In my default position I'm not the gregarious sort. I need to change my entire mindset before I go out and be sociable in everyday life so for vacation driving 12 hours and paying $15.00 a night compared to per trip to minimize accidental human interaction is worth it to me. If it makes sense I'll wait to portage until a group has finished or literally jog while returning for the next load if I hear one coming.

My first solo campsites were not campsites unless they were only one on the lake. That's not practical over all so these day I try to pick my poison. My most memorable encounters with people were:

-Two years of 15+ people trips. I'm still amazed we were able to spread out like we did.

-Waiting in line to get to a portage and getting passed by a group of scouts who it turns out were the other half of the group that caused the line to form to begin with.

-Deliberately paddling past a campsite to show it to a kid who's mother always talked about it.

-The woman who wanted to chat for 15 minutes as they fished. The fishing part was fine. I just didn't feel like yelling to have a conversation at the time. Next morning they were out there again and this time she was singing.

-The couple on a corner I needed to take. I was 50~100 yards out when I realized (heard) it was devotion time. I was committed by that time so I just pretended not to notice them and kept as much distance as reasonable.

-The guy who paddled his wife between me and the shore I was drifting into repeatedly while casting a jig. There was absolutely no reason for them to do that. I still take that one personally.

That's 30 year's worth so it's not a big deal. If you choose certain sites or paddle shorelines on occasion it happens but I doubt you could get me to stop and chat unless we planned to meet there or someone expressed a NEED for specific help.

Don't get me wrong, I've had some pleasurable portage encounters over the years too but I've had just as satisfying encounters in the checkout line at the store. Boredom and frustration brings out the best in people sometimes. I'm just so rarely bored up there.

Not too long ago I stopped to take a pic and decided to have lunch at a campsite. I didn't get out ... raining. As I rounded the point the occupants and I scared the crap out of each other. That was smile and wave worthy in my book. I've also camped near a portage and had people land and unload at MY site. When questioned, the portage turned out to be a couple hundred yards away. It seemed obvious to me but they were just kids having too much fun to notice much else.

If I see a guitar go by all bets are off.

db wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2010 at 7:13am:


I guess my group better not pass db.  Although we frequently bring a guitar, it comes out of it's case very little.  I think it's a big hassle, but the guy who carries it really loves to sit on a rock and play before it gets dark at least once or twice a trip.  No playing after dark or in the morning, and no loud jamming.  If we're in an area with lots of campsites, he'll judge how loud the other groups are before playing.  Overall, pretty darn considerate, but I hear you db.

Seems like a lot of folks on this site want and expect absolute solitude/silence.  Wally's suggestion to go further north rings true.  I guess that since my expectation is that we're not going to get that due to other groups within earshot, I'm ok with some noise.

Depends on how attractive a fishing spot it is.   
Never toss your lure in another angler's pool.

Once I paddled up to a couple swimming, nowhere near a site.  They were pleasant and enjoyed chatting.  Suddenly I realised they were skinny dipping & wanting to get out of the water. 

Anchor off a campsite?  Depends on how close and the topography.  If someone is camped on a barren rock in the middle of the lake, hard to not be in view of their site.  One certainly does not linger & gawk at an occupied site, not without chit-chat.  Smile, nod, keep moving.


Folks who get indignant at paddlers passing by shouldn't set up camp on main street.  That's the usual dirty-look situation I've seen.  People who think they're entitled to behave as though they're the only ones on the lake.  If you want solitude, go find the biggest unmaintained portage without any back-doors.  Anywhere within 1 day of travel from the car isn't solitude, it's nature, it's nice, it's not solitude.

I have some tolerance for social group activities like singing.  It's the loud, drunken mob that I can't tolerate.  Fortunately, when and where we go canoeing we don't usually see many people.

starwatcher

Along these lines I have a question what people would think about this:

If you were camped in the BWCA and on a lake that has a tendency to get filled, would you be offended if a group paddling by stopped and asked if you were leaving that day?  And if you were, could they leave a pack there while you pack up?  I know someone who this happened to and was wondering what I would think.  And as long as they did not stay around and pester me to leave and I was leaving anyway, I would not mind their pack there.  Quetico this is not a problem, but in the BW side where you need to stay at designated sites I could see the issue if it were a more popular loop or area.