Updated WMNF backcountry camping regulations brochure

[ImYourHuckleberry]

I'm only guessing it was John that launched his paraglider as it kind of looked like him, but I never saw his face as I was too distracted trying not to crap my pants. (I have no knowledge of any trees being cut in furtherance of paragliding at Whitehorse.)

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Be careful what you think when you really don’t know. Don’t pin it on John. He might have been the Ring Leader but he had many minions working the cause.

Well, I did not see him cut the trees but I heard it on good authority from multiple sources at the time.

My own huckleberry story was when I was leading a friend up The Prow for my own second ascent when the route was still mostly an aid climb except for the first slab pitch. When I was bringing up my second from the hanging belay on the inside wall three pitches up, both of us were startled by a wicked loud flapping noise that we initially thought was someone doing a suicide jump from the top. Of course, as it turned out it was someone who launched off the top with a hang glider.

 

[OldEric]

One February day in the early 90's a friend and I had done a couple of routes in Huntington and decided to go up to the summit after the 2nd one. Around 4PM we met John and his partner on the summit where they had also gone after a day in the Ravine. I was hoping that we could get down Lion Head before dark - we had about 90 minutes. I was watching John out of the corner of my eye as he seemed pretty relaxed. Then he and his partner shook out their parapentes and took off. We saw them landing near 16 about 10 minutes later as we were plodding down the cone.

 

[JustJoe]

I thought I had a downloaded version of the old rules. I've read through this one several times and there seems to be a couple things missing. One, or two depending how you look at it is the 1/4 mile restriction on camping on Rt. 302. I think that was from the junction with route Rt. 3 Bartlett, I believe. The other is Rt. 112 which was from Lincoln to Conway, also as I remember. I does state in the second section on the website, no camping within a 1/4 mile of certain roads but no mention of what roads. Also, I don't see the no camping within a 1/4 mile of, ANY, trailhead. They may have given up on that one since car, van, and outright RV's have been camping at trailhead parking more and more over the past few years. Which, many people insist is fine, but in fact it is, or was not allowed. At any rate, they don't have the man power to keep that in check.

 

[DayTrip]

At any rate, they don't have the man power to keep that in check.

That is the big problem. I few years back I got an early start out of Lincoln Woods and there were 2 bike packers set up right on the end of the bridge with their tents a few steps from the trail. And there's a ranger station of information booth right on the other side within eye shot. People will just ignore this brochure if there is nothing to worry about.

 

[JoshandBaron]

I thought I had a downloaded version of the old rules. I've read through this one several times and there seems to be a couple things missing. One, or two depending how you look at it is the 1/4 mile restriction on camping on Rt. 302. I think that was from the junction with route Rt. 3 Bartlett, I believe. The other is Rt. 112 which was from Lincoln to Conway, also as I remember. I does state in the second section on the website, no camping within a 1/4 mile of certain roads but no mention of what roads. Also, I don't see the no camping within a 1/4 mile of, ANY, trailhead. They may have given up on that one since car, van, and outright RV's have been camping at trailhead parking more and more over the past few years. Which, many people insist is fine, but in fact it is, or was not allowed. At any rate, they don't have the man power to keep that in check.

They changed the wording to no camping in parking lots and FPAs except "designeated" sites. The maps they reference show all the FPAs and every trailhead has one around it as well as the roads they used to explicitly name.

 

[helmethiker]

They changed the wording to no camping in parking lots and FPAs except "designeated" sites. The maps they reference show all the FPAs and every trailhead has one around it as well as the roads they used to explicitly name.

Can you expand the TLA FPA? (ThreeLetterAcronym). Thank you.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Can you expand the TLA FPA? (ThreeLetterAcronym). Thank you.

Forest Protection Area

 

[helmethiker]

Apologies; I would have seen that had I opened the brochure first.

 

[JustJoe]

They changed the wording to no camping in parking lots and FPAs except "designeated" sites. The maps they reference show all the FPAs and every trailhead has one around it as well as the roads they used to explicitly name.

Is this something they're still tweaking? Because I don't see "no camping in parking lots" anywhere, but clearly see now, "Any Trailhead" in all 3 districts. It could be just me. OLD! I am surprised the specific roads aren't listed though.

 

[JoshandBaron]

Is this something they're still tweaking? Because I don't see "no camping in parking lots" anywhere, but clearly see now, "Any Trailhead" in all 3 districts. It could be just me. OLD! I am surprised the specific roads aren't listed though.

They put a general rule list on the bear safety/food storage panel. The same list is posted at trailheads.

NO CAMPING IN PARKING LOTS & FOREST
PROTECTION AREAS EXCEPT AT
DESIGNEATED SITES.
NO FIRES IN FOREST PROTECTION
AREAS EXCEPT AT PROVIDED
DESINGATED FIRE RINGS
NO DRONES IN FOREST PROTECTION AREAS.
NO FIREWORKS WITHIN THE NATIONAL FOREST.
NO DAMAGING LIVE OR STANDING TREES.
NO MARIJUANA ON NATIONAL FOREST
REGARLESS OF STATE LAWS.
WHILE IN DEVELOPED AREAS (CAMPGROUNDS,
TRAIL HEADS, PICNIC AREAS) DOGS MUST BE
ON A LEASH. OUTSIDE THESE DEVELOPED
AREAS THEY MUST BE LEASHED OR UNDER
VOICE CONTROL.

 

[helmethiker]

They put a general rule list on the bear safety/food storage panel. The same list is posted at trailheads.

NO CAMPING IN PARKING LOTS & FOREST
PROTECTION AREAS EXCEPT AT
DESIGNEATED SITES.
NO FIRES IN FOREST PROTECTION
AREAS EXCEPT AT PROVIDED
DESINGATED FIRE RINGS
NO DRONES IN FOREST PROTECTION AREAS.
NO FIREWORKS WITHIN THE NATIONAL FOREST.
NO DAMAGING LIVE OR STANDING TREES.
NO MARIJUANA ON NATIONAL FOREST
REGARLESS OF STATE LAWS.
WHILE IN DEVELOPED AREAS (CAMPGROUNDS,
TRAIL HEADS, PICNIC AREAS) DOGS MUST BE
ON A LEASH. OUTSIDE THESE DEVELOPED
AREAS THEY MUST BE LEASHED OR UNDER
VOICE CONTROL.

So when is it camping and when is it just sleeping in your car?

 

[JoshandBaron]

So when is it camping and when is it just sleeping in your car?

DEFINITION: "Camping" means the temporary use of National Forest System lands for the purpose of overnight occupancy without a permanently-fixed structure