City noise

[desert spirit]

When I get into a wild place, the first thing I notice is the lack of city noise. I really hate noise. Being in Flag the last several days ... the quiet in the forest is as sweet as a cool drink on a hot desert day. Hiking partners get tired of me telling them to shut up, which is one reason I prefer to hike alone.

I think traffic noise is the worst. I don't know what it is about the characteristics of the sound, but traffic noise drives me up a wall.

[JoelHazelton]

Ugh, party noise. That is much more annoying than traffic noise, in my opinion. Especially the boom boom boom of bass speakers. Ugh.

Why does everyone listen to hip hop, anyway? I just don't understand it at all...

I love hip-hop. Not necessarily mainstream hip-hop, but the genre is really good if you find the right stuff.

I'm not casting aspersions, I just don't understand it at all.

Eh, I didn't think you were. Just thought I'd defend the music I love. I don't like country, but there's really nothing I don't understand about it. The singers can sing, the musicians can play their instruments, and I'm sure some of the songwriters can write. Alas, some people really enjoy it.

[writelots]

You guys crack me up!

We had an intersting night at our camp in Fossil Springs this weekend - a group across the creek was LOUD, even the white noise of the water came no where near drowning out the carousing, tree-chopping, dog howling, bonfire building stupidity we heard. So much for a peaceful camp. I think maybe they need to lock-up that trailhead again. Removing the dam had a far less salubrious effect on the enviornment of that area than removing stoopid humans would...

[dysfunction]

You got pictures I imagine ;)


I've been curious about it since the dam removal..

Great, now I have scenes from Vegas Vacation stuck in my noggin.

[big_load]

Sometimes it's hard to escape stupid people. Once we were camped next to Boy Scouts at a site with two nice sitting logs (they were full-sized trees). In the middle of the night, we could hear the Scouts chopping away. We yelled at them to cut it out, which they did not because we objected, but because they simply lacked the motivation and stamina necessary to cut three and a half feet of wood with a hatchet. Instead, they decided to just light them on fire. I don't know what the adults were doing up to that point, but once the sitting logs were ablaze they finally woke up and got things back in order. They were all still sleeping when we left the next morning.

[Jeffshadows]

Camped down at the Stronghold once many years ago with a bunch of other climbers we had a rowdy Boy Scout camp next to ours that suddenly quieted down around 10 PM. Since they were ruining the evening, some of our fellow travelers felt no reason to show restraint, either. That whole 10 PM lights-out memo they had going missed some of the people camped with us, who were still up and at it around the fire. An old windbag lady from the Scout camp whose shrieking commands we had been forced to endure as she uselessly tried to contain the chaos over there all night then came over and presented herself at our camp hollering something to the effect of: "Time for foul-mouthed little boys to go to bed." You should have heard some of the replies shouted back as she ran away from the volley of flaming marshmallows and other debris that was suddenly made airborne in her direction...

[writelots]

Now that's something that would have been fun to see!

[azbackpackr]

OK, about all this music. I don't care if you are listening to my favorite music, which happens to be live Grateful Dead. I don't want to hear it from next door, when YOU are playing it at YOUR house, only when I am playing it for myself at MY house or in MY car.

As for the Dead, they couldn't sing too well (except for when Pig Pen was still alive or when Donna Godchaux was singing with them) but they sure could play, but I realize many people would not want to listen to Jerry Garcia noodling away on his guitar during endless sets where one song runs into the next without so much as a water break... Dang, I love it though! Sure wouldn't want to inflict it on others, though! That's the thing. Other people's music, other people's parties, other people's kids, other people's Scout troops--they all can be very annoying.

[desert spirit]

This is why I refuse to camp in designated campgrounds anymore. I've had too many errant frisbees thrown into my camp, too much loud music blasting away at midnight, too many drunken revelries. I have no problem with college kids having fun, just don't do it next to me.

This combined with the fact that I came close to being sexually assaulted at a Forest Service campground some years ago ... I only camp in the boonies now, away from campgrounds.

[te_wa]

the carousing, tree-chopping, dog howling, bonfire building stupidity we heard.

and you expected anything less from fossil springs? well, duh

and for the record, I love Hip-Hop as long as it sounds like 7 Seconds and the Adolescents

[dysfunction]

so you're down with Anthrax an Public Enemy's duo's then ;)

For the record, I'll listen to most anything.. including country.. long as it's Johnny Cash

[te_wa]

dont you remember Ice T and Body Count?
far as the new york thrash scene was concerned, i always thought there were many bands better than Anthrax including SOD (stormtroopers of death) that anthrax' guitarist Scott Ian simultaneously played for -dont forget Nuclear Assault's album Handle with Care - still one of the top faves. Cro-Mags are another e. coast thrash band, and dont forget Septic Death who's vocalist PusHead did artwork for many album covers (think, early Metallica) and a bunch of skateboards like Zorlac.
I liked the e. coast thrash a bit more than say, bay area style since it got the sounds of early punk like Bad Brains and the Stimulators

i dont play music at camp tho, unless in my ear buds.

[dysfunction]

mmmmM Bad Brains, I recall seeing them and Fugazi in highschool.

But yes, I remember Body Count.. and SOD is on my ipod, Anthrax isn't currently ;) I discovered one night that two people in one tent can make out sounds from my headphones and not hear it at all past about 20'... being an old fart now, these things concern me far more than they used to

[writelots]

This is why I refuse to camp in designated campgrounds anymore. I've had too many errant frisbees thrown into my camp, too much loud music blasting away at midnight, too many drunken revelries. I have no problem with college kids having fun, just don't do it next to me.

This wasn't a designated campground - that's what's worst. It is, however, only a four mile hike from the road and a rare swimming hole in the desert. Lots of boyscouts, school groups, church groups and other people who don't normally backpack.

I have to say I expected it, but I was amazed at the level of crazy! Wow.

[dysfunction]

yea, I figure right around the 5-6 mile mark is when I normally stop seeing.. umm... well... you know.

[desert spirit]

other people who don't normally backpack.

I'll bet that's the key right there.

[fricknaley]

skateboards like Zorlac

Ahh...the memories.

[Jeffshadows]

The PE Anthrax thing was awesome. I suppose it's the thug rap I really can't stand. The funniest thing is how tough those imbeciles feel when listening to it. On that note, time for one more quick story:

A buddy and I were getting ready to go back to the sandbox out of El Paso and had our flight delayed for four days so we shot up to Santa Fe to visit another friend and hike, ski, etc. We were in town one night driving to this dive bar when a beat to heck old Cadillac pulled up next to us with two anorexic white kids wearing Kangols backwards and dark shades despite the lack of sun. They had the whole uniform on...wifebeaters, fake gold, the works. Right as they pulled up the garbage they were listening to erupted with: "I'll smoke ten ******* and they **** too, blaow, blaow," complete with gunshot sound effects. I instinctively looked at them and immediately broke out into uncontrollable laughter. They got angry and said something to the effect of: "You fools wanna have a problem?!" and then something about a "heater" so we told them we weren't cold. The guy we were visiting says: "Look guys, I love you." They looked back in complete shock. "I love you, give me a hug," he says, again. They were dumbstruck and at a loss for words so they ran off through the red light to the sound of our buddy screaming: "Come back and give me a hug."

[PaleoRob]

That is freaking awesome Jeff!

[desert spirit]

Hahaha ... ok, I'm gonna try that!