SoCal Hangers 2023 Spring Hang - PLEASE READ
PLEASE READ IN ENTIRETY AND POST BELOW TO LET ME KNOW YOU TOOK A LOOK AND GIVE WHATEVER THOUGHTS YOU MAY HAVE. THE GOAL IS TO START CONVERSATION SO A DECISION MAY BE MADE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I am posting it in the Facebook group as well.
Well, friends… The time to start discussing the 2023 official SoCal Hangers Group Hang is upon us.
We generally set up the hang for mid-April and I will be looking into dates to see what works best for everybody. Sadly, we cannot accommodate every person who would like to come but please either post below of send me a direct message if you have weekend which will not work in April.
LOCATION:
Falcon Group site vs. Barton Flats
Please read below and let me know if you have any preference or concerns.
Ever since we began we have been meeting at Blue Jay/Falcon in the Cleveland National Forest above Lake Elsinore. Over the last few years I have been trying to find a place which may work for us that offers more trees and better facilities. Last weekend Mike and I went to Barton Flats campground (link below).
PROS: Plenty of trees, flush toilets, hot showers, a more forest atmosphere with huge trees, cell service, open to public
CONS: A little farther for most folks who come to the hang (it is about 45 minutes from Redlands if that gives some idea), no group sites, standard size fire pits, more logistics
The only thing which really concerns me is the fact that the location would rely on many of us having to get our own sites . My plan is to block out a few sites next to each other to use as a home base and then if others need to get their own spaces I am happy to assist with making those additional reservations but the site fills up fast so it will take some panning ahead. I can use money from past hangs for the initial reservations of the centralized sites and whomever wants to stay there can pay the kitty back (two cars per site). The pro of this is that we will not be paying for spaces nobody is using. This also gives people the ability to get as close or far from the main action as they wish. But reservations would HAVE TO BE MADE SOON as the SITE FILLS UP FAST.
At the end of the day costs would be comparable. First site is $33 per night with an additional $8 per the second vehicle. Each site outside of the first sites I grab would have to work this out themselves.
The only way this works is if everyone who wants to go confirms early. Meaning, within the next couple of weeks. If you wait to book you may miss out. I am not seeing overflow parking there but there is a town fairly close by at which people may be able to find overnight parking and then get shuttled back to the campground.
ADDITIONAL CONCERN:
I’m not sure how to broach this but I want to send out a gentle reminder that the SoCal Hangers is now, and has always been intended for people of all walks of life to attend. I understand sometimes, especially when the oat sodas are flowing, we all get a little looser with our language and jokes but I want to make sure that we are mindful about making sure we are as mindful as possible about making sure the hang is hospitable to everyone who might want to throw up some straps and have a good time. Please keep this in mind. The absolute last thing I would want is for someone to be sitting around the fire thinking “I’ll bet my friend would love to come to this next year” and then changing their mind because of something that was said which might make the potential future hanger not feel welcome. I don’t think anybody has any animosity against anybody else. I have yet to hear statements which were potentially problematic that were said with any ill intent. But I know we all, myself included, can do better. The only way this thing lasts is if we attract more people and, particularly, younger people who may have differing levels of sensitivity. I know the irony of me being the one saying this. Especially in the earlier years where I would get stumbling drunk every night. I am absolutely sure I said jokes which fall into this category. But as we get older and the world is changing the health of the event requires some considerations. So let’s do whatever we can to make sure the SoCal Hangers is a home for any person looking to have a good, safe time. I’ve always been most enamored with the event’s ability to gather up people from so many walks of life and to meet people I would not have the chance to in my normal “bubble”. Let’s make sure we continue this tradition for all of the benefits that come with it.
IN CLOSING:
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I look forward to seeing you all every year and I’m so proud to be a part of keeping this tradition alive. Can you believe this will be the tenth year we are doing this? When 12 of us got together as a rag tag bunch of lunatics who decided to meet a bunch of strangers in the forest for the first time I never would have imagined we would have seen kids grow into adults, people getting married, births, trials, celebrations, and friends for life. I look forward to seeing everybody again.
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/231975
