Spring has come a bit early here in Minnesota this year. The state parks are the usual place to go before water can be turned on. We camped 3 nights with our motor-home on a electric site. We ended up with at least fifteen different groups coming in to camp over the weekend. The usual might be zero to to very few tent camping in snow.
Friday a couple came in and set up a nice new tent and and were camping. DW walked by later and talked with them. Thet were going to be there 5 days. They disapppeared overnight.
Saturday a family came in and set up a pop-up trailer. It took the dad only 15 minutes to finish the job (very experienced). They got down the bikes and went riding. We headed out and biked into town for church and supper. We run into them entering the restaurant as we get ready to leave. We bike back to campground and notice their pop-up is gone and the site vacated.
Later when walking the DW talks to the family in motor-home across from the pop-up site. They say the family was sitting around the site ready to eat and all of a sudden packed up everything and left.
I am beginning to think some people just do not do their homework and check out things before doing anything. The parks in Minnesota cannot turn on water-faucets and open the shower-buildings until frost is out and no more freezing weather. That is mid to late April. That means locating the possibly one and only frost-free pump and use of the out-houses.
The wife later says she saw the young woman on the tent site walk up to the shower-building and walk back and argue with her husband/boyfriend right before dark. I suspect she was not happy with the start of their 5-day vacation.
The guy may have a rough future ahead for further camping.
In the case of the other family they did have one girl around age of three. I suspect the girl did not want to use outhouse because she was afraid of falling through the potty.
Moral of the story. Just because we had very unusal week of temperature in the 60's to 70's the parks cannot magically turn on the water and open up the shower-buildings. Temperatures can easily fall back below freezing at this time of year here. Most years people follow their normal patterns and start camping when everything is open.
Those like us bring water from home and expect to have only electricity on some sites and out-houses for use. The same for every early spring and late fall camping. More room for camping. &
* This post was
edited 03/27/12 11:10am by MNtundraRet *
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
In the past we have gone early season camping to check out a bunch of different campgrounds.
Two years ago over 3 nights we stayed in 3 Provincial Parks. In one we were the only campers. 4-5 other groups drove through but no one spent the night. The water was not turned on, but the outhouses were clean and had fresh tp.
I am surprised the campground you were at did not have a sign at the entrance stating the water was still off.
As stated, not ideal conditions for tent campers but self-contained rigs shouldn't have any problems under this scenario. We average about 15-20 days per year camping in sub-freezing weather and have no issues as long as daytime temps get above freezing. All during Springbreak temps were decent during the day but overnight temps were in the 20s, but the campgrounds we visited were still nearly full.
Late fall and early spring are my absolute favorite times to camp. I like day temps in the 50s and 60s, then the night temps down in the 30's. Prefer it to not be below freezing, but I can still stand it.
We always build a fire and it's nice to NEED the warmth, rather than have the fire just for ambience.
We have not been yet this spring, but it's because we don't have a tow vehicle rather than the temps. Mine should be here this week.
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