This is why I stay away from the trails on big weekends. Guns ablazin', fights, middle of the night screaming matches. This is supposed to be a family activity in my mind. I wouldn't want to take my 9 year old son out to see all this, let alone put my wife and daughters in a situation to be afraid for their safety, even if we weren't involved in anything.
Two years ago at Evan's Creek, people in the campground started having noise competitions at 2am to see who could rev their rig to make the most noise. Half an hour later, shots were fired in the campground.
One thing I love about camping at Elbe out of prime season... there's no one there. We camped earlier this year and we were the ONLY motohome in the entire campground. It was awesome to just hang out, it was too cold to have a fire, but we enjoyed the mountains with Jaydog, his son and my son with no idiots around. It was one of the best camping/wheeling trips I've ever had.
It's really sad... we'll be at Elbe for the fun run weekend coming up. I'm sending my wife and girls home Saturday afternoon because I fear for their comfort and safety. It's sad to think that I'm going to have to bring weapons with me for fear that Saturday night before the fun run might get out of hand, especially after what went on this past weekend. I'm sure my son will learn some new words but it will be a growing experience to teach him what is and what is not, acceptable behavior. I pray for a great weekend, a safe weekend and a hassle free weekend to renew my joy for the sport.
Isn't that a really sad statement to have to make. But this is what things have come to.
I wish we could have law enforcement at the campgrounds over night as a standard practice on long weekends. I know it will never happen but the level of drug and alcohol abuse, weapons violations and plain stupidity that go on in the campgrounds and on the trails is just depressing. It get's to the point that you're afraid to confront someone on an issue about trail use out there anymore. I'm a big guy and command some physical respect, but with so many people packing and drunk enough to be stupid, I have to think twice about telling someone to use a tree saver or tell them to stay on the trail, and it just shouldn't be that way.