TheIllusionOfCamping2012
Introduction/Definition/etc
Camping as such, doesn't seem like real camping to me,
and I will spell out the ways...
Body
MotorCamping in state parks,
in this case rural South West to Central
Pennsylvania, doesn't seem like real camping to me,
I'm not sure exactly where my arrogance
came from, probably Endless Mountains,
and/or cross country in the West or Rockies,
but driving into a parking lot,
plugging into an outlet,
and parking with "neighbors" only feet away,
and likely making lots of noise,
is not my idea of getting away from people...
I'm thinking on a deserted mountain
miles away from other people, but
I can't walk much anymore and have too
much gear to carry, so can't really do that,
on a bike (bicycle), I have a trailer
for all that camping gear and am not
on my feet as much, somehow after
having a taxi run over my feet,
I don't walk much anymore...
The lakes and dams seemed tempting,
with the heat, I usually had one at a campground/
StatePark, but I'm of the Jaws generation,
where if you can't see the bottom,
it's probably down there waiting to eat you.,
in some painfully gruesome torturous way too...
Kids
Lots of kids on bicycle in the parks too,
circling around the campground, which makes
sense, parents without helmets, I called
them on it more than once...
Concessions
One place Black Moshannon around State College,
didn't take plastic for payment, and reveled in the
fact that I was going to be hungry...
A retired set of women afterwards and during
seemed to think it was always that way and
The Way It Should Be (tm),
but if the Penn State Park System
has gift cards and lists them on the website
as taking at concessions (doesn't say all)
but they need to, IMO...
It's remote and people are hungry,
and don't have the kind of cash
necessary to survive, without driving out elsewhere,
and cash is not safe to have while camping,
as you shower, and have to leave
your stuff around strangers,
and it will be gone (as the locals at Pleasantville
The Cow frozen dairy warned about Blue Knob
SP campsite...
Creatures
No not making disparaging remarks about the locals,
there was a frog on the sidewalk going to the
first restroom area I stopped in BlueKnob.
There were rabbits all over the campsite
in the morning in Keystone. Cute, very cute,
I wished I had brought carrots to feed them,
but probably against the wildlife rules...
Deer, only 3 the whole trip, but late at night
on the roads, except one, so can be dangerous,
they were scared and ran away unlike the
Skyline Drive ( BambisOutToGetMeAndSnakesInTheStore2011
experience going down to Radford, VA)
Birds, were the alarm system most of the time,
waking me, some fake like bird calls in the night,
some sounds I don't recognize, so either kids
or others playing with whistles/ game calling,
or something more inscideous (sp?)...
HonorSystemSelfCheckin
Probably intended for late arrivals, most of
mine were done this way, I didn't know if I could
find the campground each night and was choosing
based on where I had been before, a different one
each night to try all in the area, all were about an
hours drive from Johnstown, PA.
Disturbing Others
I'd read online that there was an envelope,
and you pay cash, choose a campsite
and just get started, but didn't realize
how much of a pain it was to circle around late
at night with headlights and noisy engine so close
to campers at almost midnight, and I was also
almost always one of the first up and out too...
Would help to just call it in, saying on an
answering machine which spot was chosen,
but that required cell signal...
Hosts probably figured it out,
as knew who was where generally...
Finding a Good Site
But then again if your neighbors are staying up partying
until 2 or 3 am, I almost made intentional noise
one early am, after a late night group kept me up...
What I consider a good site is equidistant
from other campers, split the empty sites
to have a buffer of space between,
and near the bathrooms, but not too close,
that all the people going through
end up in your space while you are trying
to rest or whatever...
Electricity
Oddly enough, there is Primitive and
Modern Camping, primitive seems to be rustic
or roughing it, maybe even walking into the site
up a trail or something.
Modern is a huge electrical outlet box,
that powers a motorized RV camper
(note one night the A/C unit went on and off all
night, waking me each time, when the other side
people didn't keep me up).
There is also 115-120 power (normal household)
for just lights and plugging in a computer and
charging stuff, which if you spend hours trying
to find the site or out exploring during the day,
might need. I don't trust the shower outlets
which could give you a quick charge, but
not enough for modern gizmology
appliances, IMO
Bring your own extension cords to get from
the pole to the tent, if you choose to do that...
CampGrounds
BlueKnob
Near the ski sites, but up on the top of the mountain,
or an adjacent one. and very windy that night,
a storm approaching but didn't hit...
Food: The Cow in Pleasantville nearby.
Safety: Warned of thieves by the local, and unsafe.
Seemed to be people near my tent late at night,
talking about wanting my stuff,
a window shot or fell out in the nearby bathrooms,
so I got out of there quickly in the morning,
when I would normally have just lingered
until ready,
$29 / night - disabled discounts
see fee schedule to be sure
I guessed $20 thinking I was giving too much,
but got it wrong, I later discovered, off by $2.50
or so...
Super8
The only motel/hotel listed in Johnstown, PA near UPJ
and got caught in the rain storm, so ended up there
late one night. Cute hostess let me in, and
there was nice waffle machine and juice/
cereal, etc for continental breakfast,
the married people were talking
and I'm used to quiet in the AM,
living alone, and eventually I talked
with others after interjecting myself
in their conversation I could not help
but avoid overhearing in the small lobby...
$80/ night was very high for my budget...
Penn State Creamery
Part of the Ag part of the school,
teaches Ice Cream Making classes,
and employs students, even on
break, so business oriented too,
makes all sorts of ice creams,
and pastry too, cheeses,
limited souvenirs etc...
I'd probably seen it on a PBS
special somewhere, and remembered
to go look for it...
Stickies, sweet rolls that you are to grill,
I ended up eating rather raw without
grilling, which is probably not the best
way...
Greenwood Furnace
Met the host, as I asked for help checking in,
and they happened to be their about dusk
as I pulled around again...
Met the Ranger who pulled up while
we were doing that.... Again suspicious
of me, but put me next to Motorcyclists,
Harleys in a group. The party/ talking/
breakfast/ commissary/ HQ for the evening,
so a little loud, but friendly enough,
In the AM, I went to ride briefly with them,
and they told me of a Reed's Gap
nearby, to try for more quiet,
and pointed the way during the ride,
I branched off...
":Amish Country" for motorcyclists
means dodging horse crap on the
roads.... Important lingo to learn.
I'd hoped it meant country stores
stocked with good foods...
Maybe elsewhere...
Reed's Gap
Hope I got the name right,
check the PA state map and there
is a camping directory too,
with more info...
Drove through, talked to a ranger,
and a new up and coming ranger
who hadn't gotten her uniform yet,
about joining the military (order spouse
to like it) and being on the side of
the environment or
the Fracking Companies...
Kept going as had other place to try
Poe SomethingS
Two Poe named sites next to each other,..
North? East of Penn State/ State College...
Up and over a mountain in Gravel,
which was sweating the whole way
Down in a valley on the other side
there is a lake/ dam and people swimming
I was too worried about getting out
that I didn't want to lose my nerve
and kept going...
I went out a different way.
still over a mountain on gravel,
but at least a change of scenery,
been there done that other one...
Concessions on site, but I didn't get off
the bike to check out what...
Gravel road to the Concessions even
the handicapped way to Concessions
was gravel!
Paved loop around the day sites though...
State maps really need to tell people
what the road surface are, as it's
REALLY impassible / dangerous
to street bikes and likely bicyclists too...
Especially if they just laid new gravel,
of large stone sizes...
Older packed dirt might work, but
BEWARE...
Black Moshannon
Named after bogs or something,
that turned the water black...
As probably mentioned elsewhere,
needs a plastic/ credit card
Annoying amount of gawkers and
buttinskies at the concession parking
lot, telling me things that were none
of their business... I don't even think
they ride either...
No signal really for cell phones...
LaurelSomething
First open late main gate (-10 pm),
and nosy person, people don't have the right
to ask about your disability, and those
not knowing that aren't likely
to be people you want to explain things to...
Big campsite, rundown/ overused/ older design
in general, but near the Turnpike off Rt 31,
so an hour south of Johnstown, PA
on the other side of Somerset
Giant Eagle supermarket on the way on 31
Gas and Bank nearby
Molly's Dairy near Walmart on the northern side
of the Turnpike
A diner, probably 24 hours along the turnpike
I didn't get to stop at...
Bicycle Shop along 31 near MooEcho Dairy,
good bike brands, but not open or I didn't have time...
MooEcho Dairy Store
Mennonite dairy country store
was nice, lots of good plain stuff, and surprisingly
electronic computerized cash register too...
Gravel Parking lot dangerous for MotorCycles,
especially overloaded and / or tired ones...
Koosier
Further down / up the mountain from
Laurel Something (there are several get
the right ones)
Highway noise nearby, but too tired,
smaller campground
Surprising active, friendly and hungry
Golden Retriever named Charlie
next to my tent, the next morning.
PetTherapy!
(note: not a normal occurrence,
Charlie's another camper's, not the hosts
nor other permanent attraction)
Cell signal 4 of 5 bars, the best of any,
more campgrounds had none, or one at most,
so don't assume you have a phone while
searching for stuff...
Prince Gallitzen
Common Name, I've probably misspelled it,
Gallitzen is all over this area,
in State Forests and Game Lands
Neither of which is campable, under current rules,
and this one Prince Gallitzen
is well hidden and protected by the locals
who don't want outsiders coming in...
Bridges out, Detour signs,
lacking signs for where the park is,
the only reply I got after some probably deliberately
bad directions was it's all round, there is no
one entrance, but nothing off the main roads
so went there about 4-5 times literally
over the weeks, stopping at UnclePhilsCountryStore
or UnclePhl'sCountryStore
before finding it, and then just by
accident.
Long conversation with the front desk
at the ranger station/ and had a few
words to say about keeping a public
place with public money unfindable,
as if a private country club for locals
only...
Keystone
Passing construction and the next morning
police a few times, adult video places on the
22 going out? and other roadside "attractions"
up and over mountains and cut out roads
through mountains, a late night trip and
early start, it was the most dangerous
one for me, as I had been worn down
by days of lack of sleep, previous campsite
people up late
Conclusion
Summary of experience or similar
Camping may be an option, it won't be
easy to find, as one person/ family tried
asking me all about it, thinking they were
going to tag along, wanting to use my tent,
etc, didn't really tell them where I was going,
'also wasn't sure where it was at that point,
and they didn't think they needed a tent,
maybe cabins would have worked for them...
Seems cheaper until you figure in the
gas to get there, lack of continental
breakfast, some shower fees, etc,
But we're tough, so not boxes at night
for us.... Also no TV, regular bathroom,
etc...
Explored the various sites, missed
Yellow Creek Yurts, my intended destination,
maybe some other year?
Golden Retriever and Bunny Rabbits
(different places ,Charlie didn't have that
soft a mouth, almost taking off my finger
a couple of times, giving crumbs from
a box of muffins)
Wonder what the different seasons and
non holiday times would be like,
try sometime in the early fall,
before it gets too cold and wet?
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20120708 Jerry
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