Appalachian Gathering 2012: Parking and Cars Getting Towed

Where in the Appalachian Bioregion are we going?

Where in the Appalachian Bioregion are we going? The consensus was for the White Mountain National Forest (in the Northeast), or the Appalachian states of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia. Spring Council selected a site in North Eastern Tennessee.

If you're not familiar with the gauntlet on the road into the gathering, and want to avoid a mandatory court appearance ticket click here.

For the Howdy Folks and directions to the gathering, click here. For the United States Forest Service Incident Command website with groovy maps and updates, click here.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Parking and Cars Getting Towed

To prevent your car from being one of the ones that gets towed, make sure to park only along the gathering side of 87 (not the lake side). Park only on the gravel section of the road. Park with all 4 wheels completely off the gravel. Do not park on curves.

Rumor has it that areas closed to parking are not clearly marked. Tow trucks are out in force so unless you want to contribute in this manner to the local economy, make sure to stick with the program.

If you've got a big group and lot's of gear, drop off some of your folks with your gear at a gate and then go park the vehicle. Then walk back to where you left everyone.

Check with INFO for updates on cars being towed, parking, etc.

Update from a friend of mine whose been on site As of 7/1/12 # 3:15 PM PT

wanted to let you know that parking is at a critical point. folks drive around trying to find a place to park. there is no real bus village and parking is only on the non-lake side. if you do not park with all four wheels off the road you will be ticketed and towed. the tow price is $135.00 plus gas and storage fees. park in the first place that you can park, making sure to avoid the "no parking" areas. unfortunately where ever you park you will be a number of miles from any of the entrance trails. there is not shuttle available; fortunately the locals are helping to shuttle folks in to the trails.

Update from USFS Website 7/2/12 @ 6:30 AM PT (see link at top of page)

NEW INFORMATION
Attendance
As of 9 a.m. on July 1, 2012, there are approximately 5,335 gatherers, 1,450 vehicles, and 26 buses at the event.
All Forest Visitors Must Obey Traffic Laws and Parking Regulations
All visitors to the Cherokee National Forest must obey traffic laws and parking regulations or risk being towed. Please use caution and observe all traffic signs, particularly along Forest Service Road 87, Flatwoods Road. This area is very congested due to the 2012 National Rainbow Family Gathering. If your vehicle is towed, please call Sullivan County at (423) 279-7500.
Forest Service Road 87D Open to One-way Traffic Only
To aid traffic flow, Forest Service Road 87D is open to one-way traffic only. Please use caution and observe all traffic signs.
Parking Prohibited on Paved Portion of Forest Service Road 87
Parking is prohibited on both sides of the paved portion of Forest Service Road 87 from State Road 421 to the Three Rocks Area, the entrance to Little Oak Campground. The road itself remains open. The Forest Service wants to avoid the risk of pavement being broken off by a high number of vehicles parking along the side of the road. This short-term closure will ensure long-term benefits to the local community.

2 comments:

AnonymousJuly 1, 2012 at 6:24 PM
Hi! I was wondering what the updated water and overall gathering situation is? Me and a few friends are looking to head there shortly, but some reports are saying little water, contaminated water and food, alcohol in the gathering, etc. Any enlightenment to the situation would help greatly!
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KarinJuly 1, 2012 at 6:50 PM
Go home. Ignore dome and gloom. Lot's of water in the site, but bring a gallon of water per person to cover you from the car until you get into the gathering. Food is plentiful. Plenty of filtered water on site. Full moon night of July 3. Temperatures dropping on Monday. Should be in the high 70s/low 80s - perfect!
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Getting into the gathering without getting a mandatory court appearance ticket

Getting into the gathering without getting a mandatory court appearance ticket
Every year the United States Forest Service Law Enforcement (USFS) Incident Management Team (the cops) attempts to write as many tickets to family coming home as they possibly can to justify their presence. They give out tickets for broken tail lights, failure to use a turn signal in a deserted parking lot at 2 AM, lack of seat belts, controlled substances (even just a trace amount), beads hanging from your rear view mirrors, prescription medications if the label doesn't clearly have your name on it and you can't prove who you are, dogs off leash, a vehicle missing a front license plate even if you live in a state that does not issue a front license plate and a lot more violations of the letter of the law.

However, these tickets are not the type of citation you would probably receive for any of these issues in your hometown. These are mandatory court appearance tickets. There will be special court dates set up just for us, so we can go to the local courthouse, fire station or visitors center and go before a magistrate. In the past, charges have been reduced, fines were often minimal and the court has allowed people to make payment plans ranging from 90 days to pay $75 to 18 months to pay $25 depending on the hardship cases people have expressed.

If you do not show up for your mandatory court appearance on the date indicated on your ticket, a Federal Bench Warrant will be issued for your arrest. Then the USFS LEOs will come into the gathering looking for you. If they find you they will arrest you and put you in jail until the next court date. If this happens on a Friday afternoon, you will be in jail until Monday. If they do not find you at the gathering, the next time a law enforcement officer for any reason stops you, your ID will be run through the database and you will go directly to jail.

Of course, everyone is free to manage this situation as they wish but I strongly recommend you go to your court date. I have seen people charged with crimes that could potentially result in a six years sentence walk out with a $500 fine and three years’ probation. Keep in mind that every year the dynamic is different and these results may not always be available. There are lawyers at the gathering (I am not a legal expert) who attend the court dates and will assist as best they can although I recommend you catch up with them before your court date to gain a better understanding of your specific charges and strategies to get the charges dropped or reduced. If you do not know these people personally, go to INFO and let them know you received one of the magic tickets and you need legal assistance.