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5/25/2016 8:21 pm  #18


Re: Campsite Pirates!

MartinG wrote:

^awesome! good thing this didn't happen on the Nip
 

 

5/28/2016 8:52 pm  #19


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Some people are just so entitled. I had a similar experience that i posted here, with people who were on a site they were supposed to be on, and it really sucks being out there with no way to resolve the situation, especially with unreasonable people. You really just want to hurt some one or break some of their shit, but in the end it's only going to make it worst.

Best thing to do is move on and forget about it and remember why you're in the park.

Last edited by hoser89 (5/28/2016 8:56 pm)

 

7/29/2016 7:00 am  #20


Re: Campsite Pirates!

My comment maybe not entirely related to the post, but I thought I would mention it.
The first time I took my 2 girls canoeing they were 6 and 7.  The issue of getting to a lake and realize all  campsites occupied ( because of someone decided to stop at a different lake than reserved) was a issue for me.  What would I do with two tired kids and finding all the campsites with campers on our lake taken.  I felt better taking them to Massassauga PP back then , so I could reserve specific campsites.  Also once there we had a visit from the Park Warden visiting our campsite and going around the park.

Although my weeks of vacations have been reduce due to my new job, we have not been able to go up to Algonquin.  I can see from all of you, those are maybe remote incident, but it does still make me think twice about paddling long distances with girls and trying to find a site at night. 
I hope to be in Algonquin soon and hopefully have great experience and not see this kind of behavior in our trips.

Seb

 

7/29/2016 1:22 pm  #21


Re: Campsite Pirates!

I've got this "what if" scenario running through my head now thanks to this thread, especially since I'm scheduled to spend a night on Shippagew on my upcoming trip (which has only one reservable campsite). I think I'll just head back to Big Trout if someone's squatting on my site, especially since I'll be out there alone. It's not worth attempting anything else. 

 

9/13/2016 2:54 pm  #22


Re: Campsite Pirates!

I'm terrible for checking this site out, posting and not looking again for months!

So the ranger did find and speak with the pirates, he wouldn't say exactly what happened to them other than to make some vague remarks.... Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, I think the situation might have been different had they stayed at the lake for the ranger to arrive.  I'm in the park again later this week and I'm going to throw this scenario at any ranger I meet to get some kind of consensus....

     Thread Starter
 

9/20/2016 4:21 am  #23


Re: Campsite Pirates!

A similar situation happened to my friends and I a few years back. We had reserve our campsite for 5 days on a lake that only had one campsite. After portaging our gear to the lake, we discovered that a couple had set up camp. They tried to imply that there was another campsite across the lake, but after I told them that we had reserved the only campsite on the lake they agreed to pack up and move. They were suppose to camp on the next lake, but had stopped due to the long portage in (4.5k) and wanted to rest the night before continuing on to their lake which was another 2k+. After they left and we had set up our gear, I realized that there was more than enough room for both groups. To this day I still feel bad about asking them to move because they seemed like nice people and I could understand their situation.














 

 

9/20/2016 3:50 pm  #24


Re: Campsite Pirates!

I had a site pirated in Killarney. 
I was hiking the LaCloche trail - I like to hike LONG days.
When I arrived to my reserved site (in Killarney you reserve a specific site) it was occupied by a couple and their dog.

They were apologizing and asked if I wanted them to move - luckily I'm in a hammock so tent pads don't interest me. 
I set up my hammock and there was already a roaring fire - cooked my steak and chatted for the evening. 

In the morning I was up early and out before they got up. 

If people are nice - I have no issues sharing a site

 

9/21/2016 6:10 pm  #25


Re: Campsite Pirates!

numbered camp sites? i really do not want my holidays micro managed by this policy. 

 

2/10/2017 12:50 pm  #26


Re: Campsite Pirates!

When i visit parks I take public transportation or hire and outfitter to drive me. I go into the backcountry but sometimes you can't get in there on time, or you have to come out early. 

One time I came out two days early. I was using the Park Bus so I just booked a normal campsite. All I had was mt backpack, not even a tent. I bring a tarp but only set it up when needed. So if I leave my campsite, I could have it stolen from me?

 

2/10/2017 4:47 pm  #27


Re: Campsite Pirates!

@boredenman we're talking about backcountry sites where you don't have a reservation for a specific campsite and the rules are somewhat looser - I think everyone here has camped on a lake they weren't booked on from time to time. You wouldn't have that issue with a car camping site. Even if someone decided to poach it from you, a quick trip to the front office would get them kicked off rather quickly. 

Now that being said, people do leave early from car camping sites too, and don't always check out when doing so, so the park might let someone else book your site if they think the occupants have left. Best to leave something on your site that makes it clear it's still in use, just in case!

 

2/11/2017 12:19 pm  #28


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Ah, thanks for the clarification. But, yes, I always leave my backpack at my campsite when out and about, backcountry or not. 

 

4/05/2017 7:43 am  #29


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Never in my 50 years of interior camping has this ever happened to me.  If I was solo, no way would I get into an argument; however, if interior camping with  2-4 in a group,  LOOK OUT!


CAMPING IS WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO LIVE LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON!
 

4/05/2017 7:54 am  #30


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Never mind other campers on your site and claiming it, the only time I have ever witnessed someone on my site, solo or not, was on Burntroot back in the early 1980's.  It was a Park Ranger and his buddy checking our packsacks (definitely not legal) and taking a trout we had left on a stringer in the lake (again, theft).  I was in a group of 4 and we witnessed what was going on from across the lake.  We didn't know about them taking our trout immediately, but noticed it upon reaching our campsite.  To make a long story short, these two idiots, working for the Park, were throwing all kinds of uncomplimentary language to us, saying also they never took the fish (even though the buddy of the Ranger said they led it go???).  The next year I was camping solo on Booth Lake and was greeted by two other rangers on my site looking for cans, bottles, etc.  I mentioned to them about what had happened to me and my three friends on Burntroot the previous year.  They informed me the Park had received numerous complaints about these two idiots and they were no longer employed by Algonquin Park.  I never did get a summons for the STUPID ticket they left us for carrying those green propane containers for a Coleman stove.....DUH!!!!!  I left out some other details!  Should you wish to know the other details, read my triplog of this trip in the trip log section back in 1980 on Burntroot Lake.  I just searched to see if I could give you a starting point, but could not find it.  Oh well, it is a good campfire story should
​we ever meet IN THE GREATEST PARK IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

Last edited by boknows (4/05/2017 8:11 am)


CAMPING IS WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO LIVE LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON!
 

6/29/2017 7:30 am  #31


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Happy Thursday,    with about 30 years of back country camping in APP I only have had 1 experience where my son and myself where accused of camping at someone else's campsite.   This happened at one of our Fav campsited,  the one that borders Cradle and Bonnechere, ( if you've camped there you"ll know why ). Our routine once in camp is son sets up tent and sleeping gear,  I get fishing stuff ready and we are usually on the water fishing within a 1/2 hour.   This particular time we just push off and are about 30' from camp and we have a canoe coming towards our camp with a lady in the stern screaming at us,  as she got closer she started accusing us of taking her campsite.   I explained we had a reserved site on Bonnechere and that there where 3 or 4 empty sites we canoes past.  She proceeded to ask why he hadn't taken one of them instead of her campsite ,  I proceeded to tell her to feel free to portage through our camp and continue on her way.  I got a few cuss words and that she was reporting us to the Rangers.  This kind of threw me off for a few hours as I said to my Son, 5 hours in the bush and we are getting attitude from someone who we presumed was making their first trip ,  after doing some head scratching the only logical thing we could come up with was when they had checked in with the outfitter he told them in order to complete the loop they where doing in the time frame they had was to take the first campsite on Bonnechere that they came to and they came to the conclusion that it meant they had a right to the first campsite.      So moral of the story is BE prepared for anything to happen,       Not sure what would have happened if we had been fishing farther away from camp.          Hope everyone had a HAPPY CANADA DAY.

 

7/06/2017 8:08 pm  #32


Re: Campsite Pirates!

EddyTurn wrote:

... Or return during the night and take the paddles. Night paddling is very relaxing.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way.  Though I'll admit my version was wetsuit and mud on my face, swimming with a knife between my teeth.

Of course it was just angry thoughts to get me past the jerks I was on a portage with.

I would get if it was just a cheep hammock on the site and nothing else on a lake I had a permit for but if all the packs were there?

Last edited by keg (7/06/2017 8:12 pm)

 

8/25/2017 8:42 am  #33


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Last Thursday afternoon (Aug 17, 2017) I took a day off work, and went in to Pen Lake to try and secure a decent campsite for the rest of my group of coworkers, who were scheduled to arrive on Friday in the late afternoon. You know that there are maybe 5 great sites for a large group out of 16 (?) sites on that lake, so to ensure a good one in August, sometimes you have to do these things.

Well I get there around dinner time, and rain is threatening, I can't check out the whole lake, so I just settle for the night on the site in the northeast corner of the lake. It looks south across to the island and the former island (peninsula) sites, both occupied. In the morning the islanders leave, and i jet across quickly check it out, find it more than suitable---heck it's a great site for a big group---and claim it by setting up two tarps, plainly visible from a distance. Plan is to go back and get the rest of my gear at the first site.

But having read this thread before, I clip a note to one tarp saying "I have claimed the site for Friday and Saturday nights," sign it and and take a photo and a selfie of it. Unagi.

I go back to my first site and start packing up. Then I hear a motorboat. A motorboat on Pen? Are they allowed? I guess they changed the rules? Sheesh! The park is going to the dogs. Of course the boat heads straight for the site I have just claimed. Folks jump out. I'm thinking, oh, they just need to use the thuderbox. After twenty-five minutes, I'm almost done packing, thinking, what are they doing? Are they pirates? They better not be stealing my campsite!

Burning with righteous indignation, thinking they're trashing or stealing my expensive tarps, I hop into my boat, just as I see them get into the motorboat again and drive on south down the lake. Whew!  But what about my tarps?

Well, you can see where this is going, but in my burning indignation, I couldn't...I get to the site...one tarp, okay...second tarp...okay...the note is till there...okay...what's this? The fireplace has been neatly dug out. The area around it has been raked. I go out back and--- lo and behold, the thunder box has been moved and a new hole dug! Wonderful! Thank you park staff! I felt like a fool, but luckily there was no there to witness my jumping to conclusions and stupidity--until now.

Last edited by Methye (8/25/2017 8:45 am)

 

8/25/2017 4:19 pm  #34


Re: Campsite Pirates!

Dicey strategy there! Stringing a tarp and posting a note doesn't constitute occupancy, neither when actually occupying another campsite, nor when paddling around looking for a "better prospect". The permit system doesn't provide for "claiming a site" without actually being in occupancy of it. Leaving a signed note to that effect might put one in a pickle with a park-officer. Perhaps the visiting crew was only comprised of maintenance workers.

 

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