My wife began coming to Denton with me two years ago after we had our fisrt grandchild who comes with my son. The only thing is that she will only stay in a motel and this year there isn't a room available until you reach the PA Grand Canyon! I've not missed a single year since the 2nd ETAR but this one doesn't look good.
Meadville isn't too far away. That's a lot closer than most people. Can you drive? How far is it..2 1/2 hrs? Maybe you can find a room in Smethport or Port Allegheny.
Yeah, I think disaster might be overstating it a little. Good luck with finding the closest place possible.
Never been there yet !! And Im thinkin on sleepin in my 6' bed pick up & Im 6.5' tall !! Now that's a problem ....
Does she love you enough to camp :goldtooth:
That is why we book our place before we leave each year for the next year. We stay up at Potter County Campground in one of there cabins. Did you check on the other side of Coudersport. There is a motel over there. About a 20 min drive. Wellsboro is a 40 min drive. We have stayed there before.
The little grand canyon isnt that far away. I would guess 30-45 mins. Did you check for and bed and breakfast joints in the area?
My son and I sleep in the back of a Jeep Cherokee! The camping is the best part of ETAR.
you can do it in 2000 I slept in the back seat of our rental car it was like the smallest Chevy ever made.It sure beat sleeping outside in the rain bd
There has to be someplace with in 30-40 minutes , if it where me I would be calling them all , I wait all year for this and woudnt miss!!
I really enjoy Denton Hill. Having done it both ways, I can tell you that I do NOT want to be part of the camping experience (in DH's camp areas) ever again. I do know that a lot of guys love that crowded, shoulder-to-shoulder camping experience...but not I. I've been there a number of times and seen the mud, slop, straw (maybe), and smelled the heavy smoke which lays low in the camp area for hours. I'm over that.
We pull a trailer now, and we stay about 25 minutes away at our "secret" campground. It's never full, spacious, good hot showers 24/7, a camp store, and anything we need in 10 minutes. It's nice to get away from the nonstop buzz of the event and just go be in a very quiet and comfy area. We grill, chill and enjoy a friendly evening.
Try the Oxyoke??
I stay at my in-laws house in Wellsboro. It's only a half hour drive. No problem. I'm really looking forward to this year.
3 yrs. ago i had to go all the way to bradford!! didn't get there until 2 in the morning.
How about a small motor home rental in the area then hit the camp ground or maybe a camp ground a short distance away? Get one with AC and what ever she needs.
I used to go to ETAR ( Bowstock as we called it ) almost every year.
The last year I went, there was a comotion in the middle of the night near our tent. When we awoke there was a tent set up 2 feet from the front door of our tent.
The bathrooms are NEVER cleaned the whole weekend.
You guys go and I hope you have a good time. I'll stay home.
Jack
Thanks for all the input. It's exactly because of the way they allow their bathroom/shower facility to get that my wife refuses to camp there. If there was a place she could get a decent shower we'd be fine. I really liked it better when there were less than 1000 people there but that only lasted a couple of years. Maybe it's time to give it up.
a good friend got me into going many years ago...
Then, we had to go earlier and earlier to find a camping spot. I was taking more vacation time for ETAR than hunting! Then as stated above, someone ended up pitching their rig in our site! That was tense for a few, but they man'd up and did the right thing.
I've come to think of it as something of a rag n tin ghetto in the last years... I just couldn't justify it anymore. The hotel thing lost the charm of camping with good trad people, but the camping became more and more disagreable, w/less chemical toilets each year and ...the infamous showers! Given the escalating costs and excessive vacation time to get there to reserve a spot, only to have to fight to defend it, it is now on my "not to do" list.
'tis the reason we are "off-site" and book well in advance. The shoot is worth it, the other stuff isn't.
x1 on BobW's comment.
The actual event and vendors are very good. If my only choice was to camp in the "ghetto", I'd never go back even once. Toilets and showers are disgusting there. I would never take a lady into that situation and expect her to be satisfied.
As Doc Nock indicated, the competition for a decent campsite gets more severe every year. People come in days ahead of time to establish a camp, and then leave it. I won't pontificate on what the manager(s) should do, but some tighter limits and controls need to be implemented.
The region has a ton of fun things to do, besides ETAR. We spend less than 30% of our available time actually attending the event.
Those of us disenchanted ones haven't seem to hurt attendance that much. :)
I did hotel with a vendor once...helped out when I had torn rotator and couldn't shoot...man, that hike up in daily would just make me NOT want to go, too...and then pack a lunch vs. eating that stuff and paying those costs? Not born with a silver spoon...
There are so many wonderful smaller shoots. They don't have the plethora of vendors, but enough to buy my necessities for the year, unless you're bow shopping.
Standing Stone is on Rt. 322 at Port Royal between H-burg (Clark's Ferry) and the Top of 7 Mountains enroute to State College. Another great up and coming shoot, modest no fee camping, decent facilities, no showers that I recall... but great food, decent prices and great courses!
After years of putting up with filthy conditions and greedy hosts we now stay at a beautiful B&B. We only spend about 4 hours actually at the shoot. That's about all the longer my wife can "hold it".
If you are camping there and don't want to use there showers ride up to Potter County Campground and get a clean shower. I don't know what they charge. You can then go down towards Coudersport and eat at a nice little dinner on the left. I know the camping at this campground is great and the campers are very friendly. Most are there for the shoot.
If you never been to Ski Sawmill you have to try it, My wife loves going to this shoot. Very layed back. Don't have the loud groups like you do at other shoots.
If you love to camp. I would drive up to Cherry Springs and camp on State Forest. No noise or lights to bother you. Check this site out:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/camping/index.aspx
I forgot Lyman Lake has camping and a sandy beach for swimmers. About 15 min away.
I've missed the ETAR the last 2years and can't wait to go back. I don't have a problem camping in the tight quarters. I've met alot of great people there. I will say they could do a better job with the showers. My wife went one year and that was her biggest complant. I love the shoot! What ever happened to roughing it,it's only a few days!!
CHECK SOME OF THE LODGINGS DOWN TOWARD GALETON AND ALONG THE KETTLE CREEK. SHOULD BE ABOUT HALF AN HOUR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DENTON FROM YOUR DIRECTION. TOWARDS THE CROSS ROAD TOWN OF OLEONA.
"What ever happened to roughing it,it's only a few days!!"
I can rough it with the best of 'em. Even when I'm moose hunting in Alaska for 12 days, my camp is cleaner and better smelling than the Denton showers. :help:
Still a great event. Look forward to seeing everything all over again. btw: 2 hours north you'll find the Finger Lakes area of NY, and some very nice wine country. It's a great day trip and you've got 40+ wineries to choose from. Buy yourself a nice Cabernet Franc to have with those venison tenderloins. ahhhh....
I will be at Potter County Campground with Josey Wales and Rich Burch from Bighorn. Not interested in Little NYC camping. Got too many nice things to be laying around.
Keith,give Rich my greetings.
Kevin, i couldn't have said it better. The Denton experience AND the Finger Lakes region.
I hope the Adirondaks give you the same impression this year.
BobW
Bathrooms not cleaned......I camp near them and I see them cleaned every day.
Some people see the water on the walls from the spray cleaning and assume they are dirty.
longbowman, I just saw on another site where a guy made a reservation today at the Ox Yoke. You may want to give them a call. Fred
Try the OX Yoke in Galeton. They usually have a room available.
You guys are great! I just booked a room at the Ox Yoke. I sure hated to miss this event after going for so many years but whoever called it Little NYC hit it right on the head.
Great event,I am not a camper but someone mentioned what ever happened to roughing it? If you can't stay in a motel.
I have a room reserved at the Westgate in Coudersport just down the road. There is a possibility that I might have to work and won't be able to go. If that happens you are more that welcome to have the reservation. PM me after the 4th and I might know my schedule by then.
Not me, got too big in the last ten years. If I was going to buy a new bow and wanted to try it out I would make the trip. Just got back from a nice shoot in Meadville, nice course and good food. I'll stick with the little shoots.