Midwest Mob-fest '07

“Oh, I wasn't appologising for any slippage, and them seeing my junk, I was appologising because it may not be as impressive due to the cold temps! LOL!

And there is no way in hell I'm opening that link at work. ;-)”

“DH, just remember you are a pos until proven otherwise at the Gorge when it comes to the rangers. Technically, that would be illegal camping. I don't know if I'd do it or not.”

“mg - it's just a link to a puppet version of Dick in a Box.”

“Thanks for the info ductape, looks like I get to do a short hike then.”

“That'd be safer DH. I have never even spoken to a ranger in the gorge, but many others have.”

“If I play my cards right, I will make it there. Depends on the weather the week or two before the hike. Bad weather will mean we are running behind. I was told today if we can get everything done before Christmas, we don't have to come back until after the end of the year.

That gives us three weeks to do four weeks work in December, if I have to work on Saturday to make that happen, so be it.”

“Kick ass! Hey I thought you were an attorney?”

“I just called the Ranger and Koomer Ridge Campground is open in December. There is no water, etc. But, there should also be no other campers according to what the ranger said. So, we have a place to lay our heads Friday night! Hooray!!

Chili, does this mean I might get to meet you after all these years?! Be still my heart!
last edited: 11/02/07 11:35:34 AM”

“LOL! there is no way you will beat me in on friday night. i can't leave until i get off work so i'll be cruising in late. your monster fire ring is safe nigal.

if you are staying at Koomer Ridge Campground that is an easy place for me to find everyone. i guess i'll see you saturday morning. be looking for my blue silverado with illinois plates. prolly hard to miss.”

“dayhiker, you could just crash at the rest area where you need to exit at to get to Slade or either campground. I have gotten in there late twice and slept there. Once I was with Yam and trekkngirl. Lucky me got to sleep between them :)”

“i was going to do that my last time at the gorge but man those lights at that rest stop are BRIGHT. haha!”

“Birch and I will be at Koomer Ridge. We can't leave here until a bit after 4pm, so won't be rolling in until ten to elevenish.”

““Ooops, I thought it was supposed to be Koomer Ridge Campground. I just tried to book a tent site at Whittleton and the minimum stay is two nights. In December?! What is up w/ that?”
Sassafras

too many threads so lets KISS it back to this one.

There is a tent only area @ Koomer and regular car camping sites. Just an FYI.
Whittleton is a state parks campground so different rules.

So where did you reserve your spot?”

“I didn't reserve one. The ranger said no reservations are necessary for Koomer Ridge in December. That's where we will be Friday night, late. Mainly because it will cost less. I hate having to pay for two nights when I only want one.”

“FYI- you can camp free at the sites off from Tunnal ridge road. The parking area #4 has a path, about 50-100 feet, back to a nice camping are that will hold many tents. There is a pit toliot in the parking area, but no water. The camping area isn't too far from the cars so you can get stuff pretty easily.”

“Actually that is not a designated site, it's too close to the water and the trail and the road, and folks have been getting ticketed there frequently lately. The Rangers are on to us! Course they probably won't be on the lookout in December. It is a very nice spot.

If the group wants to try it I'm game! If we get ticketed though it's pricey. I read $150 somewhere.”

“That's $150 per person present. NOT $150 for the whole group. If we get cought in the back country with 25 people in our campsite we will be fined also for having too large of a group too, but I have never actually seen a ranger on any of the trails. I am not concerned about this but in the event that it did happen each person would be responsible for their own actions, and the fines resulting.”

““Actually that is not a designated site, it's too close to the water and the trail and the road, and folks have been getting ticketed there frequently lately. The Rangers are on to us! Course they probably won't be on the lookout in December. It is a very nice spot.

It is a designated spot. It has a sign that says primitive camping. When I checked with the ranger about it, I was told it was fine to camp there. Has that change recently? If you look on most of the RRG maps it says "primitive camping" in that area.
last edited: 11/03/07 12:01:52 PM”

“You're not picking up the tab?     < sheesh >

Posting online about it beforehand does demonstrate premeditation and conspicracy, LOL ”

“FYI - I called the Gorge and talked with a ranger. It is legal to camp off from the #4 parking area off from tunnel ridge road so long as it is passed the open field area. The trail takes you back passed the open field into a tree area.
I wanted to check because I plan on camping there in a couple of weeks and don't want to pay any fines. lol. That money could be a new piece of gear!
last edited: 11/03/07 12:29:18 PM”

“Perhapse Windi and Sass are refering to two different locations.”

“Could be.”

“did you hear from mariposa?”

“What was it I was suppose to hear about?”

“next weekend. There were thoughts of going somewhere.”

“yeah, I suggested she check into the basic skills trip. I'm going to be in DC visiting my daugther that weekend, so I'm out as far as hiking. She is planning on joining me for the RRG trip that you bailed out on. The ex moving away probably isn't helping ya out is it.
last edited: 11/03/07 12:40:39 PM”

“We're probably talking about different places. I'm thinking of the first parking area after Nada Tunnel. You've got to walk across the road, in about 100 yards, over the bridge and there's a huge clearing.”

“That's Martin's Fork Sass, and from what I hear, you will get busted there, but Windi is talking about tunnel ridge road which runs over top of Nada tunnel up on the ridge. 77 is the road that actually runs through Nada tunnel.


Windi - It has less to do with the ex, and more to do with my folks keeping the girls for me on those dates. It is just working out screwy.
last edited: 11/03/07 1:59:29 PM”

“Meangreen is correct, it's Tunnel Ridge Road which is different than 77. We were talking about two different places. Tunnel Ridge Road turn off is before Koomer Ridge Campgrounds. It's the road you would take to get to pinch em tight trail, gray's arch, or courthouse rock. Off from Tunnel Ridge road there are areas to park that are numbered. The parking area marked #4 has primitive camping available. If you are there check it out sometime. I thought is was a pretty decent spot and so did stomper and coyote.”

“Plus it's much more quiet than Koomer Ridge. You can hear the interstate traffic there. Pretty noisy.”

“Um, Stomper, have you noticed that the folks who go to bed early on our trips wear ear plugs even when they are in the backcountry?

We usually make enough noise that the interstate isn't much of a factor till about 2 or 3 am. LOL! I see your point though. They are bo9th about the same distance from the trail heads. In fact if you camped on tunnel ridge road, you would be within a mile of Saturday nights campsite, so you could just go there, or slack pack or what ever. Just thought I would point that out.”

“BTW - when I was talking with the ranger, we were talking about people who leave the gorge a mess. He made the comment "we don't care if people are drinking, we just wish they would clean up after themselves." That's my kind of ranger!”

“I have never been on a TT hike where the campsite was left in equal or better condition than when we arrived.”

“which doesn't make it ok to camp in an illegal spot.

windigrrl is right, however, there are a lot of legit camping spots off of tunnel ridge road noting that it's illegal to park on the road. you have to park in a parking lot and walk to the site. some of the spots are written up in hinterlands and others are marked as ok for camping.

the spot sass is referring to is the spot over the 2nd bridge at the martin's fork trailhead. it's a badly beaten down area next to a stream that may have a "no camping" sign there or not depending on if it has been torn down. the camp site is so massive and has so totally destroyed the area that it totally obscures the fact that trail 221 (rough trail) passes right through it to the third bridge and then up a ridge. terrible.

neway, the camp site(s) along tunnel ridge road are find as is koomer ridge. i just need to know where people are going to crash so i can hook up with everyone in the am. so long as it's a legal place to camp i am in.”

“Sounds good to me Windi! I'm sure if get my map out I'll be able to find the spot you're talking about.”

“How about you checking out the site when your there in a couple of weeks and see what you think of it? That's where I am planning on being Friday evening along with Maraposa and possibly a couple of others.

I'm not saying that we camp there, I just wanted to throw it out there as another choice. I like Koomer Ridge campgrounds. It's always clean and they have showers.”

“sure thing!

this would actually be perfect for friday night since we are starting our climbing tour on auxier ridge trail.

finding the place in the dark from my fragmented memory may be a challenge but i think i can manage. haha!”

“the showers will not be available in december. just the pit toilets.”

““Sounds good to me Windi! I'm sure if get my map out I'll be able to find the spot you're talking about.”
Sassafras

It is just past the overlook pull off. The lot is on the left and there is a carsonite stake sign stating camping #2 in the ditch across the road. When you pull into the lot the camping area is to the right of the lot. Do not pitch camp by the privy or you will get a ticket. Cross the ditch then you are legal.

I have used this spot several times.

“Plus it's much more quiet than Koomer Ridge. You can hear the interstate traffic there. Pretty noisy.”
stomper

You can hear that anywhere in the gorge when the weather is right

Koomer Ridge is open year round just no water in the winter and you have to use the drop box. Been going there since '68 and the only restrooms were outhouses and there wasn't an amphitheater.
last edited: 11/04/07 7:09:12 AM”

“So where is the Friday bunch going...? Primitive camping area #2 or Koomer?

I will be there Friday and if there is no group decision on where to camp I am going to camp at primitive area #2. Anyone that wants to meet me there I will be there around 6 p.m., maybe earlier if I decide to burn some vaca. I drive a white Scion XA.

MG when and where do you want to meet @ on Saturday?”

“Koomer Ridge Campground for sure has an amphitheater. It opens on Memorial Day and has a program every Saturday until Labor Day Weekend.”

“Primitive camping area #2 It that the same as parking area #2? The area I was talking about is off from parking area #4.
last edited: 11/04/07 8:42:17 AM”

“I will probably change myself to a maybe, as I might head north instead for another trip?

I don't know my way around RRG either?
last edited: 11/04/07 9:10:51 AM”

“don't know nothin about parking areas with numbers...if you are talking about Grays Arch parking area then I guess you are right.

I have no idea where you are getting numbers for parking lots. All I have ever seen on maps and at the gorge give the trail head name.”

“have no idea where you are getting numbers for parking lots. All I have ever seen on maps and at the gorge give the trail head name.”
They are posted at the parking lots. If you take Tunnel Ridge Road you will go pass Tinch em tight trail head and then come to some parking lots off the road. Each one you pass that isn't listed as a trailhead are numbered. There is a number listed on the markings sticks like what you find on the trail. There is also one that has primitive camping on it along with one that says #4. Has no one ever check this area out before? Perhaps this is new markings?
last edited: 11/04/07 2:08:34 PM”

“I'll be at Lil Abner's motel.”

“When all this settles down I'm just going to meet birch and Sass Friday night where they tell me to meet them.”

“I didn't mean to get things "unsettled". I was just suggesting another place that didn't cost anything and was away from others. We can meet up on Friday where ever everyone wants to.”

“Yo Sticks. Things are a little different on Tunnel Ridge Road than they used to be. You're not allowed to just pull off the road anymore like you used to could.

Now, they have paved little parking lots and numbered the bigger campsites right off the road. I don't know that this has made it to many maps yet.”

“the only negative i see to your suggestion, windigrrl, is that there prolly isn't any water up there... but then you would be so close to the car that you could just have a gallon jug in the car or something. i don't remember ever seeing any water up there anyway. It would be the same story at Koomer Ridge anyway this time of year.

i will add that it's illegal to park along tunnel ridge road so you would have to park in the designated lot closest to the selected camping area and road hike in.
last edited: 11/04/07 7:04:40 PM”