County Landfill, after learning how much it will cost to deposit their TVs and refrigerators, sometimes continue driving northwest on Eells Hill Road, and dump their load down a steep, wooded embankment on Green Diamond Resources land.

On Saturday, 36 members of Shelton Dirt Riders LLC and three others pulled 7 tons of items out of the canyon, including 1,400 pounds of garbage, 3,000 pounds of metal and 28 tires, said John Eton, the owner of Shelton Dirt Riders. The bank is so steep that repelling ropes were required, and winches were used to pull the loaded bags out of the canyon.

The debris was then driven down the hill 6 miles to the dump, with Green Diamond paying for the disposal. The volunteers, many with motorcycles attached to trailers, joked with each other about the challenges of the terrain and enjoyed barbecued Angus burgers.

"We feed them well, it'll be fun, we have a good time, we're doing a good thing for the community and Green Diamond," Eton said.

Shelton Dirt Riders LLC leases 20,000 acres from Green Diamond so its members can enjoy hundreds of miles of trails. The members work to keep the trails clean, and keep an eye out for dumpers and arsonists, Eton said.

During the first club cleanup in 2017, volunteers collected 150 cubic yards of garbage, 200 old tires and six vehicles. It cost about $8,000 at the nearby landfill.