ski3pin said:
Tuesday late afternoon 28 July, friends with a FWC were occupying a dispersed campsite on Monitor Pass in the eastern Sierra Nevada. A Ram truck carrying a FWC drove in, turned around, and drove out. A few minutes later the truck returned leading another truck in that was towing a travel trailer. They set up camp right beside our friends. Our friends dropped the top and left, saddened by such rude behavior.
Do you know these clueless people?
Clueless is a kind word. Julie always tells me to be kind.
The ok/not ok of people camping close to me - camping or backpacking - is ALWAYS going to be assessed according to the specific circumstances.
One afternoon we were working our way around a high country lake (backpacking) trying to escape the large group of Boy Scouts on one side. There was a group of three following us and when my husband and I got to the last campsite at the inlet creek and a cliff face we dropped our packs and turned to see the looks on the faces of the three while they began to turn around. Ron called out, "join us, there is plenty of room" and they did. The two guys were impressed by Ron's fly fishing so he showed them how to use a small pinecone as a bubble/float on their spinning gear and catch grasshoppers for bait.
Dinner that night was a lot of large Brook Trout and a bunch of special treats (like fresh veggies) that one rarely eats backpacking. Then there was cake (Hostess Ho-Hos) and candles. The birthday boy said it was the best birthday he ever had. We didn't have any idea - Ron just knew they needed a place to camp and I think he really lived to share his space, his knowledge, his everything. That was more than 30 years ago and I will never forget the preciousness of that night. I am smiling as I write this.
Another backpack trip I returned to my campsite (in the Dusy Basin - completely off trail) from fishing to find two dads and (at least) four young boys camped nearby. The dad's tent was within a few steps of my "kitchen". The boys were a little further away. I was aghast. Then I got talking to them. One of the reasons for the trip was to scatter the ashes of a friend. They had camped at that spot on the last backpack they had taken with him. We shared dinner (fish) and fishing stories. We watched the full moon rise right over Isosceles Peak and drank tea laced with whiskey (the kids were already asleep). We all slept well.
Then there was last spring. Big snow year. The little back roads I might drive down to camp were blocked by snow. I pulled into a spot even though there was another camper in the vicinity (I could not see the camper from mine although I could see it as I drove in) When I popped up my top I was summoned to the other camper van by a loud voice, questioned, screamed at, called an ******* and told to get my dogs out of his camper (they were not in his camper)
I was going to offer him a beer. I decided not to. He left but not before nearly running me over in my chair. He did not need to exit that way.
If people are behaving badly - yeah, I'll lower the top and leave. But really - this is PUBLIC land. And this year, as in a big snow year, space is at a premium. And you might actually meet some real nice people and have a great time. One other time at the same campsite I just spoke of a couple drove by and I waved at them. They stopped. They let their dogs out to wrastle with my dogs. They asked if I knew of other campsites. I invited them to join me. We had one of the best nights and one of the best days of backcountry skiing I have ever had. We exchange Christmas cards and vow to get together again sometime.
Clueless? Rude? Did you walk a mile in their moccasins before you judged them?