San Fran, CA Camping Trip: June 11-13, 2010

I am not sure if I am bringing my brother as of yet. If I do not bring him , my space will be at a regular rate. And Debbies space is in between us and the park web site states it holds also up to 8 people so I believe in between these 4 sites , we have enough space.Now, If Debbie comes her space is also at a different rate, under disability.If she does not come than we will have more room, I have paid for both sites.

 

Eva, please post under your own login.

 

Eva- what do you mean by four sites? Are you counting site 65 that has been reserved by irishjedi and company? That site is their own, not a common site, and should not be counted except for them. The numbers I stipulated above were taking into account the fact that a) the 4 of them will not be at the common site, and b) those of us at common sites have currently 2 sites to spread over. With these numbers we are right on the edge of allowed slots. If Debbie doesn't come, that would open up a 3rd common site. However- again, the campground does not say that each site can hold 8 people. The 8 people number is the maximum allowed at any site, and that is a generic rule for most Cal State Park campgrounds. Trust me, a lot of these sites can NOT hold 8 people comfortably. I don't think site 60 can hold 8 people unless some of the people are in a motorhome in the driveway or put tents in the driveway. Having said that, I think probably 3, maybe 4, people could fit in tents at site 60, so it would help alleviate crowding if it turns into a common site.

 

Thank you Taeriel, I appreciate your clarification. After talking with the other members of the group, we have decided, in the interest of unity, to designate our space as a common site. There are 3 of us now, and under park rules, I suppose that allows for 5 more. Keep in mind, like everyone else is saying, that may not actually mean we can fit 5 more in there. I just wanted to declare our intention; I cant comment on the feasibility of it just yet.

 

Thanks Russ, that is very generous of you guys. I think your cautionary note is important, though. In my notes for site 65, I identified two potential tent spots. Unless someone brings a tent trailer/cabover/ect, I think it would start to get crowded trying to fit more tents. Would it sound ok to have your offer as backup? In other words, don't count four more spots at your site, but if we get there and find there is space to shuffle people around then we can do so? I just don't want to count on it for numbers and then end up with your group being uncomfortable because it is too cramped.

 

Alison, I am not sure what I have meant by that statement now, I have wrote it few days ago and cannot remember at this moment. I am sure we will work it out once we are there. However, since alot of the big tents can hold up to half a dozen or more people, that's probably what they mean by holding up to 8 people; I am sure they did not mean 4 or more tents per site.The lay out of the site would greatly depend on how many tents it actually holds. With that said, we will have a great time, I am excited. Debbie has not confirmed or paid me for the space. I am not sure if she will show up or with whom as of yet.I will deal with this issue at the last minute, make frantic phone calls and if she does not come, I have friends who are interested in coming unless we have more members who sign up at the last minute. Not to worry, it will all work out.

 

No worries boss. What ever works for the group.

Next question, how are we handling chow? Is each site responsible for provisions, or are we going to commune at a central site for grub?

-X,D,

 

Taeriel,
that sounds like a good idea. If we get there and theres an "odd man out" or whatever, we would be happy to work with everyone to find them a place to stay, with our site serving as a backup.

 

We haven't discussed how to handle food yet. My suggestion would be that everyone is responsible for bringing their own provisions, but that we can get together for communal preparation and eating.

 

Space

I've noticed some people are misunderstanding how many tents we will be able to fit at a site, thinking that if everyone brings a tent, there will be spots for them all. This is not a "group" site where you can put any number of tents anywhere you want. It is a family/single use site and there are only a certain number of spots suitable for tents. People are going to have to share tents in some cases.

Here's the summary of potential tent spaces. Please see the pictures so you can a feel for what it is like.

Site 58:
- small tent (58b)
- small tent (58c)
- large tent (probable, but didn't check ground for stumps under leaves) (58d)

Site 62:
- medium tent (62c)
- small tent, but not quite level and is close to table (just to left of table 62d)
-small-medium tent to right of fire pit. Larger space, but can't put tent too close to fire and will want to save some of space for chairs. (62b)

And of course there is the driveway for a camping car/trailer at each site.

Please consider what we have available as tent spots. Remember we are trying to fit 8 people at one site and 7 people at the other. Are people comfortable with fitting everyone into these tent spots? Sharing tents? Or do you think we need another site to spread out? I really need people to give input on this - I'm not going to arbitrarily make the decision for the group!

 

I'd like to take a moment to orient all our campers with the rules we will need to follow during this trip. First, the campground has a set of rules that everyone should read over and be sure to abide by. Second, because this started as an RL event, which SFFF was invited to, it is reasonable that we should follow the RL code of conduct. Both of these are common sense type of things, but please be sure to read through and follow them.

Campground Rules - highlighting ones to particularly keep in mind

* Length of stay limit is seven days. Campers are limited to 30 days total within the Santa Cruz district.

* Campers 18 years and younger must have a verifiable note with permission to camp from a parent or legal guardian.

* Checkout time is noon. Check-in time is 2pm.

* Park vehicles in the driveway of your campsite only. Park extra cars at the campfire center. Only two cars are allowed per campsite.

* Maximum of 8 people allowed per campsite.

* Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times and re permitted only on paved roads, Meadow trail and Graham Hill Trail. Keep pets in at night and never leave them unattended.

* Be alert to hikers and children playing. The park speed limit is 15 mph.

* All alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the campground

* For your safety and their health, do not feed the wildlife; they can be aggressive and dangerous, and may carry disease.

*Build campfires in the fire rings only. Wood gathering is not allowed. Firewood is sold at the campground entrance. Do not throw trash or wood pallets into the fire rings.

* Bicycles are allowed on designated fire roads and paved roads only. No bikes are allowed on park trails. Ride cautiously; yield to hikers and horseback riders. Helmets are required for riders under 18 years of age.

* At no time may music or noise extend beyond the limits of your own campsite. Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Radios and TVs must be off after 10:00 p.m. Use generators sparingly from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only.

* No water or effluent may be discharged onto the ground.

* Campsites are vulnerable to theft at any time. Secure valuables and equipment and report all suspicious activity to park staff. After hours dial 911. Pay phones are located at the campground entrance.


RL Code of Conduct
Legion members are expected to be courteous and respectful towards their fellow members, the greater Star Wars community, and the general public.

1. Members must not use foul language, obscene gestures, and the use of alcohol or tobacco is prohibited while in costume and in view of the public, especially children. However, any convention or gathering where adult content is prevalent and/or is not considered an official Rebel Legion event, these standards may be relaxed.
2. Members must never use their costumes for any profit-making endeavor (personal, political, or religious), other than those related to or affiliated with the Star Wars franchise.
3. Members must never disparage any fellow costumer, fellow member of the Rebel Legion, or member of any other costume club/group in public.
4. Members must not cause any disharmony within our club or in the Star Wars community.
5. Members must always show respect and appreciation to those who wear real uniforms for our safety: our military, police, fire fighters, and paramedics.
6. The Rebel Legion will not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual orientation, or physical handicap.
7. The Rebel Legion will not tolerate the practice of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment by any of its members. This includes unwelcome conduct that violates applicable local laws concerning sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature.

 

Thanks for posting that, Alison, and for keeping this organized and up to date. I know planning events is hard, whether they be a camping trip, to an IMAX screening with 600 people.

I definitely see a CR position in your future.

 

Actually, organizing an event is not a requirement for a CR. Any member can organize events if they want.

So if any other members have ideas for events they should not feel that it's up to the CR or a Council member to do things.

 

Absolutely - any member should feel free to both suggest activities and to coordinate them if they want to do so. You certainly don't need to be CR or a council member to organize an event. Conversely if you have an event you'd like to see happen but don't want to do the organizing, definitely go ahead and let us know and we'll get something going.

On the camping trip - I'm going to start making a personal contact list for people coming to this, so that we can have some more direct communications. I'll still post everything here as well. As May approaches, though, it's time to start getting things moving to the next level in terms of organizing things.

Speaking of which - a while back I brought up the question of how everyone feels about the space we currently have. Please see my post a few above. I need everyone's input on the question of cost vs how many people to put at a site. Please look at the number of people we're thinking of having, the number and condition of tent spaces I noted, the pictures, and consider whether that sounds good to you or if you think we would be better off spreading out. I don't want to get there and have people unhappy about it being too crowded at the common sites. Please leave your feedback!

 

Well... we're stuck with what we have. I was all set to beg again for input, but there are no longer any more campsites available to reserve for both nights. There are a couple left for Friday night, none of which are by our group. Sat night only has handicapped sites open at this point.

Sorry, guys. I've been asking you all to help decide this, but no one gave any input. I can only hope that means you're all happy with what we have.

I'm including below the post I'd already typed up, as it lays out how we will have to organize sharing tents.

*****

Taking the explanation a step further, here is an idea of how many people would have to share tents in order for us to fit the current number of people into our current space. Please note that this assumes we have available tents in the appropriate sizes, something that hasn't been verified yet. Right now I am only laying out the space issue.

We are currently trying to fit 8 people at one site and 7 people at the other site. This is the confirmed people, and does not include anyone on the tentative list. (Except I did count tentative guests of members on the confirmed list, ie Eva's brother and Lloyd's wife.) Please check the first post of the thread to see which list you are on, and let me know ASAP if there are changes in the list!

Site 58:
* large tent (58d) - 4 people
* small tent (58b) - 2 people
* small tent (58c) - 2 people
Total: 8 people


Site 62:
* medium tent (62c) - will need to hold 3-5 people, depending on whether small tent spaces are utilized.
* small tent to right of fire pit. (62b) - Larger space, but can't put tent too close to fire and will want to save some of space for chairs. Could hold 2 people, but up to campers whether they want to put a tent next to the fire area.
* small tent, but not quite level and is close to table (just to left of table 62d) - could hold 2 people, but questionable whether to use spot. Up to campers whether to put tent here.
* driveway - 2 people. Matt's indicated he and Dale will be camping out of their car. Tentatively, given the way space is working out, it might make sense for them to be at this site. Depends on how we shuffle people and tents.

The question is - are people comfortable with the above layout?
- Do you want to put tents in all the spots listed at site 62, given the issues I noted with the small tent spots?
- Are you comfortable with the idea of sharing the larger size tents, and 4-5 people sharing a tent at each site?

(Maybe the large spots could hold two small tents instead - I didn't go around with a tape measure, so I don't know.)

The next issue to be raised will be camping equipment. Among the people staying at the common sites, do we have the number and size of tents available to share? Shortly I will ask people to start listing camping equipment they can bring.

 

Camping equipment

With only a bit over a month to go, we should start listing our camping equipment. This will fall into two categories: 1) general personal equipment that people should bring for themselves, 2) shared equipment (ie tents, camping stoves, ect).

I will start a list of suggested personal equipment that people should considering bringing. Please feel free to chime in with additional suggestions, and I will update the list here appropriately. I'm sure I'm not going to think of everything right away.

Suggested Personal Equipment
- warm sleeping bag
- extra blanket(s)
- cot / sleeping mat / air mattress (if desired)
- camping plates, bowls, utensils, cups, mugs
- pillow
- towel
- flashlight and/or lantern
- camping / picnic chair
- sunscreen
- bug spray
- hiking boots
- basic first aid supplies
- personal hygiene items
- food
- drinks (including water)
- warm clothes
- cool clothes

Please post here to list any shared equipment you can bring. Examples include tents (please list size), tarps, camping stoves, etc.

 

I'm currently compiling a list of contact information for confirmed campers. I already have email and phone numbers for a lot of you, but I am missing a few. I'll be pm'ing people to get additional contact info.

I think what we will probably do going forward, once the contact list is complete, is to use a camping group email distribution list for announcements in place of sending email to the entire SFFF list. This way people who aren't camping don't get extra email, and at the same time we can easily include people from other clubs. Of course, all big updates will be posted here as well.

Please let me know if you do not want your email address to appear on the camping trip distribution list. I can put people on bcc instead of the viewable list if desired. If I don't hear otherwise, then your email will go on the general list.

 

I've updated the confirmed attendance list. Please note that the common sites are now FULL for Friday night. There are still 3 slots open for Sat night.

 

Unfortunately at my work we have to request our annual leave days in january; so when the final date for this was agreed upon, my opportunity to ask for the days off had come and gone. I will be able to attend as a day trip on one of the days. So I will probably show up in the morning and leave at night on one of those days. So like if any of you guys forgot to bring some type of food, or toothpaste or something, then just gimme a call and I can bring it the next day when I get there or something.

 

That's very nice of you, Tom. I'm sure that people will get there and discover things that need. When I was growing up and my family went on camping trips, our neighbors would have a betting pool on jow many times we would leave and then come back for things we forgot.

 

something tells me i'm going to see that tauntaun sleeping bag for the first time during this trip

 

One month to go (and 3 months til CV! )

 

I stopped by the campground last weekend while out hiking. Site 58 was occupied, but site 62 was open and I was able to pace out an estimate of the tent spot sizes for us. Please bear in mind that these are only rough estimates.

Estimated tent spot sizes for site 62:

Behind the site: ~11x14'
Left of the picnic table: ~10x10" - 11x11", very slight uneven slope on part
Behind and right of the fire pit: ~11x11", slight uneven ground and slope approaching tree at back left corner. Might work better using a smaller tent (8x8'?) to both give more room around fire and not snug up to uneven ground.

I glanced into site 58 from the street, and could see that they had 3 tents set up. One looked like a big one. The other two were small-medium (meaning ~8x8'?).

So, that's what we have available. Please post if you have a tent you can bring. We should start figuring out the logistics of available tents, who can share, and such.

 

Email distribution list - I just send out a test email to a camping group distribution list, insofar as the email contact information I have on hand. If you are on the confirmed camping list and did NOT receive the email, please let me know. Likewise, if you are tentative on coming, or planning on coming during the day, and would like to be added to the list, please let me know. Thanks!

 

I'll be bringing:

Large cooler
5-gallon container for drinking water
3 chairs
Lantern
First-Aid kit

What are we doing about food?