16 replies to this topic

[wicked1]

I've been talking to someone on another forum and he let me know a week or so ago that he's a retired forester.  Used to design/plan the roads.  I of course had a 1000 questions about that, and in the end basically got out of him that the majority of the roads he planned for were for loggers to get to the valuable virgin forest to log it.  The entire mission of the national forests is to destroy them.  Then build them up just enough to let the loggers in to destroy them again.

Also just read an article about rare earth metals and China threatening to cut off the supply of them.. so the US government has opened up protected lands to miners, and there are now several previously protected mountains that are being completely taken down to extract the minerals.  I don't know exactly which lands these are on.. But again..  That destruction is not even comparable to anything every single camper combined has ever done to the forest. 

 

 

(-edit to say, (after my negative comment about the mission of the forest) I do love the national forests.  And there are obviously sections of that organization who do care about protecting the land.  But the money making side always takes priority. So stopping or decreasing dispersed camp sites would be completely hypocritical.  They should make more roads and camp sites, since there are more people wanting to use the resource.  And of course education.  I have seen some horrible things at distant camp sites.. I wouldn't think people who could make it that far out, would be so stupid or destructive.  But it's nothing compared to the forests corporate customers.. and I think individual people will learn and change much faster than corporations.)

 

Edited by wicked1, 22 May 2021 - 10:00 PM.

[AWG_Pics]

Hmmmm... https://www.nytimes....-shrinking.html

[billharr]

Just read an article in Outside Online.  

 

 

 

Do I Have to Share My Campsite? Dispersed camping is getting less dispersed. Our ethics columnist weighs in on whether you need to share.

 

 

I may not agree with everything in the article but it does give you something to think about. I guess we can add another to the Old enough to be a Geezer thread. "You remember driving into the forest and not seeing anyone for days."

[ski3pin]

Just read an article in Outside Online.  

 

 

 

Do I Have to Share My Campsite? Dispersed camping is getting less dispersed. Our ethics columnist weighs in on whether you need to share.

 

 

I may not agree with everything in the article but it does give you something to think about. I guess we can add another to the Old enough to be a Geezer thread. "You remember driving into the forest and not seeing anyone for days."

 

That's a thought provoking article, Bill. Thanks for the link. I, like you, don't agree with everything but it is a good read and explores an expanding range of ethics. Yes, I'm feeling like a very old geezer.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I've been giving some thought on the "shearing" of a campsite.

Depending on the other party wanting to shear I would be up for it.

You might make a friend and the "karma" might pay off.

 

In most of our camping experiences we have met a lot of great people.

Maybe just luck can't say.

Frank

[teledork]

I've been giving some thought on the "shearing" of a campsite.

Depending on the other party wanting to shear I would be up for it.

You might make a friend and the "karma" might pay off.

 

In most of our camping experiences we have met a lot of great people.

Maybe just luck can't say.

Frank

I was married to a very generous and gregarious and enthusiastic man who would invite people to share our camp in the front or the backcountry (he was also an entomologist who would become very exited over microscopic creatures inside of flowers and run around like a little kid showing everyone what he found) 

 

Over the years we met many wonderful people and yes - I believe we both acquired and shared merit (not the same but related to "karma")

 

The only times I have really had "bad" neighbors  has been in an organized campground. 

 

I did not read the entire article but I saw enough of it to recognize the unmistakable reek of entitlement. There are a lot of people on this planet and the expectation and even demand that one have absolute solitude while in a motor vehicle  (which means a road got you there) is delusional. I have encountered enough people like that in real life and I chose not to piss myself off needlessly even if there was more to the article than the bits and pieces I did read.. The grabby greedy bunch will not know thew joy of making new friends while engaged in an activity that you both love. They are missing out on one of the most rewarding parts of being human. 

 

I also have to admit that I spend almost all of my time alone so maybe I am not as fed up with people. 

 

Edited by teledork, 14 July 2021 - 02:56 PM.

[craig333]

Funny thing about sharing. I've met many nice people that way. Shared meals and swapped stories and enjoyed their company. I've also met people I couldn't wait to bail on. However I still prefer to camp solo most of the time. I figure if  I camp in a camground I can't expect everyone to be perfect.