Camping on an Island?

Lakegeezer · 03-28-2006, 12:00 AM

In the spring, sometime in the early 1980's (has it really been that long!?), four of us camped out on one of the small islands in the southern part of the lake. It was one of the more memorable camping trips I've been on. We pulled the boat up on a small sandy beach and pitched a tent about 50 feet back from the shoreline. We used a fuel stove for cooking and had a small camp fire in a fire pit that we found. In the morning, there was a series of weird loud noises. We woke up to see a bunch of hot-air balloons floating by, 100 feet or so above the water. After breakfast, we cleaned up all evidence that we had been there and left. Nobody else was on the island, and we never got close to the only house that was there. Camping like that is special, and if you are going to do it, you should respect the land you are using, and the tradition of not spoiling it for others. If you get caught, there is a 50/50 chance you will have to leave - but if you are careful, they will never know. Getting away with it is part of the fun - at least it was for us.

ApS · 03-28-2006, 08:02 AM

Back in the Pleistocene era, three of us kids put two 5-horsepower Johnsons on a ten-foot wooden rowboat of mine, and camped on the Broads side of Rattlesnake Island. (Two engines for the added security in such an adventure, of course).

No docks, no camps, no campers, no signs, no houses!

And no rattlesnakes...dangit!

BTW: The signs stating "Private" back then...were postcard-sized.

tis · 03-28-2006, 08:53 AM

We owned a small island on the lake and had the same problem jrc and airwaves referred to. Beer cans, soda cans, underwear. We always ended up bringing a garbage bad full of trash home. Using the path as a bathroom. Almost every time we went there, there were people using it. Most were very arrogant some even told us they had persmission from the owner to use it! If someone was coming in at the same time we were, they would try to get there faster to "stake their claim". They ignored us until we asked them to leave. We posted it repeatedly and they tore the signs down. We wrote " No trespassing" all over the dock. Our neighbor on an adjoining island called us one day to tell us people were having so many fires there, he was afraid they were going to burn the island down. We got so frustrated, we sold it. Sadly, this is why you can't let other people enjoy your property.

GWC... · 03-28-2006, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tis

We owned a small island on the lake and had the same problem jrc and airwaves referred to. Beer cans, soda cans, underwear. We got so frustrated, we sold it.

Poison ivy, lots of it, before selling would have been my preference.

jrc · 03-30-2006, 12:10 AM

Well poison ivy will ruin it for the owner as well as the uninvited visitor. If you think underwear is strange, I've found a complete bedroom set, several exercise machines, car batteries, an empty oil drum, beer cans, a wine bottle, lots of spring water bottles and the worst, condoms.

Island Life · 05-11-2008, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

Well poison ivy will ruin it for the owner as well as the uninvited visitor. If you think underwear is strange, I've found a complete bedroom set, several exercise machines, car batteries, an empty oil drum, beer cans, a wine bottle, lots of spring water bottles and the worst, condoms.

I've found underwear around my place a few times. Creepy. One day I returned home from a walk to find a boat at my dock and a family playing frisbee in my front yard. I'm up there all summer, so there was visual evidence that I must have been close by - but that didn't stop these people. It took me 15 minutes to get them to leave and they weren't at all apologetic for being there. And when I say they were in my front yard, I literally mean within 0 - 10 feet from my house. in fact, I think one of the kids was sitting on my porch steps.

jrc · 05-11-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Life

I've found underwear around my place a few times. Creepy. One day I returned home from a walk to find a boat at my dock and a family playing frisbee in my front yard. I'm up there all summer, so there was visual evidence that I must have been close by - but that didn't stop these people. It took me 15 minutes to get them to leave and they weren't at all apologetic for being there. And when I say they were in my front yard, I literally mean within 0 - 10 feet from my house. in fact, I think one of the kids was sitting on my porch steps.

Some people have a lot of nerve. I could tell tons of stories about people on my property. I have found that cell phone cameras are a godsend. I had some kids looking for a party place last summer. I saw them park, and went over with my cell phone and started taking picture of their license plates. When they came to ask what I was doing, I took their pictures. They left in a hurry.

Rattlesnake Guy · 05-11-2008, 09:12 PM

A friend of mine took some pictures of kids attempting to jump snow mobiles across a large ditch in his back yard then asked them to take a hike. A few hours later the parent arrived demanding that he delete the picture from his camera. No apology and I am sure no lesson for the kid.

chipj29 · 05-12-2008, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

A friend of mine took some pictures of kids attempting to jump snow mobiles across a large ditch in his back yard then asked them to take a hike. A few hours later the parent arrived demanding that he delete the picture from his camera. No apology and I am sure no lesson for the kid.

Wow! That is unreal. Some people just don't get it.

ApS · 03-30-2006, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tis

"...We owned a small island on the lake and had the same problem jrc and airwaves referred to. Beer cans, soda cans, underwear. We always ended up bringing a garbage bad full of trash home. Using the path as a bathroom..."

Relax, that's the trash you can see around your island.

Meredith has contracted for a lakewater quality study this year measuring caffeine.

Weirs guy · 03-30-2006, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Meredith has contracted for a lakewater quality study this year measuring caffeine.

Way off topic, but I was reading an article in Playboy (yes, I do read the articles) about the strange things found in water, like caffeine, cocaine, ect. Some river in Australia flows something like 4 kilo's of coke a day! And I used to worry about what the fish did in the water, now I can just imagine what I get a mouthful of every time I swim in the lake.

Lakegeezer · 03-30-2006, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weirs guy

...And I used to worry about what the fish did in the water, now I can just imagine what I get a mouthful of every time I swim in the lake.

Hey, it’s all about the water! We all have a common disease from those inevitable sips of the waters of Winnipesaukee.

MJM · 04-04-2006, 08:18 AM

We camped on an island on Squam, and it was a FANTASTIC experience. Maintained sites, some with platforms, porta potties (in rustic shelters), etc.

We highly recommend it.

http://www.squamlakes.org/sla/camping.htm

03-28-2006, 12:00 AM	#1
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,692 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 356 Thanked 646 Times in 294 Posts	Camping on an island In the spring, sometime in the early 1980's (has it really been that long!?), four of us camped out on one of the small islands in the southern part of the lake. It was one of the more memorable camping trips I've been on. We pulled the boat up on a small sandy beach and pitched a tent about 50 feet back from the shoreline. We used a fuel stove for cooking and had a small camp fire in a fire pit that we found. In the morning, there was a series of weird loud noises. We woke up to see a bunch of hot-air balloons floating by, 100 feet or so above the water. After breakfast, we cleaned up all evidence that we had been there and left. Nobody else was on the island, and we never got close to the only house that was there. Camping like that is special, and if you are going to do it, you should respect the land you are using, and the tradition of not spoiling it for others. If you get caught, there is a 50/50 chance you will have to leave - but if you are careful, they will never know. Getting away with it is part of the fun - at least it was for us. __________________ -lg

03-28-2006, 08:02 AM	#2
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 6,028 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 789 Times in 564 Posts	Before "Great Adventure" there was... Back in the Pleistocene era, three of us kids put two 5-horsepower Johnsons on a ten-foot wooden rowboat of mine, and camped on the Broads side of Rattlesnake Island. (Two engines for the added security in such an adventure, of course). No docks, no camps, no campers, no signs, no houses! And no rattlesnakes...dangit! BTW: The signs stating "Private" back then...were postcard-sized.

04-04-2006, 08:18 AM	#13
MJM Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 23 Times in 11 Posts	Try Squam We camped on an island on Squam, and it was a FANTASTIC experience. Maintained sites, some with platforms, porta potties (in rustic shelters), etc. We highly recommend it. http://www.squamlakes.org/sla/camping.htm

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03-28-2006, 08:53 AM	#3
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,946 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,493 Times in 1,040 Posts	We owned a small island on the lake and had the same problem jrc and airwaves referred to. Beer cans, soda cans, underwear. We always ended up bringing a garbage bad full of trash home. Using the path as a bathroom. Almost every time we went there, there were people using it. Most were very arrogant some even told us they had persmission from the owner to use it! If someone was coming in at the same time we were, they would try to get there faster to "stake their claim". They ignored us until we asked them to leave. We posted it repeatedly and they tore the signs down. We wrote " No trespassing" all over the dock. Our neighbor on an adjoining island called us one day to tell us people were having so many fires there, he was afraid they were going to burn the island down. We got so frustrated, we sold it. Sadly, this is why you can't let other people enjoy your property.

03-30-2006, 12:10 AM	#5
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Well poison ivy will ruin it for the owner as well as the uninvited visitor. If you think underwear is strange, I've found a complete bedroom set, several exercise machines, car batteries, an empty oil drum, beer cans, a wine bottle, lots of spring water bottles and the worst, condoms.

05-11-2008, 09:12 PM	#8
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	A friend of mine took some pictures of kids attempting to jump snow mobiles across a large ditch in his back yard then asked them to take a hike. A few hours later the parent arrived demanding that he delete the picture from his camera. No apology and I am sure no lesson for the kid.