32 replies to this topic

[ski3pin]

Smoke, how lucky you are to have seen so few people! Here is a much different story. We went for a short drive yesterday to look at an historic site and do some map work. Driving home we encountered well over a hundred vehicles, RV's, boats, trailers coming in. This on a Thursday afternoon. The place is already packed. I don't know where they are all going. Another friend did a loop around one of our major reservoirs with several large campgrounds. She was appalled at the lack of social distancing and no masks when around others. It is summer business as usual.

 

Our reaction is to double down on safety precautions and stay away from our local businesses as the pilgrims flood through.

 

This spike in cases corresponds with the careless behavior we've witnessed.

 

Yes, this is a popular area. That's why we were usually elsewhere.

[Fernweh]

It seems as though Americans have a hard time making change. Our population seems divided and seeking our own resolution to this pandemic. I appreciate folks cautious perspective and patience with 'waiting things out'. Areas around the Great Lakes seem similar to what you are describing out west. While things are closed and slowly reopening folks are making a mad rush to camp and be outside. I don't blame them in the least, but without safety measures its a spike in the making. 

 

I wonder how this will change camping? Will it make us appreciate those places and experiences we just assumed would always be there? 

[ski3pin]

I found BLM's information page for Washington and Oregon -

 

COVID-19 Access Restrictions

[Smokecreek1]

Living up here does have its benefits Monte (3 states is better than 1 to play in I always say ) , but luckily for us that whole  Modoc Plateau/Warner Mountains area contains lots of places to roam, hike, camp and fish. You can usually avoid big crowds except at a few lakes and reservoirs with easy access and at certain times of the year. It seems of late that Nevada/Oregon have discovered this area(like they did with Eagle Lake a few years ago)and are paying us back for all the time we spend there.  People have to go somewhere to play and all we can do is adapt or learn to WTW further out in the boonies; we have had many discussions here on how to deal with that problem and I expect we will have many more over the years to come. But hey, that's why we bought our Pop-ups-right---to get away from the milling masses!

 

Smoke

[ski3pin]

I'll update this thread on what is occurring here in our backyard.

 

Julie and I have carefully started traveling again as reflected in our blog posts. On our first trip I mentioned we were driven away from home as we live on the edge of a major National Forest used for recreation and the masses are swarming in.

 

Here's the facts. The number of visitors is up is THREE times the usual summer numbers. Surveys are showing up to a third of the visitors have NEVER been in the mountains before in their lives. That means the first time away from a flush toilet or where somebody else is not picking up the trash they drop. They know nothing about campground reservations or even what a campground is. No outdoor sense at all. A friend answers the Forest information line and tries desperately to explain rules, regulations, fire restrictions, etc. It is basically a foreign language to these newcomers. They come up anyway, unprepared, and many times with brand new toys - boats, personal watercraft, rv's, tents, drones, atv's, guns.

 

They find no room at campgrounds and it is shocking where they end up. Day trip people are blocking roads with unsafe parking because all parking areas are filled.

 

Now add in the people who have been up before, especially the ones with an attitude that they own the place. And, I can add, believe they know better than to have to follow any of the rules such as fire restrictions and no campfires.

 

It is unbelievable. Now add in the current pandemic and little to no safety precautions. Everyone has left home and headed for the hills to leave all that behind.

 

Be ready to find the same in your backyard or at your destination. Be careful out there.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That about sums up our take on the issue.

We ,living on the coast have a longer way to the mountains.The nice SPs

that we would go to near home are closed. This is a tuff camping season.

Actually we aren't "summer" campers.Our best times are the shoulder seasons.

Maybe by fall things will be more reasonable.

We are getting our share of crazies here but with beaches closed it does keep huge crowds away.

Strict parking is enforced. I don't see how the CHP lets the side of road parking get out of hand.

A few tickets need to be written.

Oh well there's hope for the future,I think.

 

Thanks for the views Ski.

Frank

[Smokecreek1]

Well if things  go right, by mid week I'll be either over in the general area you two were in on your run up here in this neck of the world and/or hiding in some undisclosed cg (fire restrictions   and red flag warnings may keep me from dry camping) somewhere between here and the Sheldon NWF. I plan to first head up 395 to Alturas, then  Lakeview then East to Adel and just play it by ear (lot's of choices and with no real time limits and with many locations of your latest trip reports marked on my maps). I also hope there still are as few people about as when you two were there!  Hopefully,  I'll make the Sheldon.

 

Last week or so,  Modoc County had there first positive  Convid-19 cases and we here in Lassen County have had several additional cases (mostly in the State Prison); We also have had several major fires up here too, so lot's of things going on so it might make my trip more interesting!!  Supposed to be hot out there, and I sure hope I don't run in to all the problems some of our fellow WTW members have run into of late down south and other places.  Hope I don't have to  have to run for the hills or press that "Help " button on my brand new Spot X! 

 

Smoke

Edited by Smokecreek1, 09 August 2020 - 11:49 PM.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Have a great adventure Smoke. But I hope you don't have to use your new toy.

Lots of crazy people out there.

Enjoy your trip and have a safe one.

Frank

[daverave]

I read ski's posts on his blog and here and confirm that it is insane out there. We live in the central valley down the hill from ski's place and have decades of experience in the Sierra Nevada. I'm pretty sure I know the roads/area that he describes close to his place. I can attest to the cluelessness of the newbies... who among us wants to camp on a little spot on the side of a busy, paved road?

 

We've been getting out in the camper every other week, MID-WEEK ONLY, so our trips all been short in duration and in distance, never more than 3-4 hours. We started in mid-May so we've been out six times around Northern California as far as the southern edge of Mt Lassen, usually deep on FS roads. With a lot of pre-trip google earthing and planning we have not shared a campsite with any other party. Needless to say we have avoided the campgrounds like the plague. It all feels very safe other than gas station stops where people seem to believe there is some magical, virus-expelling bubble shielding them but we rock our masks and sanitizer. We always get home by Friday afternoon so we can watch the hordes commuting up into the mountains on our way down.

 

We also have resumed our backpacking careers that over the decades (I turned 66 yesterday) eventually brought us to our truck camper. It is the one guaranteed way to leave virtually everyone behind even if our hike to our campsite is measured in minutes, not miles. As long as a lake is not involved (which we won't risk) there will be no one else.

 

We're scheduled to head out again tomorrow, likely to the Stanislaus NF in the hopes that it is not as insane as the Eldorado. I've picked out some places to camp and/or backpack but the key is definitely flexibility to react to the situation. If things don't go our way we will have no problem just high-tailing it home. My fervent wish is that come fall things will only be twice as impacted as normal compared to the 3x we're seeing now. Then maybe we can head for further afield locations/states.

 

Stay safe everyone!!

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Anyone thinking about camping/driving the dirt roads around Big Sur?

They have been closed and if caught in the closed area fins are steep.

Will be closed all fire season. Another  place the crazies have overrun.

Tourists with "road" cars were driving in getting stuck then destroying the road to get unstuck.

Frank