Camping at Quartzite

[bullfrog]

Nobody likes a sore loser, at least I used to think so! There is lots of room and plenty more rocks out there. I would think being close to the vault toilets would be more important after the hassles you all have had in the past. Since Bob Wells is camping at the old RTR site maybe the traffic will need to be considered? If you do decide to camp amongst them be sure to invite all the clothing optional people often! Lol!!!

 

[Freelander]

If you do decide to camp amongst them be sure to invite all the clothing optional people often! Lol!!!

Trust me make sure they have there clothes on, the few times I visited any nude beach, I felt I needed to wash my eyes off with Clorox.

 

[Freelander]

How is the Internet service there?

I use a Netgear Nighthawk M1 for service on ATT.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Well its the effort of arranging the desert rocks and huge chunks of quartz to form pathways and camping slots and a firepit/social area, that have made YARC area so appealing....that someone else would see all that and just drive in and set up their own camp in the middle of that is a bit...annoying....they cant possibly think that someone did all that work and wont be back...

Or so it seems to me.

 

[bullfrog]

It is dispersed camping, granted it is long term but no one is guaranteed a spot as far as the rules are concerned. Group gatherings are probably being discouraged I would imagine the county health department would be the place to check. I imagine the BLM has some little known rules to deal with these kind of problems, I know the Park Service does, just look at the hassles the YARC and the RTR has gone thru. Like the Alice’s Restaurant song says “If 3 people sing it it’s a movement.” And law enforcement tends to not like movements, they probably like landscaping in a dispersed area even less! I think it would be better to keep improvements portable and leave the land looking natural personally. Let the law enforcement hassle them and thank them for making themselves a target for attention, make you a new fire pit and set up your folding chair else where or as Cammalu says join the group!

 

[Cammalu]

I’m just hoping they are nice. I’m going to put the flag up and park and make the best of it.

 

[abnorm]

I think there's a couple ton of rocks been moved to Camp..........if it's habitable we'll make it so............Mon/Tues

 

[Freelander]

I’m just hoping they are nice. I’m going to put the flag up and park and make the best of it.

Save a spot for me, I should be there middle of Jan.

 

[jacqueg]

How is the Internet service there?

I use a Netgear Nighthawk M1 for service on ATT.

Depends on how many folks are trying to use the cell towers!  

IME, reception tends to be better closer to the highway.

I have Verizon, and I'm getting 4 bars LTE right now. But I'll bet there's not much more than 15% of the usual crowd here.

Some [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]folks[/font] think there will be more people than usual this year, some folks think there will be fewer. Who knows.

Also, bring TP. The WalMart in Parker had lots of bare space on the shelf. And the BLM will be stocking the toilets [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]only [/font]on Mon and Fri.

 

[Cammalu]

Save a spot for me, I should be there middle of Jan.

The desert is big. Don’t have to save a spot. We have never run out of room.

Anyone who smoke please don’t park upwind from me. I’m highly allergic and had a couple of scary attacks last year.

 

[tx2sturgis]

 And law enforcement tends to not like movements, they probably like landscaping in a dispersed area even less! I think it would be better to keep improvements portable and leave the land looking natural personally. 

This almost sounds like a 'lecture'...I'm sure you dont mean it that way....maybe you have not been to the LTVAs...there are personalized 'spaces' all over the entire area...rocks, bricks, signs, markers, pathways, trails, posts, walls, even buildings and permanent facilities that have been set up and/or built by campers and groups of campers.

Tens or hundreds of thousands of campers personalize their little patch of desert in all of the LTVAs...adding on every year and returning to meet up with friends in the same place every year. That's part of the 'appeal' of the LTVA...you are essentially 'renting' that patch of desert every year for a few months.

If you feel that this is wrong, go tell everyone, thousands of campers, at the LTVAs, and the BLM Rangers, that you don't approve.

Until they change the rules.....most of us will return to our same 'improved' spot expecting to find it available.

 

[Ravella and X]

Hmmm. Now I am a little worried that I have taken a campsite that someone considers their own :/
It has a nice big fire ring, and rocks line the entrance/exit, and there is a circle of stones in the middle of that.
Should I have looked for a plain gravel expanse? Should I move? I don't relish that idea, as I hurt my back and am trying to rest it.

 

[Cammalu]

Ravella if you want you can head over to YARC Camp. Just don’t take my spot. [emoji12]. PM if you want the coordinates.

If you have all that at the spot you took it is fair game but people do work very hard, year after year, so make a nice spot for themselves. Not only that but neighbors and friends know where to find you if you are in the same spot every year.

You are certainly welcome in YARC Camp. Nobody there yet but we will be rolling in soon.

 

[tx2sturgis]

You dont have to move, I never said that....but if some stranger shows up and camps very close to you, you will know why.

It also kinda depends on how elaborate it is...a few rocks forming a fire ring is one thing....but thousands of large rocks forming intricate parking slots and social areas and huge white quartz rocks the size of a dufflebags and multi-colored geodes and rectangular formations of carefully picked and sorted rocks to use as bracing for a stage or dance floor plywood or privacy walls and windbreaks, and pieces of pipe in the ground where a flag would be inserted....yeah someone spent some time on that one.

 

[bullfrog]

^^^ Exactly my point. There are rules which state what you can and cannot do. Nowhere in the rules does it state you have a right to “claim an area of land on the LTVA BLM for camping without physically being there. You are only allowed to leave your camp unattended for 5 days. You can establish a new camp as close as 15 feet. The fact they are filling up with so many visitors has just complicated the situation. Only temporary structures are permitted and natural landscapes are to be preserved. If you remember last year they were filled to capacity according to the BLM and we will most likely be in the same situation this year, maybe even funding wise if something isn’t done with the budget. The more visitors the more stricter the rules will be enforced out of necessity. Everyone needs to learn what they can do to help everyone enjoy their stay. The rule is first come get to choose and no one can park within 15 feet. Don’t expect people parked more than 15’ away to move or acknowledge your right to park somewhere they were parked first. Things are changing and not for the better which is why expectations need to change as well.

 

[Cammalu]

Filled to capacity? There were tons of places out there with nobody. I hear this year it’s sparse.

 

[bullfrog]

I afraid if you look at the BLM news releases last year you will see they were stating they do not have the people or budget to manage and maintain the long term areas and were considering what to do as they felt too many visitors were destroying the areas natural resources.

 

[Ravella and X]

Cammalu, thanks for the invite. I have been in this spot for a month and will stay until someone gives me stink-eye/camps close, or my back heals some.
Also, I lurked a bread thread and noticed you like fresh bread. I make all of my own bread and if there is someone around who wants some, I bake an extra boule. It's sourdough. Might be white, some percentage of whole wheat, or rye. But always sourdough. Idk how to embed a pic from my phone or I'd show you.

 

[Freelander]

I am going to have to show with my Smoker and trade some Ribs for some of that Bread.

 

[Ravella and X]

I am going to have to show with my Smoker and trade some Ribs for some of that Bread.

Sounds delicious. Just so you know, the bread is always a gift and requires no return of any kind. =)