Official Summer RTR Dates: June 16-26, 2016

[Ken in Anaheim]

Minor point but I just don't understand how the ranger could identify all the folks as belonging to one group as opposed to a lot of campers COINCEDENTLY arriving around the same time (?)
KinA

 

[Matt71]

Well that sucks. Watched the video and was getting nervous about driving our Hyundai Elantra back there. Kept reading and the news just got worse. Now we have no place to stay Wednesday and Thursday night. Best start looking

 

[4GNomad]

Sad to see you all had to disperse. I guess I jinxed it by deciding not to go, just kidding.

Looking forward to Winter RTR and hopefully less issues. Take care everyone on your travels back to wherever you are going. Try and keep cool with that Southwest heat.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Well that sucks. Watched the video and was getting nervous about driving our Hyundai Elantra back there. Kept reading and the news just got worse. Now we have no place to stay Wednesday and Thursday night. Best start looking

There are splinter groups. There is a Prius out here with us, if a Prius can get back here can your Elantra? It of course is no longer the rtr but we are enjoying camping together. There is another group before where I am, they had some bigger rigs and needed more space. I'm with Jamie's group. We often have music at nite. Party but not stupid about it. some dogs if that's an issUe for you ,anywhere from 5pounds to 70 pounds. I would hesitate to bring your cats though.

Please feel free to ask for directions here.

Diane

 

[Matt71]

We have reservations in Vegas for Friday, and the hotel is only $26 a night on weekdays, so we're considering just heading up to Vegas for a couple extra days. Still mulling it over

 

[cyndi]

I think I remember that with groups over 75 people a porta-potty was necessary. that could be a reason why no permit was issued at the site.

 

[highdesertranger]

don't know about the forest service but here in kalifornia 1 porta-potty is good for ten people for ten days. so you would need 8 porta-potties. highdesertranger

 

[Park Kitchings]

I'd bet good money that all the rigs going in by that housing development got someone's attention and they called it in. I've been back in there before and if I remember right there is a housing development right before getting into the National Forest area. Sorry you guys had to cancel. I hope to make the winter RTR.....maybe this winter.

 

[TMG51]

That's crazy. At this rate, I'm glad I didn't come. Sorry to hear people got busted up though. Were there well over 75 people? Any estimates? I know we had well over that at 2016 winter RTR.

I'll make the 2017 winter RTR.

 

[DannyB1954]

We have reservations in Vegas for Friday, and the hotel is only $26 a night on weekdays, so we're considering just heading up to Vegas for a couple extra days. Still mulling it over

I am about an an hour west Of Las Vegas, you can park a few days in my drive. I have power and water. Not much to do in this town of Pahrump, but your welcome. If you have a vehicle project you want to do, I probably have the tools and there is a Home Depot here. Just PM me and I will give you an address. It is hot here for sure, tomorrow about 110, but if you are going to vegas the nights here do cool down, Vegas doesn't. Not far from Las Vegas, (just north of it I think) is the valley of fire. It is a state park and I believe they have disbursed camping.

Actually the offer is good for anyone in the tribe. Pahrump is not really a final destination, but it is not a bad place to restock and regroup.

 

[DannyB1954]

Hey Bob, don't be too hard on yourself. You are too modest to realize how popular you are. That's a good thing.

 

[USExplorer]

The Rainbow hippies always have to deal with the threat of evictions, but they still manage to meet all over the country in national forests. They are an amorphous, leaderless group, so it is much more difficult to evict them as a whole.

 

[akrvbob]

 As for Ranger Rick, He has a job to do, and telling a large group of happy people they must leave has got to be hard.  This year especially he will be working hard.

No, he enjoyed it, he was very angry the whole time and kept rattling off the many things he could site me for. 
Bob

 

[akrvbob]

If the ranger has the authority to evict , does he not have the authority to write you up a permit, he may have  a job to do but so did the train driver, and that begs the question who is guiltier, Hilter or the train driver.

No, every National Forest has a Permit Officer who is responsible to review, approve and monitor Special Use Permits. Rangers don't issue permits. This was an LEO, he was too busy to issue permits.
Bob

 

[akrvbob]

"It's possible that someone at that Forest is monitoring your blog . . . "

I doubt it. The locals probability noticed more road traffic into and out of the area and called it in.

Two different LEOS knew me by first and last name, my face and my van.
Bob

 

[akrvbob]

Well that sucks. Watched the video and was getting nervous about driving our Hyundai Elantra back there. Kept reading and the news just got worse. Now we have no place to stay Wednesday and Thursday night. Best start looking

Don't hesitate to go back there Matt. There is tons of great camping on A-1 Mountain road. Just don't go camp back there.
Bob

 

[Txjaybird]

Well that sucks. Watched the video and was getting nervous about driving our Hyundai Elantra back there. Kept reading and the news just got worse. Now we have no place to stay Wednesday and Thursday night. Best start looking

If you guys weren't part of the group that was run off why can't you stay there?  Just asking.........AT least there seems to be other places to camp in the general area.   Hope things work out.    TJB

 

[DannyB1954]

Maybe next year have 74 people per area, with each area being autonomous. You could have 3 or 4 different areas. When asked what group are you with, the answer is we are individuals not a group. After all this really isn't an organization or club. This is just a chat room where individuals communicate with each other.
I will kick in some money if you want to get a legal opinion.

 

[GotSmart]

I called the Flagstaff Visitors and Convention Bureau, and found out who to contact to keep problems like this from happening again. Since I was not there, and am not currently involved in what happened, I will post the contact information for others to react to.  

My personal take on this is that someone went beyond the authority they had.  I was not there ~~~ 

The training I have in Public Relations tells me that this is a potential PR tourism nightmare for Flagstaff, and they will bend over backwards to prevent this from happening again.

Anyway, if the people who were there, and Bob as well, would contact Trace Ward and politely speak your piece, perhaps next time they will not be approached by someone with a power attitude.  I find that many polite letters have extreme power.  One rude letter brands the group as trouble. 

Snail Mail
Trace Ward
CVB Director,
211 West Aspen Ave, Flagstaff AZ 86001

Email
[email protected].

 

[AltTransBikes]

IMO making the Forest Service out to be the villain in all this is wrong-headed and counter productive to back country travelers when better planning, obtaining the necessary permit and being up front with the FS are simple enough to alleviate any conflict. Why slink around and attempt to avoid the very people who's job it is to respond to an emergency that may save your life?

The FS has their hands full trying to keep the forest standing and not burning to the ground, protecting and providing access to public land and attempting to curb abuse and despoiling it. In my experience, agencies like the Forest Service are not my enemy, the people who want to get their hands on public land for private gain, the extraction industries, the real estate developers, the bureaus  of commerce and greedheads that want to cash it in are.