Rude Awakening While Camping

[WebleyHunter]

Greetings!

This happened back in 1994, but its discussion may still be useful today.

In the summer after my HS graduation and just before starting college, my father and I decided to camp for the weekend near the old ghost town of Caribou, CO. The Caribou town site is located at roughly 10,000’ near the Continental Divide above Nederland. Our campsite was in a valley up from where the road crossed a creek and dead ended at a wilderness area boundary (no motorized vehicles or equipment). We parked my Dad’s ’77 F-250 and set-up the tent nearby with thoughts making dinner and planning for the next day.

At about 1:00 am, we were awakened by revving motor cycles and shotgun blasts coming from down the valley. We quickly left the tent and retreated into the heavy timber behind the campsite. Unfortunately, all of the activity was occurring at the creek crossing on the road we had to travel to leave the area, essentially trapping us our current location. It appeared to be a drunken orgy of dirt bikes and shotguns, less than ¼ mile from our exposed location. My Dad carried his Ruger Single-Six .22 Magnum and I had a Lee-Enfield No. 4, Mk. II, plus a CZ-52 in my holster. As we waited in the trees, he admonished me not to fire, even if they started shooting at our campsite- the last thing we wanted was a gunfight that did not need to happen…

After about an hour, the bikes drove off, leaving the area eerily quiet. We emerged from the trees, picked up the tent and dropped it in the bed of the truck and started down the road- no headlights or parking lights. We quickly drove through the creek crossing area, and headed back towards the main town site as fast as possible on a 4WD only road. At no time did we see any signs of the bikers or their camp. After reaching the main county road, we stopped and made the tent “highway ready” and anxiously headed back to Boulder, getting home just as the sun was starting to lighten the eastern horizon.

Though the bikers never confronted us, nor are we sure they even saw our camp, the sense of fear and the adrenalin dump is still fresh in my mind almost 20 years later. I did mention to my Dad the “multinational” character of our defensive armament, with a British rifle loaded with Czech S&B .303 FMJs, and the Czech pistol loaded with Italian Fiocchi 7.62x25mm FMJs. The best thing about the event was that while we were stopped readying the tent and sleeping bags for highway travel, we witnessed a satellite or expended booster re-enter right over our heads- something we would have missed if still sleeping in the tent.

Please comment as you please. Happening to me at 18, this event forged my belief in ALWAYS being armed while out in the boonies (urban and rural).

Thanks!

Hunter

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[mlr1m]

I have had something like this happen to me many times when I was out camping or fishing at night. Every time for me it was just a case of some idiots not being aware of their surrounding. If they were close enough I would shout out letting them know someone was there. If they were to far for shouting I would fire a round into the ground with my snubbie 44 spcl.
In my opinion you increased your danger by not notifying them of your presence.

Michael

[QKShooter]

Please comment as you please. Happening to me at 18, this event forged my belief in ALWAYS being armed while out in the boonies (urban and rural).

That would even be more true/important these days than back then.

[DaGunny]

Your dad was right. Avoid the fight if at all possible, but be ready to finish it if it starts.

[WebleyHunter]

In my opinion you increased your danger by not notifying them of your presence.

A definite possibility. Please see On the Receiving End of Somebody Else's Plinking Session for what happened less than two years later!

Thanks!

[wingryder]

Something similar to this happened to me while a couple of friends and I were camping on a hill top near Reno, NV. We saw a truck coming up the mountain late at night, stopped about a half a mile from us... then the gunfire began. We were well armed, set up a perimeter, and waited. Nothing happened and eventually the truck left. It is amazing how vulnerable & lawless the wilderness feels when you're out there especially when you are unarmed.

[Caertaker]

I was a little kid the first time I was shot at. My family was visiting family friends in TN. I would spend as much time as they would let me fishing at the farm pond. The gentleman we were visiting came out in the field with my mother to get me for dinner. We were standing around chatting when suddenly we heard shots fire and bullets whizzing past our heads. Dal yelled and the firing stopped. He speculated that one of his renters was target practicing at some crows in a line of pine trees. That incident was enough to teach me to be sure of what was behind my target.

[mlr1m]

Something similar to this happened to me while a couple of friends and I were camping on a hill top near Reno, NV. We saw a truck coming up the mountain late at night, stopped about a half a mile from us... then the gunfire began. We were well armed, set up a perimeter, and waited. Nothing happened and eventually the truck left. It is amazing how vulnerable & lawless the wilderness feels when you're out there especially when you are unarmed.

You never considered letting them know that you were in the area?

Michael

[wingryder]

It was approx 2am and he was a half mile away through rolling hills and trees. Our decision was to stay low and observe, I don't think that was a bad decision. We could barely make out his truck in the dark through binocs... don't know if he was alone, hunting or what. We had no intentions of disturbing him/them, and just wanted the same. Eventually the truck left and we went back to bed. I don't think it would be wise to announce your presence in that situation. He could have been drunk, burying a body, poaching, who knows... he was armed with a substantial rifle (judging from its report), and we had 3 pistols, a shotgun and a .22. I stand by my decision.

[QKShooter]

I actually don't think that it was wrong for them not to let unknown armed individuals know that they were camping in the area.
Large trees make great projectile protection and if the shooting stopped & they could hear the bikers leaving I don't see that as a wrong decision.

By letting them know that they were in the area they could have just created an entirely different scenario for themselves.

Some folks (especially when intoxicated) are not intimidated by other people with guns and they may have wanted to initiate a fun gun battle.

[FLArmadillo]

Unless I was pretty sure it was a friendly, I would stay stealthy. If I was unsure of why they were in the area, I would not alert them to my presence unless rounds were headed my way, and I would do as WeblyHunter did, and if it still didn't stop, I'd be shooting and moving my donkey

[BenGoodLuck]

I echo my post in the other thread (On the Receiving End of Somebody Else's Plinking Session). You need to write these adventures in a book!

[minimalbrat]

It was approx 2am and he was a half mile away through rolling hills and trees. Our decision was to stay low and observe, I don't think that was a bad decision. We could barely make out his truck in the dark through binocs... don't know if he was alone, hunting or what. We had no intentions of disturbing him/them, and just wanted the same. Eventually the truck left and we went back to bed. I don't think it would be wise to announce your presence in that situation. He could have been drunk, burying a body, poaching, who knows... he was armed with a substantial rifle (judging from its report), and we had 3 pistols, a shotgun and a .22. I stand by my decision.

Heck no, could have been a poacher for all you know and you might not have lived to tell the tale.

[oneshot]

Unless I was pretty sure it was a friendly, I would stay stealthy. If I was unsure of why they were in the area, I would not alert them to my presence unless rounds were headed my way, and I would do as WeblyHunter did, and if it still didn't stop, I'd be shooting and moving my donkey

It was approx 2am and he was a half mile away through rolling hills and trees. Our decision was to stay low and observe, I don't think that was a bad decision. We could barely make out his truck in the dark through binocs... don't know if he was alone, hunting or what. We had no intentions of disturbing him/them, and just wanted the same. Eventually the truck left and we went back to bed. I don't think it would be wise to announce your presence in that situation. He could have been drunk, burying a body, poaching, who knows... he was armed with a substantial rifle (judging from its report), and we had 3 pistols, a shotgun and a .22. I stand by my decision.

^^^^^^^^^^YEP^^^^^^^^^^^^^


I'm also in the shut up and lay low crowd.
As long as all hell is breaking loose, and its not directed at us let it be.
Now if they were ready to do substantial damage{take out tires, steal truck, etc etc} to our only means of transportation back to the civilized world, then it MIGHT be a different story.

Op did alright.

[oldshirt]

Not really much to add to the discussion other than I know exactly where Webley was. Beautiful country there. I miss it. I miss the french toast at the Pioneer in Nederland too LOL