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Moose
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 7:25 am 
At the risk of expulsion from this site, I'll admit that this summer I've gotten into mountain biking. This has led to the exploration of random areas that I would never have ventured into before - service roads following high-voltage power lines, fire roads and decommissioned logging roads, jeep roads, mixed use trails, etc. Yesterday I went riding east of Snoqualmie Pass and came across not one but two sites that looked permanent. Both were off wide, fairly well maintained spur trails that connected to power line service roads. I say permanent because of features like large, heavy tent structures covered with moss or mildew, folding chairs set up around fire pits, tarps strewn over tires, clotheslines strung between trees with actual clothes on them, plastic jugs set up for what I presume was water collection, bird feeders hanging from trees, etc. I didn't hang around to meet any residents who may have been living there and to be honest I found it creepy. I haven't encountered this before and am wondering if anyone else has had any similar experiences? Is there an innocuous explanation (i.e., DNR or USFS employees who stay out for long periods of time)? Are these most likely homeless encampments (and yes, I understand the larger discussion of high home prices pushing people out into the wilderness)? Meth cookeries?

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treeswarper
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 8:16 am 
I've only run into "traditional" hunting camps. These consist of a pole or two hung from trees to hang game from and fire pits. Then they can become more ornate with chairs carved out of wood, a privy hole with poles to hold a tarp, tables, etc. There isn't usually a trash problem except when there is. What I did hate was when they would leave a carpet behind. An 8x8 carpet gets extremely heavy when rained on. I picked up two pickup loads of camping stuff from an abandoned (sleeping bags, tent, garbage, etc) camp of some sort. Everything was the cheapest brand available and all was sodden and ruined.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Schroder
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 9:07 am 
There's are lots of camps like this around Skykomish, and yes, people live in them.

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Ringangleclaw
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 9:40 am 
Schroder wrote:
There's are lots of camps like this around Skykomish, and yes, people live in them.
Living in the woods makes it easier to commute to their job as trailheads thiefs

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flatsqwerl
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 11:37 am 
Sounds like my retirement plan..

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reststep
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 1:36 pm 
I suppose the encampments could be on private land. Isn't there some that checkerboard land in that area?

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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BigBrunyon
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PostSun Aug 26, 2018 11:21 pm 
In some vicinities people are bushin' out there!!! Its a lifestyle choice. For people with lots of hair. They prefer to not bath for weeks at a time but eat the animals

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Randito
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 12:44 am 
There are perma camps in Greenlake park and along Ravenna Blvd and just about every other greenspace in Seattle as well.

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Moose
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Moose
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 6:57 am 
reststep wrote:
I suppose the encampments could be on private land. Isn't there some that checkerboard land in that area?
I found an interesting map resource. Safe to assume that gray areas are privately owned? http://publiclandsinventory.wa.gov/#Map

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Schroder
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 7:06 am 
reststep wrote:
I suppose the encampments could be on private land. Isn't there some that checkerboard land in that area?
I don't think it matters to them who owns the land.

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Ringangleclaw
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 7:57 am 
RandyHiker wrote:
There are perma camps in Greenlake park and along Ravenna Blvd and just about every other greenspace in Seattle as well.
There are? Are they first come-first serve? Do you know if I can reserve them on AirBnB? I have relatives coming over who'll need a place to stay.

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Moose
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Moose
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 8:42 am 
Doppelganger wrote:
Moose wrote:
riding east of Snoqualmie Pass
Can you describe the general (or specific) area you were riding? How far east? I'm asking as much to consider your question as to consider this as a factor in my future trips.
I was riding near Stampede Pass, south of Keechelus Lake.

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cambajamba
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 10:25 am 
If you're brave enough to approach these camps, they can be a great source of non-functioning laptop hard drives, costume jewelry, empty handbags, and disease.

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John Morrow
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 12:33 pm 
Moose wrote:
Doppelganger wrote:
Moose wrote:
riding east of Snoqualmie Pass
Can you describe the general (or specific) area you were riding? How far east? I'm asking as much to consider your question as to consider this as a factor in my future trips.
I was riding near Stampede Pass, south of Keechelus Lake.
Why so vague?

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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Moose
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Moose
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PostMon Aug 27, 2018 1:04 pm 
John Morrow wrote:
Moose wrote:
Doppelganger wrote:
Moose wrote:
riding east of Snoqualmie Pass
Can you describe the general (or specific) area you were riding? How far east? I'm asking as much to consider your question as to consider this as a factor in my future trips.
I was riding near Stampede Pass, south of Keechelus Lake.
Why so vague?
I actually thought I was being fairly specific. I parked on FS-54 just off the JWT and rode a large and convoluted loop on both east and west sides of the JWT, at times nearing the BNSF railroad tracks and at other times on service roads beneath high voltage power lines.

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