[pct-l] AZDPCTKO

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Last year Trailhacker and I set up camp at Lake Morena (it wasn't  
kickoff). We paid for the site and everything. The park was quiet  
when we arrived. Then it became insane with all these RVs and yahoos  
blasting heavy metal and country western in some kind of music war.  
Some lady, beer in hand,  yelled "Are you ready to PAAARTYYY?" I  
turned to Trailhacker and said, no. Let's get out of here. So we  
packed up and went up the trail and camped in the meadow.

The trouble with the Lake Morena area is there are houses fronting  
the campground and up the trail a ways. It's not very private. Nobody  
came out and yelled at us, but I worried they might. Further up the  
trail would have been better but it was sort of last minute and our  
car was back at the campground anyway (I was just seeing him off.)

Anyway, you absolutely don't have to worry about there not being room  
for you if you are hiking in. The hikers are like the guests of  
honor. Relax and enjoy. The kickoff is like a gift to you from the  
trail community. It'll be way more quiet at night than our yahoo-from- 
hell experience because everyone at the park is a hiker. But if you  
do decide not to stay there, you can certainly continue north on the  
trail and find a nice spot.

On Feb 12, 2011, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> You could coyboy camp outside the park and then just walk in.
>
> MendoRider
>
>
>
> Seems like if all overnight spots are taken, I would be better off  
> to just keep
> heading north.? Right? Wrong? Opinions?