New Category or Thread

**old creek** · 09-09-2015, 12:05

from pgibson
For me I hate and I mean HATE campgrounds.

plus one on that!!! I am glad I am not the only one that feels that strongly about it.

**mayhemkb** · 09-09-2015, 12:26

I am in pgibson's camp too. I have a hard time finding suitable places to hang because of that unless we are specifically at someone's place for a party or something. Hence why we hang in the UP off of family land, where you can fade into oblivion in the national forests without many DNR wardens floating around. We often remark that if we actually made any human contact at all on our little treks it would almost ruin the whole thing. I guess I didn't think about that when throwing in my 2 cents earlier.

**pgibson** · 09-09-2015, 12:37

Not wanting to be totally down on the concept perhaps another way of looking at it would help.

For some of us that have been around a while we have gotten to know folks from all over. When I plan a trip to a new area I have at times shot a message to the folks I know from that area. I ask about spots to check out and other things I should do or see while in the area...where I should eat, where to stay so on and so on. I also post a thread in the trip planning section to get even others feed back. Trip planning is not just for inviting folks to join your trip it can simply be a shout out for info on an area. You don't have to start a full on hang to use trip planning.

When someone posts a thread about coming to Idaho I try to give them my help with the same things if they want it. I got to where I was doing that so much for the Sawtooths that I wrote a guide to visiting the area that I have put up for sale for a few bucks on my store.

I am 3rd generation Idahoan, my kids are 4th. I grew up in Boise and know the area well, it's were most would fly into for a visit. I know Idaho very well. I can tell you the best place to get a burger 400 miles from where I live...and where not to go (often just as if not more important)

I know the geology, the wild life, the fishing, the weather patterns....on and on and on. Just like many others can for their areas.

Perhaps rather than a full on list of spots we could "elect/volunteer" regional or state representatives...1-4 people that know their region. They could serve as a point of contact for folks planning to travel to new areas. Not exactly like mods but folks that have stated they are willing to help with questions for their region when and if folks that are planning to hit an area might need it. A simple list of regions and or states...New England, Carolinas, Norther plains, Colorado, Utah, and so on with Profile links to the members that have volunteered listed. It could be broken down as much as is reasonable with the folks that are willing to help.

Imagine if you will. Listed in the trip planning section a sticky that goes in each region with the local volunteer expert of the areas listed. Now I certainly have not hiked every trail in Idaho, have not camped in every camp ground or wide spot in the whole state. But if you are coming to Idaho I can probably answer a lot of your questions about the area. And I imagine others can as well for their region. If I was going to Mississippi I would PM BillyBob58, New Jersey Silversurfer. But many new folks that have not been here for years might not even know about each of these gentlemen. They might not be able to cover every detail but I am sure they would help if I asked.

When you start a trip planning thread..."I am going to XZY and have planned to hike the ABC trail." Then you check the sticky list of folks for that area that are willing to help and you can PM them inviting them to help with your questions about the area and trail in your thread...the PM helps to make sure they can see and find your thread. As a thread then it also stands as a reference to others that might later look at the same area. In this way you can get help your looking for and potentially get more specific details about the area not just is there 2 trees?

**cjayflo** · 09-09-2015, 13:26

I search the trip reports for idea.

**Crash1911** · 09-09-2015, 17:50

Originally Posted by PreciousPixie

I think that this is a great idea. I am new and don't know any good places to go around me. I do know that FDR State Park in Georgia is really nice. The magazines that I subscribe to all only have places in the North and West listed. I want some areas in the South like Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama.

This is good news to me -- my in-laws live just a few minutes from FDR State Park! Hopefully next time I'm down there I can do a quick overnighter.

**PreciousPixie** · 09-09-2015, 18:40

Originally Posted by Crash1911

This is good news to me -- my in-laws live just a few minutes from FDR State Park! Hopefully next time I'm down there I can do a quick overnighter.

Do the Wolfden Loop, it's about an 8 mile loop with lots of beautiful creeks and falls.

The park just won an excellence award. I think there is 46 miles of hiking trails.

**Martin_1** · 09-09-2015, 19:23

That would be limiting information to US residents. Not all are from the US.

**transeuphrates** · 09-10-2015, 19:24

So how about instead of a list of camping sites, we encourage more people to review their recent trips and have a standard format by which to rate? For example:

1.Front country or back country site.
2.Hammock friendly or hard to find the right trees to hang from.
3.Close to a water source or half a days hike down the mountain.
4.Heavily used trail or all alone with the woodland critters.

Etc...