The Totally Unofficial Hoosier N. F. Camp Out/Rally Nov. 9-10-11

Ever hear of the "Rainbow Gatherings?" (Google it for more info.) It's an annual flash-mob kind of camp out attended by what would commonly be known as hippies and held every July in a national forest (the location changes yearly). There's absolutely nothing official about this--a forest is selected and people show up and camp/party/commune with nature for a week. No permits are required since it's hard to stop 30,000 people from showing up and going camping especially given that in most of the national forests you can camp anywhere except where it's posted that you can't. (More on the regulations for camping down in the Hoosier later.)

Inspired by this event some of the inmates here in Indiana and I have been discussing doing something similar down in the Hoosier National Forest south of Lake Monroe near Bloomington, IN. Actually this won't be any kind of formal event--anyone interested will show up, pick out a spot alongside any of the roads down there where it's legal to primitive camp and fellowship with our ADVrider brothers and sisters for the weekend.

Early November weather can be schizophrenic in central Indiana. Although this time of year's average temps have highs around sixty and lows around thirty it's not uncommon to see them as high as 70+. Conversely the record low is around 17 and there's an average of around a thirty percent chance of rain, too. Regardless it's a great time to camp and enjoy the Indiana woodlands.

I'm sure that there'll be some local inmates that'll put together downloadable routes of the better roads in the area so that folks who aren't from around here can go for ride and sample the south-central Indiana woodlands.

Anyway if any of you inmates would be interested in joining us for what we think is going to be a fun weekend of camping, riding and partying with fellow ADVriders let us know by voting in the poll above.

Y'all come!!!

(Please note: There has been some confusion between this event and the Hoosier National Forest Fall Ride Oct. 27-28. They are two different events.)

In! Granted I can get the time off work.

Pan pipe and loincloth and we are ready to go.

If we get 100 people... I will fight Dewey the Bear!

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in...


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Down like a clown Charlie Brown. Sounds like a great time.

Dispersed Camping:

(http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/hoosier/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=41466&actid=34)

--"Primitive or roadside camping" is allowed on N. F. land away from developed campgrounds, and anywhere your camping equipment and/or vehicle does not block developed trails or road right-of-ways.

--Roadside camping should be done at established sites if any are provided but must stay within 125 feet of the road.

--Camping is NOT allowed within designated special areas, at day use trailheads including Grubb Ridge and Blackwell Pond, or at the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower site. Camping is not allowed within 300 feet of trail heads.

--Parking is prohibited on Tower Ridge Rd. except at designated trail heads. Otherwise vehicles can be parked within one vehicle length or within a specified distance of up to 30 feet from the edge of a designated road.

--There is a 14 day limit on camping.

--Bringing uncertified (???) firewood into the forest is prohibited.

In a nutshell you can't park or camp along Tower Ridge Rd. in the "Wilderness Area" or at the deveoped parking areas but everywhere else is fair game unless posted otherwise. As long as we park our bikes close to the road, keep our campsites within 125 feet of the road and otherwise behave in a law-abiding manner legally they can't write us up or arrest us for anything.

That being said Conservation Officers, a. k. a. "possum cops" can be some of the biggest pricks you'll ever encounter. They're also the only law enforcement officer that, to my knowledge, can enter your home without a search warrant if they suspect you're breaking a wildlife law. (A couple up in the ice fishing country were rudely interupted during a whoopee session in their ice fishing shanty when a C. O. walked in on them since it's illegal to lock the door on these little houses.) I'm going to guess that the USFS Law Enforcement Officers can be the same way.

Anyway like I said so long as we watch our "P's and Q's" there isn't much they can do to us but I just wanted to warn you that, much like what happened during the 2010 HNF Ride, the C. O.'s have been known to stop and harrass otherwise law-abiding motorcyclists. That being said it ain't gonna stop me from going camping with my friends.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/hoosier/alerts-notices/?aid=6312

"The ban was initiated because of the threat from the emerald ash borer. By banning the movement of firewood we hope to slow further spread of the beetle. Ash species comprise an estimated four percent of the trees on the Hoosier. The beetle moves very slowly on its own but spreads quickly with the movement of firewood or nursery stock. Eliminating infested firewood coming onto the Hoosier will hopefully stop the leap-frog pattern of infested sites.

Campers and other visitors can still bring in pine firewood or other conifer wood, and kiln dried lumber. They can also buy or bring in certified firewood from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or the Indiana DNR. Visitors may also collect downed wood from the Forest floor to use while camping."

We will have our own po lice there too. No they cant enter without probable cause or a search warrant.

At breakfast this morning hilljak told me about a camping spot down in the area that not only has water but a dumpster as well, eliminating the need to bring a truck. Whoo-hoo!! More on this as it develops...

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/hoosier/recreation/horseriding-camping/recarea/?recid=41518&actid=30

No reservations can be taken here so it's absolutely first-come, first-serve meaning a number of us had better be there early on Friday or even Thursday especially if the weather looks good so can monopolize it as much as possible. Water is available but they don't warrant it as potable but it beats not having any at all. They have vault toilets as well meaning we don't have to review our copies of "How to Shit in the Woods" (an entertaining and informative book, by the way).

This looks like a great spot--thanks, hilljak, for turning us on to it. Between this and the surrounding area we ought to have plenty of room for several thousand attendees.

As many rides as I miss out on I'm "IN" for this one on my birthday weekend !!

Anyone thinking that November might be too cold to consider going camping check out this thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=760288. The Elephant Rally, held in late January in southern Germany has been going on since 1956 and has become a huge winter motorcycle rally--and it's a helluva lot colder and nastier there than it is here.

Bad weather would just add character to the event and make it all the more memorable.

For the folks who have to plan their time off in advance inmate RoadDad has decided that the annual Hoosier National Forest Fall Ride will be Oct. 27-28, two weeks before this big shindig. FYI.

That is good info. I have that Saturday off so looks like it will be a one day trip for me.

I need to get another dirtbike...any routes I can ride on an SV? if not I might just come camp

For anybody wanting to come camp on their streeter there isn't much gravel road to cover if you're coming from IN 58--you've probably ridden down longer driveways.



Since I'm not a camper--my idea of camping is going without cable TV--I figured I'd better be preparing/procuring equipment I'll need to survive a couple of nights down in what might be cold, rainy Indiana woodlands far in advance instead of going into a panic at the last minute.

Today I dug my Eureka two-man tent out. It hasn't seen the light of day since I stayed in it at the Ute Cup Trial in Colorado in '99 and I managed to lose the instructions. Took me awhile to figure out the tinker toys that hold the damn thing up but with wonderful wife Chris' help we figured it out. It's still in brand-new condition and will be ready with nothing more than a touch-up of the seam sealer on the fly and maybe a shot of waterproofing spray on the lower part of the tent.

I'm trying to buy one of those 4 pc. military modular sleeping systems on eBay that come with a Gore-Tex bivy bag. They're supposedly good to -40 with the right underclothing and they start around $80 for a used one Buy It Now. I've been trying to buy one new-in-the-bag and have been outbid every time so far but there's lots of them for sale. I was doing a Google search and came across a mil-surp auction site where you bid on lots rather than a single unit--if a number of us needed them maybe a group buy is in order. Otherwise it looks like these bags, while a bit on the heavy side (not for the ultralight packer) are tough as nails and fairly reasonably priced. Buy one for TTUHNFCO/R and keep it in your car for winter survival if you break down to justify the purchase.

Bear Hardware got me one of those Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite SOL sleeping pads. Instead of rolling they fold up into a package about 5.5" x 5.5" x 20" and have a reflective surface on one side to throw your body heat back at you. I tried it on the concrete patio and it was amazingly comfortable. It's a closed cell foam pad so you don't have to worry about it going flat in the middle of the night. Being a weenie I may even get a mil-surp Therm-A-Rest air mattress and use both for more comfort--I'll try it out in the back yard and see how it works.

Any suggestions from you wet weather rally veterans would be greatly appreciated.

I'll be in the area for deer hunting in Kentucky.
Should work out perfect!
Just have to take the wife's SUV for the trailer.

get a tarp, tie it from tree to tree and you'll have a shelter to sit under, keep you stuff dry and keep the weather off your tent. a poly from harbor frieght will work well and very cheap..........................

Hell, high water, snow, Nothing is stopping me.