The Dog Poop Area: (The special area at every campground where you shouldn't run barefoot)
In every open camping gravel pit there is one corner that eventually becomes the dog poop area. There is such a place at my (my: meaning the one that we go to each year) gravel pit. It is in the southeast corner of the pit, about 30-yards from the big sewer tank that sits in the pit. Also, it's at the corner that borders the road as it swings around the pit. On each end of the dog poop area a driveway into the pit comes off the road. This setup forms a small island of area in which man should not be in. However, to the novice the area is somewhat deceiving because there are some sparse grass patches in the area which contrasts it to the all-rock-gravel of the rest of the pit.
Most folk tend to avoid this area naturally. The parcel in question borders the road on two sides and becomes quite noisy as traffic runs close by. Additionally, from the west there is a long straight-away coming towards the pit that finally slows down in that corner. It is very disconcerting to lay in that area and have to listen to the doppler effect put off by encroaching vehicles. Especially some of them big diesel trucks. You know how people drive when they've got to get fishing. Regardless of all the valid reasons I can convey, let's just say that the area typically remains abandoned except for the hourly visits of dog and master. Now at any given time there might be a dozen or so motorhomes groups out of the usual 100 parked in the lot that bring canine companionship with them. Nearly everyone of those groups walks their dog around the pit at some point in the day, and most of those dogs prefer to do their business in the poop zone. With all of that as a given, why would anyone want to pitch a tent there and camp? Yet, time after time I saw tent campers in that area this year. If only they knew what was going on….....
Back