Town Park virgin? Get your answers here!

[ToddG]

Hey Festy Friends!
This year our crew is planning to post up a flag at camp (maybe) but definitely while inside the festival.   What are some recommendations for flag poles?  There’s no need to be the tallest by any means, but certainly tall enough not to impede on anyone’s view.  What do folks use for wind, stability, durability, etc. Obviously dont want the pole falling down     I have a feeling most are homemade, in which case I’ll get to planning.

Thanks for the recs! (if I missed the page where this is discussed, point me in the direction - I’ll check it out!)

See you soon! 

If you use the search function, there's been a handful of elaborate posts on the flag topic. Seems like in 2019 or 2018 there was a large discussion on flag poles.

 Listening to: Rain and Thunder

[MeetMeAtTheCreek]

Town Park virgin with a question here!

This may be really silly.
How careful do we need to be about bears?
I'm used to camping in the backcountry where I hang my food (which I'm guessing is not the protocol for bluegrass...).

I'm bringing a bear-proof cooler, but my non-cooler foods won't really have a bear proof home. Along with other smellables.

Do I need to be concerned, or is the thought process that the late night banjo music along with all of us will keep them away?!

[AnythingAtAll]

Town Park virgin with a question here!

This may be really silly.
How careful do we need to be about bears?
I'm used to camping in the backcountry where I hang my food (which I'm guessing is not the protocol for bluegrass...).

I'm bringing a bear-proof cooler, but my non-cooler foods won't really have a bear proof home. Along with other smellables.

Do I need to be concerned, or is the thought process that the late night banjo music along with all of us will keep them away?!

There are so many smart-ass answers to this (that I'll suppress).  The real answer is this:

While it's always a possibility, however remote, it's extremely unlikely that a bear would risk coming into an area as densely populated with people as Town Park will be once folks start to arrive.  Only in times of extreme drought or desperation would a bear do something like that.  Your cooler is far more vulnerable to local kids or late night partiers with the munchies.  Once, we had uncooked flour tortillas in our cooler and found one with a bite taken out of it early the next morning. No one ever asked us why we had such disgusting food in our cooler.

Anyway- be far more prepped for hydration, sunburn, mosquitoes, temperature extremes, etc.

Just in case, you always want to make sure that you can run faster than someone near you 

[MeetMeAtTheCreek]

Town Park virgin with a question here!

This may be really silly.
How careful do we need to be about bears?
I'm used to camping in the backcountry where I hang my food (which I'm guessing is not the protocol for bluegrass...).

I'm bringing a bear-proof cooler, but my non-cooler foods won't really have a bear proof home. Along with other smellables.

Do I need to be concerned, or is the thought process that the late night banjo music along with all of us will keep them away?!

There are so many smart-ass answers to this (that I'll suppress).  The real answer is this:

While it's always a possibility, however remote, it's extremely unlikely that a bear would risk coming into an area as densely populated with people as Town Park will be once folks start to arrive.  Only in times of extreme drought or desperation would a bear do something like that.  Your cooler is far more vulnerable to local kids or late night partiers with the munchies.  Once, we had uncooked flour tortillas in our cooler and found one with a bite taken out of it early the next morning. No one ever asked us why we had such disgusting food in our cooler.

Anyway- be far more prepped for hydration, sunburn, mosquitoes, temperature extremes, etc.

Just in case, you always want to make sure that you can run faster than someone near you 

Ha ha great info! Thank you so much for this. One less thing to worry about. And, smart-ass answers are welcome, haha. I always tell my dad I don't have to worry about bears as I can outrun him and he'll be with me - so I'm all set! 

[ToddG]

Town Park virgin with a question here!

This may be really silly.
How careful do we need to be about bears?
I'm used to camping in the backcountry where I hang my food (which I'm guessing is not the protocol for bluegrass...).

I'm bringing a bear-proof cooler, but my non-cooler foods won't really have a bear proof home. Along with other smellables.

Do I need to be concerned, or is the thought process that the late night banjo music along with all of us will keep them away?!

We had a bear come through our camps at Harvest Festival in 2011 or 2010. This is in Arkansas, in National Forest land away from any city or dumpsters. The bears seemed to flock there every year. Never did any real damage other than take a bit of food. They were definitely skittish of human activity, but came around late at night! Never seen a bear around T-Ride.

[MeetMeAtTheCreek]

Town Park virgin with a question here!

This may be really silly.
How careful do we need to be about bears?
I'm used to camping in the backcountry where I hang my food (which I'm guessing is not the protocol for bluegrass...).

I'm bringing a bear-proof cooler, but my non-cooler foods won't really have a bear proof home. Along with other smellables.

Do I need to be concerned, or is the thought process that the late night banjo music along with all of us will keep them away?!

We had a bear come through our camps at Harvest Festival in 2011 or 2010. This is in Arkansas, in National Forest land away from any city or dumpsters. The bears seemed to flock there every year. Never did any real damage other than take a bit of food. They were definitely skittish of human activity, but came around late at night! Never seen a bear around T-Ride.

Thanks so much, Todd. After hiking the AT last year and having a few hungry bear encounters, I'm a bit skittish. But this info really helps me feel better!

[ukelady]

Hello  We have a scamp trailer. Is Lawson the only campground we can camp at with the towable trailer? Thank you!

[ToddG]

Hello  We have a scamp trailer. Is Lawson the only campground we can camp at with the towable trailer? Thank you!

There isn't any vehicle or trailer camping at lawson, tent only. There was limited RV sites near Lawson. Mary Illium with a vehicle pass allows small campers, again those are limited, and long gone at this point. Probably best to bring a tent and not use trailer.
My wife's a uker too.

[TellurideTom]

Town Park virgin with a question here!

This may be really silly.
How careful do we need to be about bears?
I'm used to camping in the backcountry where I hang my food (which I'm guessing is not the protocol for bluegrass...).

I'm bringing a bear-proof cooler, but my non-cooler foods won't really have a bear proof home. Along with other smellables.

Do I need to be concerned, or is the thought process that the late night banjo music along with all of us will keep them away?!

The only critter I've ever seen in Town Park other than the squirrels and chipmunks was having a porcupine waddle through camp late one night and he had no interest in anyone. He was just passing through. 

[BuckeyeDog]

I think the level of the noise in TP keeps bears miles away. 

[culasthewiz]

The only critter I've ever seen in Town Park other than the squirrels and chipmunks was having a porcupine waddle through camp late one night and he had no interest in anyone. He was just passing through. 

I can think of one particular critter I can count on seeing every year:

[Awesomesauce]

Thanks Telluride Tom! It means a lot that there are so many people willing to help out and answer the questions that they have probably answered a million times before! I just want to make sure my first experience is the best it can be!! 

Good morning Tom!  I don't tarp run, but would still like to plant my windsock so my people can find me.  What are the rules regarding flexible windsock poles?  Plastic stakes, height limits?  Thank you kindly! - mandy@jugband.net

[TellurideTom]

Good morning Tom!  I don't tarp run, but would still like to plant my windsock so my people can find me.  What are the rules regarding flexible windsock poles?  Plastic stakes, height limits?  Thank you kindly! - mandy@jugband.net

The only limit I'm aware of since there are underground watering systems is that the stakes must be six inches or less. As long as the windsock or flag doesn't interfere with the audience view of the stage you're perfectly fine. 

[kchurch]

Hi all! Question about parking - we plan to arrive on Wednesday and have Town Park camping. Once we unload our car and park it, are we able to leave during the festival and come back? Would love to get some hiking in around the area in the mornings before music starts.

[ToddG]

Hi all! Question about parking - we plan to arrive on Wednesday and have Town Park camping. Once we unload our car and park it, are we able to leave during the festival and come back? Would love to get some hiking in around the area in the mornings before music starts.

Arriving on Weds, you'll for certain be directed to park up in MTN Village, about 20ish + minute drive from TP. You'll then take the Gondola back down into town and walk back to TP.
It would be a fairly big hassle to do this to hike areas out of town.
From TP and town, or even via the Gondola, there's more miles of trail than you will have time to hike each morning.
Best bet if possible is to arrive even earlier and use those days to do longer hikes, or hikes out of town.