Is It Just Me?

[Sweeney]

I made it out this weekend, we visited a state park which we've been too probably dozens oof times in the past 10 years. 3-4 times a year there is not uncommon. The majority of campers were new...brand new. I suspect covid campers.

This has has made getting reservations near impossible....but the bigger issue is behavior.

We saw children chopping trees, climbing the same, pulling fallen underbrush from the woods (which is not allowed in Indiana) and many many loud stereo systems, even after dark....The spot next to us this weekend had a dj speaker. When my wife asked them (at 10:45) to turn it down they ignored and one was even verbally assaulting.

Was my first outing of 2021 just bad luck, or are you seeing similar in your parks?

Obviously going camping, and being good examples to new campers is great --- but what are you doing to support your parks? I hate to simply just complain, without some solution...

 

[Ken & Peggy]

That's frustrating for sure. Not much more you can do after asking them nicely to pipe down. Maybe a mention the next day to a ranger, but that could go either way.
What Indiana park? We visit quite a few ourselves... (please don't say Brown County)

 

[Warren Mary Ellen]

Saw some of that when we’ve been out camping too. My favorite ranger of all time was this one at Balsam Mountain in the Great Smokies. It’s remote so he couldn’t have problems. People loved him or hated him. Those of us who loved him did so because his work made camping there nice. Whenever we see what you saw, I’ll look at Mary Ellen & say, we need Ranger Jack here or he needs to train the rangers here. If you camped properly, he left you alone. He gauged whether someone was new to camping or new to bear country & explained what needed to happen, but if it continued he’d fine people. The main thing he was concerned with was food storage & cleaning up so he didn’t have bears there. We’d go to the GSMNP campgrounds & they’d start with their procedures. I’d interrupt & tell them we camp at Balsam Mountain. They would stop & say, “You don’t need to hear this then, you know what to do.” He was such a legend, there were newspaper articles about him. Google “Ranger Jack Balsam Mountain.” He’s retired now, but I do wish park rangers checked on things like he did.

I see the same thing in the cycling community too. A lot of new people who don’t know the rules & not really eager to learn them.

 

[mariusz]

You are completely right, last year we experienced all the above, the crowds dont know how to act anymore, fights, Cursing and all, Its all becof covid, people have no other place to go, hopefully it will came back to normal sooooon.

 

[Sweeney]

Fortunate not brown. It we haven’t been there this year … this time it was potato creek.

After my wife asked, she was insulted by some one after she turned her back when this chump chimed in.

On a crisp cold night it was something like “I see your nippie “

Had I heard it first hand some one would have apologized or gone to the hospital. But as I wasnt there I just called the security company. To go find him would have been premeditated. My wife stood beteeen me and jail time. For that I’m thankful.


to the jerk who said it….I feel like asking “you know Indiana is a Shall Issue state…right?”
Dunno. I hope COVID campers get bored and find something else do do next year. Like eating chips in front of a tv again. This guy was a slob….I can’t see him doing more than that….maybe fortnite. Never knew, bit my guess is in a man to man conflict it would be short…but then again he was a coward talking behind the back of a woman. Those scum are cowards 9 he worst kind.

 

[Sweeney]

You are completely right, last year we experienced all the above, the crowds dont know how to act anymore, fights, Cursing and all, Its all becof covid, people have no other place to go, hopefully it will came back to normal sooooon.

I suspect it will. I hope. I miss traveling cross country and with 3-4 calls having a stop for the night. I hate planning months ahead

maybe with some luck week day camping can occur. Right now it’s ALL weekend warriors.

 

[hiadventurer]

Agreed it's a New Fad for many, we are taking most of the summer off from outings only 2 weekends planned just for this reason. With the large spike in camper sales think over crowding will be with us for awhile until families getting back to their routines, then there will be glut of.units.on the market. Others will find that camping can be a lot of work,
the preparation, and unpacking will get tiring for those not truly in love with the experiances. Life is about choices and we will be camping most in Sept. this year with a nice long canoe trip down the Missouri River in Montana, its remote, work and kids back in school, and hopefully most back to work. It will be well worth the effort....R

 

[Randy]

To make it worse they are closing off many BLM areas and National Forests to camping because of people trashing sites and over staying the limits. So now it’s even getting hard to get away from the packed campgrounds by boondocking! Makes me think about getting an over landing rig!

 

[JohnC]

I don't think it's anything new. There are always people in public who think rules don't apply to them. I just got back from Yosemite. 4 nites across 3 sites. The first two sites I had great neighbors. Last night, not so much. But I've seen that in other places and other times. I don't know that there is much you can do other than go when it is less busy or go places that aren't busy at all.

 

[Sweeney]

Agreed it's a New Fad for many, we are taking most of the summer off from outings only 2 weekends planned just for this reason. With the large spike in camper sales think over crowding will be with us for awhile until families getting back to their routines, then there will be glut of.units.on the market. Others will find that camping can be a lot of work,
the preparation, and unpacking will get tiring for those not truly in love with the experiances. Life is about choices and we will be camping most in Sept. this year with a nice long canoe trip down the Missouri River in Montana, its remote, work and kids back in school, and hopefully most back to work. It will be well worth the effort....R

I hope you are right. I really do.

I think we’ll be doing the same. I prefer the shoulder months in many ways anyway. Cooler, and far less people. Halloween seems to be the unofficial end of season, but November is a little iffy. November is what it was like in the busy season when we started camping.

Here in Indiana it’s November and April. Little bit plus or minus is on the numbers. Which is why added a furnace to my new unit. There are a few openings still for this weekend but but many.

 

[Ken & Peggy]

I hope you are right. I really do.

I think we’ll be doing the same. I prefer the shoulder months in many ways anyway. Cooler, and far less people. Halloween seems to be the unofficial end of season, but November is a little iffy. November is what it was like in the busy season when we started camping.

Here in Indiana it’s November and April. Little bit plus or minus is on the numbers. Which is why added a furnace to my new unit. There are a few openings still for this weekend but but many.

You mention Halloween - it reminded me of the 1st time we experienced trick or treating at a campground; it was at Brown County a few years ago. We were totally unprepared - no candy or decorations. Just a couple old farts we were, whose kids were all long ago grown to adulthood...

 

[Sweeney]

You mention Halloween - it reminded me of the 1st time we experienced trick or treating at a campground; it was at Brown County a few years ago. We were totally unprepared - no candy or decorations. Just a couple old farts we were, whose kids were all long ago grown to adulthood...

we were probably there with you . I don’t really even ever recall kidlets looking for handouts … but in our class a were probably inside already. Of course by 7 or so, I’m usually pretty relaxed (ahem) already by that point