Re: American River Ride

["Sandy Bolinger" <bolinger@bigsky.net>]

You just can't have your cake and eat it too...think about it...there's this over night camping area right smack dab in the middle of a very urban area...certain restriction evolve over the course of time in order to most efficiently and safely manage this camping area...just think what would happen if anyone could spend the night there..perfect place for high school kids to go and do what ever it is they do when left unattended..overnight...not to mention vagrants and everything else.  Maybe once upon a time this particular area represented the wide open spaces where you could lay out on your sleeping bag and watch the stars...from the description I read on where it is located...I would be scared to death in such a populated area to be camping out.   I feel safer in the middle of the wilderness amongst grizzlies, mountain lions etc...then I ever would THERE.  You just better believe that those rangers have been conditioned to  be watching their backs at all times.....Just get stopped by a highway patrol man in California..then compare that experience to getting stopped by one in Montana....Montana boys are pretty laid back...because they haven't had to deal with the constant violence or threat there of that the California cops do...Used to be that you could petty much camp and explore around in Yellowstone anywhere and anytime you pleased...now that the place has become bumper to bumper, there are all sorts of restrictions and policies to protect the park from the tourists, the tourists for the park and, most important, the tourists from the tourists...it's a zoo and the rangers are the zoo keepers. Seems to me when you choose to live and /or recreate in thickly populated zoo-like areas..you have to accept the inherent rules and regulations that come along with it.

  

----- Original Message -----

From: Lif Strand

To: Ridecamp

Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 9:19 PM

Subject: RC: American River Ride

At 10:44 PM 5/4/00 -0400, Sylvia wrote:

It protects the QUALITY of the experience for those of us .....  Apparently there were other areas to camp -- why not go there? 

I thought I read that the alternative camping area was not a horse camp.  Sorry, I don't leave my horse unattended.  Completely out of the question.  Kind of like if I went somewhere & found out that kids weren't allowed.  I wouldn't go sleep somewhere else and leave my kids behind.  No way.  Absolutely not, makes no difference if it's kids or horses, it just ain't gonna happen.

The issue here to me is whether or not it is right and proper and within the boundaries of acceptable regulation for any parks dept. to create elitist camping areas.  The original reason was that of "sanitation" and I am saying that "sanitation" is a thin cover for no acceptable reason at all for excluding everyone from using public camping areas uless they have mega dollar vehicles with built-in flush toilets, hot & cold running water and whatever all else that constitutes "self contained vehicles" (compare the cost of the cheapest "self contained vehicle" to that of a sleeping bag, camp stove and using a porta potty).  By their regulations Paul & I could not camp there and sleep in our horse trailer - it has a shower & a toilet but no built in stove., thus not a "self contained vehicle".

Why even pretend that it's a park any more for public to enjoy all outdoor activities, including cooking outside and sleeping under the stars?   Why don't they just build condos and sell time share?  Everyone could just stay inside until it's race time, then all drive golf carts over to the stable area where the grooms have prepared the steeds for the race.  OK, OK, I'm getting carried away.

If population is an issue, you limit the number that can use an area at one time.  You don't tell people they don't have the right equipment to camp.  

Watch it, Sylvia - they probably will create a blender requirement and the next thing you know they'll require brand name tequila for the margaritas.  Where is the line drawn? 

This is not what Teddy Roosevelt had in mind when the National Parks System was set up.  Having to have a motor home to attend a ride is not my idea of a quality camping experience.  If it is for someone else, fine, but when it becomes regulation, it's gone way too far. 
Lif

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