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Mollysdad · 06-30-2017, 12:05 PM

Maybe around here?

OTRA15 · 06-30-2017, 12:41 PM

You're in the right neck of the woods as far as I can tell. After clicking on your image to make it larger, near the center, about 3/4 up, just under the main dirt road (Rd 316), there is a small white dot which is actually a travel trailer IMO (which is more apparent in the satellite view on Google Maps, fully zoomed in, looking straight down). The Google data is from 2015.

TravlinMan · 06-30-2017, 12:48 PM

Yep that's the trailer I saw on Google when I knew I could get in here.

The smoke has really disappeared from my area, it's very clear and nice now. I'm hearin it's about 30 percent contained so they are makin good progress.

Great team of fighters out here.

Mollysdad · 06-30-2017, 12:56 PM

I take using Google Earth and sending you the image for granted, but a couple hundred years ago we'd have been burned at the stake for witchcraft!

I can't wait for LIVE Google Earth someday. Real Time images.

I did find a handful of trailers in the area and across 316 also. And a lot of "trails" which could lead to other great spots.

OTRA15 · 06-30-2017, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravlinMan

Yep that's the trailer I saw on Google when I knew I could get in here.
. . .

So is that your first site, the current one, or maybe neither? Thanks again for the tips on the style of boondocking you do. Inspires us to reach out a bit . . .

TravlinMan · 06-30-2017, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

So is that your first site, the current one, or maybe neither?

That was closer to the first one, now I'm further down a spur. You should be able to see a fork somewhere before that trailer. I will see if I can figure out how to show ya!

TravlinMan · 06-30-2017, 04:24 PM

It's this intersection right here at 37.346891,-108.201910 where the red arrow is. If ya go left at that point it's private and goes to a mill. If ya go straight it goes to Madden Peak and there are lots of good sites. If ya go right thats the road I'm on but it's not listed on Google maps. I think it is Forest Route 568. The wide thing that looks like a road ain't a road it's where they chopped down the trees for the gas pipeline. The road is the more narrow one.

Mollysdad · 06-30-2017, 05:17 PM

So how does that work? Do you just camp? No service, no fee?
Do rangers drive through? Do you report in at an office for a permit?
I'd get paranoid about two legged critters paying me a visit. Maybe that's my "big city" mentality.
Sure is beautiful though!

I loaned my Gazetteer to a friend going to Colorado, I'll bet that road is in there!

TravlinMan · 06-30-2017, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

So how does that work? Do you just camp? No service, no fee?
Do rangers drive through? Do you report in at an office for a permit?
I'd get paranoid about two legged critters paying me a visit. Maybe that's my "big city" mentality.
Sure is beautiful though!

I loaned my Gazetteer to a friend going to Colorado, I'll bet that road is in there!

Well to recreate on forest lands you are supposed to have a forest adventure pass or America the beautiful pass or ada or senior or whatnot. Not that everyone does. But that's the rule. But basically BLM land and US Forest land have dispersed camping rules which say ya can camp for free outside of developed campgrounds, usually up to 14 days but sometimes less or more. There are more rules such as not campin within a certain distance of a developed campground and also always 100 feet from a water source and never take your vehicle more than one car length off the established road. And try to camp in already camped in places. Like where I am now, which had a fire pit when I arrived, as do several other spots around here.

But that's it. Ya just camp. Ya don't pay, ya don't check in with rangers, ya just gotta be smart and plan for all the bad things even though they're unlikely to happen.

If ya call any BLM or US Forest Ranger station and ask about dispersed campin in your RV they are always very helpful. Some of them are called public lands offices in the west. In the east is harder to do but not bad. We got lots of national forests in Virginia and all through Kentucky and Tennessee, etc...

It's a wonderful way of campin.

TravlinMan · 06-30-2017, 08:47 PM

...

OTRA15 · 07-01-2017, 04:58 AM

Thanks for the updates and photo. Nice spot!

The fire containment appears to be going well, although the InciWeb page linked in Post #100 says that full containment is not expected until next Wednesday.

Have a great Fourth!

Peter

GettinAway · 07-01-2017, 05:37 AM

Great spots like this are in almost every national forest, that I've ever been in. They will sometimes be occupied by folks with little four wheelers, or dirt bikes, which can be a nuisance, noise issue. You can usually just drive a little further down the road and find a private spot. Later in the year, they will have hunters camped in them. Almost all of the sites have a fire ring, but that's it. No tables, no water, etc.. Lots of the time you'll need extra clearance to get in and out.

TravlinMan · 07-01-2017, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Thanks for the updates and photo. Nice spot!

The fire containment appears to be going well, although the InciWeb page linked in Post #100 says that full containment is not expected until next Wednesday.

Have a great Fourth!

Peter

Thank you, Peter, you have a great 4th as well.

TravlinMan · 07-01-2017, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Great spots like this are in almost every national forest, that I've ever been in. They will sometimes be occupied by folks with little four wheelers, or dirt bikes, which can be a nuisance, noise issue. You can usually just drive a little further down the road and find a private spot. Later in the year, they will have hunters camped in them. Almost all of the sites have a fire ring, but that's it. No tables, no water, etc.. Lots of the time you'll need extra clearance to get in and out.

Thank you, GettinAway, these are some good points on forest campin!

TravlinMan · 07-01-2017, 09:33 AM

Good Moooooooo-rnin!

Mollysdad · 07-01-2017, 10:12 AM

Ha!
I Used to encounter cows on the road when I rode my dual sport motorcycle in Colorado. My eastern neighbors never heard of a cattle guard. I've come across cattle guards that are just painted on the asphalt. I guess once the cows learn, they won't cross even fake ones.
I always knew I was about to encounter cattle when I started to see cow pies on the road. Then I hoped the bulls were mellow.
Once there were so many grasshoppers that it felt like my lower legs were being pelted by raindrops.

OTRA15 · 07-02-2017, 01:32 AM

I believe that the campers at Lightner Creek Campground were allowed to start returning last night, which will continue today. My impression is that the fire was somewhat south and east of the campground, which is on CR 207 (Lightner Creek Road), but I am not sure about this. [edit -- The map below seems to confirm this. CR 207 is the road which runs WNW above the western fire zone, toward the top left corner of the map. The CG is located approx. where you see "Lightner Cr" in blue.]

https://durangoherald.com/articles/1...to-return-home

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5298/35979/

There should be a new InciWeb update this morning IMO.

Praying that the campers' trailers and RV's are OK.

Peter

PS -- Nice shots of the cattle Alan.

bbandeddie · 07-02-2017, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Great spots like this are in almost every national forest, that I've ever been in. They will sometimes be occupied by folks with little four wheelers, or dirt bikes, which can be a nuisance, noise issue. You can usually just drive a little further down the road and find a private spot. Later in the year, they will have hunters camped in them. Almost all of the sites have a fire ring, but that's it. No tables, no water, etc.. Lots of the time you'll need extra clearance to get in and out.

How much extra clearance are we talking? Filling holes with a shovel or forgetaboutit with a 27fb? Does careful driving get you in or are trailer mods required? Sorry, maybe dumb questions, we don't get our AS until august, a 2014 EB 27FB, and are total newbies.

GettinAway · 07-02-2017, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbandeddie

How much extra clearance are we talking? Filling holes with a shovel or forgetaboutit with a 27fb? Does careful driving get you in or are trailer mods required? Sorry, maybe dumb questions, we don't get our AS until august, a 2014 EB 27FB, and are total newbies.

Some of them are absolutely impossible to get any travel trailer into. Some are so sloped it would be extremely difficult to ever level your trailer. Yet some are perfect like the one pictures by TravlinMan. Definitely calls for caution when you're looking to set up in one of these spots. I haven't used google earth like these guys are here. If you weren't careful you could end up on some pretty rough or steep roads with a serious challenge just getting out. Like TravlinMan did, walk ahead a bit and scout things out. I'm switching from 14" to 15" tires, and adding a bit of lift to my 23FB, to help get in and out of interesting campsites like these.

TravlinMan · 07-02-2017, 05:43 AM

Yep I am also adding the Dexter lift and bigger tires for these situations.

But so far, so good.

The spur to the site in Escalante Wilderness was very narrow, rutted and rocky. Before I turned on to it, I walked it all the way to the end to find the site. Then I took a good hard look at my line in and determined I could get the trailer in with proper tire placement but I'd have to back it about a 1/4 mile to the site cause there was not a turnaround. I backed it very slowly and had to get out and look under the trailer a few times for tire placement and clearance and eventually I was in. Gettin out was a lot easier, as I just drove forward. But ya gotta be willing to do all that if ya don't wanna get caught on a rut, rock, branch, cliffside, etc....

In general, off roading is about going very slow, picking and thinking about your line before ya take it and always, always gettin out and lookin even if ya just did. Unlike weather and animals, roads usually don't just change without warnin other than the rare rock slide, avalanche, flash-flood or whatnot. Your eyes can see ahead of ya when it gets more narrow, rocky, steep etc... and that's when ya get out and walk it or turnaround if ya feel unsafe.

Usually worth the payoff.