Targhee NF IDAHO
Road trip looking down at the Palisades Reservoir

Seeing plenty of mule deer and antelope but still looking for elk, moose and grizzly bears.

 

Scraprat, you're keeping GPS coordinates of all these awesome camp spots, right? I would very much like to hit many of the same places you've posted.

 

He uses a sextant and gets star fixes.........

 

Don't give away secrets of the sextant and stars.

 

Aye Aye Sir..........

 

I'm good with that. I teach orienteering so a sextant is an incremental skillset to acquire.

 

Scraprat, we absolutely loved the pictures as we spend a lot of time up high in the Sierra. It's really funny to watch what a bag of chips does the higher you get, makes them take up a lot of room. I noticed in that first set of pictures, the third one down a propane bottle setting beside the slide, was that for running a BigBuddy by chance? Something special happens to you when you get up high like that.
Bill

 

Thanks, I was going to let the thread die but decided to post some more pics that is why there is a big gap in time. I always enjoy seeing pics from others that post and more boonie and scenic the better. Hopefully others are enjoying the scenery.
Yes, I use a buddy heater to get the chill out no sense running the furnace unless I'm heating the basement tanks and water lines from freezing.
I was talking with Frito lay guy one time and asked him if he losses inventor from bags popping and was surpised at the quantity he said in a week at high elevation. Plus the other running joke is when you open a can of pop and it starts running out like it was shaken we just say must of been born at low elevation.

 

Glad you kept the thread alive. Can you camp anywhere you want in a National Forest?

 

Yes and no, there are practical limitations (no road access) and sometimes they close certain campsites because of bear activity or fire danger etc.

 

The best advise I could give is like tedster9 said yes and no. If you go to National Forest page for the paticular area you want and they'll have all the info for the area (some might be up to date and some might not be) now with that being said sometimes it's tough getting correct info it is the goverment. Now some are thinking well just call the ranger office... if your lucky you'll actually get a ranger thats been to the field if not so lucky you'll get the person who answers the phone and has never been out of the office.
NF have thier own pay campgrounds that are pretty basic with no hookup, water or pit toilets and some with the amenities. Or you can dispere camp free outside the campground (there is a minimum distance of 1/2 mile or so I forget) there are other rules to follow (length of stay, distance off road, distance from water source for animals and more) the NF page should have the specifics. There are also motor vehicle maps that you can download which might show where tgere is camping also.
Plus you can disperse camp on blm land plus some state land property but might need to get a permit.

 

Everything is bottlenecked usually. In the classic western US mountainous NF unless you're hoofing it, ya gotta be on a road, and there's only so many of those. And within that limitation, there are only so many "flat spots" or suitable campsites. So you can actually be in a huge geographic area but with very limited places to camp. One reason I like to be self-sufficient as much as possible, although picnic tables and fire rings are nice. The best campgrounds are often out of the way spots off the beaten path, always be prepared to change plans, find new places.

 

I have found that the NFS in my neck of the woods (Middle Eastern Sierra) has been farmed out to Concessionaires. I have walked into a couple of Ranger Stations around here with simple questions about campsites and have been directed to one of the Concessionaires almost 90% of the time. If there are many campsites that are really crowded a lot the Rangers end up dedicating a lot of time toward Law Enforcement, unfortunately. We try and find out of the way places also to keep away from the amateurs, as my wife calls them.
Bill

 

Amateurs, aka Squatleys. I like to camp on BLM land here in Colorado. The primitive nature keeps the not-really-serious campers away.

 

i see it somewhat differently while camped here in Glacier. RV sales are through the roof and there are dozens of technical questions, but no one ever seems to focus on what it means to be a responsible camper I.e. considerate camper. Although I am glad to have seen several of the National Parks, I would never visit them again, at least during the summer months.

Steve