My last trail days

[Morpheus]

Thanks to the obnoxious Sherriff's department presence at Traildays the last two years, I've decided this is my last visit until tent city lands on private property.
I saw multiple arrests for public intoxication and simple marijuana possession (a roach) to harmless individuals just having a good time. Friday night there was a great free jam band that got shut down after only playing one set. While the band was playing Johnny Law pulls a cruiser right up to the crowd and turns the headlights on the crowd so they can get a better look at who's doing what.
The local youth is the real problem. They come through at night trying to freeload beer and get threatening when you don't hand it over because they wouldn't show ID's. I don't need "contributing to a minor" on my resume. Sorry.
For those of you that aren't bothered, I salute your ability to look the other way, but I get incensed over hovering fascists.

[ChinMusic]

From what I saw, the authorities left folks alone unless:

1. There was an underage issue.
2. People acted stupid.
3. People were not discrete.

If participants conducted themselves "responsibly" and with a modicum of discretion they were left alone.

[Kentucky_Fried]

I agree that trail days sucks now and isn't really about what it was founded on. It's all about partying and cops not hiking. Most the people that attended weren't thru hikers they were past thru or sectional. The town is getting greedy for more money and they won't get any more of mine.

[trailangelbronco]

Trail days and the trail experience itself has changed alot over the years, it seems.

[Lone Wolf]

free camping + non-hikers = no control. this "festival" like many others, has turned into a major party. next year will be different. one entrance/exit and campers will be charged a fee and have wrist bands.
the local and county LEOs did a damn good job controlling what little they could

[generoll]

seemed like a well run event from where I sat. Trying to keep order on a bunch of free spirits like true hikers as well as wannabes, opportunists, and freeloaders has got to be like trying to herd cats. I don't know if the town makes money on the event or not, but I sure as hell hope they do.

One less party goer won't even be noticed.

[modiyooch]

LW, are these stats right (stripped from the headlines) ?

population 1,000
event crowd 30,000

how many drinking?
It's a challenge for any law enforcement. I'm sure Hickory, and other home towns as well, wouldn't even entertain the idea.

[Lone Wolf]

30,000 is probably what they figure between thursday and sunday. not all at one time. the majority of drinking goes on at the campground by a few hundred. many go to the campground just to party. they only leave to get more beer and drugs and never go into town for hiker related events

[Lion King]

I have to say the 'gestapo' seemed to be less of a presence then last year, but then I stayed away from the man-fire...lol...buncha dudes with their shirts off dancing around a fire never has been my cup of tea, or shine, or whatever.

I know plenty of people who did plenty of 'illegal' things that werent bothered one bit.

nontaxable liqour is delicious.

I wish they would keep the campground as it is now, except with no posion ivy/oak.

[Blissful]

Most the people that attended weren't thru hikers they were past thru or sectional. The town is getting greedy for more money and they won't get any more of mine.

HUH? Pardon - wha? What makes current thru hikers so special that they get their own festival?

I avoided the camp area myself (then, presto, you avoid the partying) and found the town helpful and townspeople amazing. Hats off to the Baptist church for all that they did too. I am glad to give the town my money.

[Blissful]

the local and county LEOs did a damn good job controlling what little they could

My thanks to them.
Though I was wondering about the helicopter, I had never seen that before -? Was that law enforcement?

[Lone Wolf]

Though I was wondering about the helicopter, I had never seen that before -? Was that law enforcement?

med flight. for an injured person on the creeper trail

[Lone Wolf]

I have to say the 'gestapo' seemed to be less of a presence then last year

a little harsh to call them gestapo. they're hardly nazis using terrorist methods to enforce laws. everyone arrested deserved to be arrested. without the police the camping area would be one large klusterphluck

[ChinMusic]

Though I was wondering about the helicopter, I had never seen that before...

I took a good look at it. It didn't appear to be black......

I did get buzzed by some military jets while hiking near Elk Garden. The guys at Thomas Knob said it shook the shelter.

[ChinMusic]

I hope the one LEO gal (WCSO) is OK after taking a header off her horse on Friday(?). Her horse bolted while trying to jump from the construction area onto the trail.

[The Weasel]

Those who do not like police enforcing laws in a community which pays them to do so should avoid the community (as the original post suggests) or, if they wish to criticise the police (or anything else), move to the community, pay taxes, and vote. Neither thru hikers nor anyone else is entitled to a "day pass" to ignore laws and common decency, much less in a small town that they do not live in.

TW

[safn1949]

It never ceases to amaze me the people who break the law and then get caught who say "but I was just..." fill in the blanks.

Newsflash....public intoxication and possession of weed is illegal there.As in against the law.Hello....you don't want get arrested,don't break the law.It really is that simple.

[Lion King]

a little harsh to call them gestapo. they're hardly nazis using terrorist methods to enforce laws. everyone arrested deserved to be arrested. without the police the camping area would be one large klusterphluck

Thas why I used the '-' around the word Gestapo, sorta' to say that in relation to the Initial posters remarks.

Hell, most of them were nice, even though people were walking by them pie eyed and staggering.

[gungho]

It never ceases to amaze me the people who break the law and then get caught who say "but I was just..." fill in the blanks.

Newsflash....public intoxication and possession of weed is illegal there.As in against the law.Hello....you don't want get arrested,don't break the law.It really is that simple.

exactly........

[gungho]

from my point of view,it was as well run as it could have been. Anytime, you have hundreds and maybe thousands of people scatterd throughout the woods, you are going tohave dumbasses coming out of the wood work, the cops did have a presence for which i am glad.....if not, we would of had a ("free for all anything goes"), which isnt good in any situation