Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 10:53:25 -0700
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: cev@rocket.com (Charles E. Vaughan)
Subject: Camping Opportunity (1/2, long)
A colleague made me aware of this and I thought some of you would want to
know and maybe go:
FREEDOM RIDGE/TIKABOO PEAK FREE-SPEECH ENCAMPMENT
AUGUST 27-28, 1994, STARTING NOON SATURDAY
CONTACT: psychospy@aol.com or 702-729-2648
Everyone in the world is invited to a free camp-out on Freedom
Ridge on Aug. 27-28, 1994. Come see the military base that
doesn't exist from a legal viewpoint on public land. This land is
being sought by the Air Force and may be closed before the end of
the year, so this is a good chance to catch a glimpse of the
secret Groom Lake base at "Area 51" while the weather is still
warm enough for camping.
Below are the details for this event. Please follow this advice
to assure a safe and legal trip.
----- DISCLAIMER -----
This is a loosely organized get-together of interested citizens.
A schedule of events is suggested, but people can do whatever they
want. The organizers of this event accept no liability whatsoever
for any loss or injury. You are responsible for your own safety
and for understanding the rules and risks of the place you are
visiting. In this document, we have tried our best to give you
the information you'll need to enjoy this event safely, but we
accept no liability if any information is omitted or in error.
----- GENERAL PLAN -----
We will meet at 12 noon (PDT) on Saturday at the Freedom Ridge
trailhead. (See directions below.) After a briefing, we will
proceed to the top by foot or four wheel drive. We will set up
camp, build a campfire and spend the night on the ridge. The next
day, people who are interested (and in good shape) can hike
Tikaboo Peak, the higher and farther viewpoint that will remain
open even if the Air Force closes Freedom Ridge.
If there is enough interest, an event similar to this one (but
much smaller) may also be held Sept. 3-4. Contact the Encampment
Coordinator for more info.
----- OTHER OPTIONS -----
People can feel free to come and go on any schedule they choose.
For those who cannot arrive by noon, our cars will be easy to find
and the trail is clearly marked. Look for instructions posted on
one of the cars.
Those who don't want to spend the night on the ridge will have
plenty of time to hike down before dark. They can camp near the
road (where it is easier to pitch a tent) or spend the night at a
motel in Rachel or Alamo. (Rooms are limited so reservations are
essential--see phone numbers below.) It is legal to camp anywhere
on public land without a permit as long as you clean up after
yourself.
If you arrive on Sunday and don't find our cars at the trailhead,
look for instructions posted nearby. Some people will probably go
to the Little A-Le-Inn in Rachel for breakfast or lunch. The
outing is expected to disperse on Sunday, with only a few people
making the hike to Tikaboo Peak.
Since the Tikaboo Peak hike requires further instructions, you
should contact the Encampment Coordinator if you plan to arrive on
Sunday.
----- LOCATION -----
Freedom Ridge is a hill next to the border of the Nellis Air Force
Range about 12 miles west of the Groom Lake air base. The base
can be plainly seen from this distance, but you will need
binoculars or a telescope for the best view.
Freedom Ridge is located about 140 road miles north of Las Vegas.
The nearest towns are Rachel and Alamo. The terrain is scrub
desert at an elevation of 5000 feet. Due to the high elevation,
the August weather is relatively mild, with daytime highs in the
90s and nighttime lows in the 50s.
The summit of Freedom Ridge can be reached by a moderately
challenging 50-minute hike from a well-maintained dirt road. The
trail is marked by ribbons tied around Joshua trees. Any vehicle
can easily make it to the trailhead. The summit can also be
reached by a very rugged four wheel drive road taking a different
route; for this you will need additional instructions.
----- HOW TO GET THERE -----
The Freedom Ridge trailhead is about 2-1/2 hours north of Las
Vegas (or 2-1/2 hours east of Tonopah). From Las Vegas, go north
on I-15 about 20 miles to US-93 at Exit 64. Go north on US-93
about 85 miles to SR-375. Take SR-375 (not SR-318) west 15 miles
until you reach the big dirt road to Groom Lake at milepost 34.6.
(It is marked by a stop sign and maybe also a "THIS WAY TO SECRET
BASE" sign.) This is a good dirt road that any car can handle.
Take the dirt road west 13.6 miles until you see our cars parked
beside a "Keep Right" sign. DO NOT DRIVE PAST THE WELL-MARKED
MILITARY BORDER JUST BEYOND. Try to park off the road or as far
to the right as you can.
The best place to shop for supplies is Las Vegas. (Try Sahara
Ave., west of I-15.) Gas up there, too. There is no gas or
groceries between Las Vegas and Alamo. Last gas before Freedom
Ridge is at Ash Springs (or at Rachel).
----- RISKS -----
-- The greatest danger in this area is wandering across the well-
guarded military border, which is immediately adjacent to Freedom
Ridge and the hiking trail. The border is marked by orange posts
every 50 yards and stainless steel balls on posts every quarter
mile. There is no fence. Wherever a road crosses the border, it
is marked by clear Restricted Area signs but no gate or guard
house.
People who are caught on the other side of the border are
immediately arrested. Bail of $600 cash is required to spring you
from jail, AND THERE ARE NO ATMs IN THE COUNTY. You will be
required to appear in court at a later date, and the fine is
usually $300 to $600.
Because the orange posts and trail markers are almost invisible at
night, it is unwise to hike after dark.
-- Nasty desert critters, like rattlesnakes, are rare here, but
you should still be careful where you walk and put your hands.
Snakes will do their best to stay out of your way if you give them
a chance.
-- Gas is a available at only a few widely separated locations:
Las Vegas, Alamo, Ash Springs and Rachel. Be sure to come to the
area with a full tank of gas. The Ash Springs gas station is open
24 hours. Rachel's is open only 7am-7pm.
-- Cars can easily get stuck in the sand or on rocks on
unmaintained dirt roads. Stay on the maintained dirt road unless
you have a four wheel drive.
-- Bring plenty of drinks. In this high altitude desert, you can
get dehydrated quickly.
-- Lightning can be a danger in the unlikely event of
thunderstorms. If there is any hint of thunder clouds, it is
important to keep well below the top of the ridge.
-- The 50-minute, 1 mile hike can be moderately challenging, but
shouldn't be much trouble for most people. The vertical distance
traveled is only about 500 feet, but the high elevation makes it
much more tiring than at sea level. People who are seriously out
of shape should think twice about hiking.
-- When driving in this area, cattle in the road are a serious
danger. Cattle are unfenced and wander freely across the highway.
Drive slowly at night. If you hit a cow, you are required by law
to report it to the Sheriff or the rancher.
----- EQUIPMENT NEEDED -----
-- Given the short length of our stay, tents are not necessary.
All you'll need is a sleeping bag and a tarp or piece of plastic
for a ground cover. You should also bring enough plastic to cover
yourself in the unlikely event of rain. (When rainstorms come,
they are usually brief.) The summit is rocky, but just below the
top there are sandy patches big enough for a person to lie down
on.
-- Two quarts of water per person is advised. You should carry
more in your car.
-- You'll need only enough food for a couple of meals. For
sentimental reasons, military MREs are the preferred ration.
(They are usually sold in Army-Navy stores.)
-- Wear short pants and light clothing for the hike, which can be
hot. It is also a good idea to bring a sweatshirt and long pants
for when the temperature falls at night.
-- Binoculars or a telescope are important for viewing the base
and the sky. There is no legal limit to size and magnification.
-- Remember to bring a flashlight.
-- For people who have CB radios, Channel 15 will be the one to
monitor. (It's "51" backwards.)
-- A lawn chair is a traditional convenience if you can easily
carry one.
You probably won't need much beyond these items. You should come
prepared to carry all of your own equipment to the top, but people
with four wheel drives may be willing to carry it for you.
----- SANITATION -----
"Powder room" opportunities will be limited, especially before
dark. A primitive latrine will be erected at the summit of
Freedom Ridge, but it won't be pretty. An RV with a simple toilet
will be available at the trailhead. The gentlemen shouldn't have
much difficulty finding discrete locations, but the ladies must
plan ahead and take advantage of their opportunities. Away from
the ridge, all of Nevada is at your disposal.
----- EXPECTATIONS -----
Some people may be disappointed by the view from Freedom Ridge.
What you see in the distance appears to be an ordinary Air Force
base--albeit a very large one--beside a dry lake bed. No flying
saucer bases or underground cities are evident. On weekends, the
base is usually very quiet, with almost no aircraft or vehicle
traffic. Since this camp-out has been well publicized, you should
not expect to see any secret craft--be it earthly or alien. The
main satisfaction is derived from the fact that this base "isn't
there" officially.
----- SECURITY -----
The border area is actively patrolled by an anonymous force of
security guards wearing camouflage fatigues and driving white Jeep
Cherokees. These "Cammo Dudes" watch Freedom Ridge with high
power binoculars and video cameras that are capable of reading car
license plates from a mile away. These guards are under orders to
avoid contact with visitors (unless you cross the border). If
they feel you have violated a law on public land, they will call
the Lincoln County Sheriff to investigate. In this open terrain,
the Sheriff can be seen coming from miles away. One of the radio
frequencies for the Sheriff is 154.86 MHz. The radio frequencies
for the security patrols are usually scrambled; they include
418.05, 408.4, 142.2, 170.5 and 138.3.
Be aware that the security patrols may record your license plate
numbers and will probably run those numbers for identification.
----- FREE-SPEECH PROTEST (OPTIONAL) -----
According to a 1948 federal law (18 USC 795), it is illegal to
take or publish photographs of any military installation
designated by the President as requiring such protection. Signs
at the border warn against photography here, but this hasn't
stopped photos of the base from showing up in many major
periodicals and TV shows. No one has ever been prosecuted for
photographing the base or publishing these pictures, even when
they admitted taking them, but many innocent visitors have lost
their film and equipment to authorities who claimed they were
enforcing this regulation.
Many video tapes and rolls of film have been seized by the Lincoln
County Sheriff's Dept., which has a service contract with the Air
Force. Film has been confiscated indiscriminately from anyone
seen near the border, whether or not they were near a place where
the secret base could be seen. Once taken, the film is turned
over to the anonymous authorities at the base. Regardless of what
the film shows, it "vanishes" and is rarely returned or accounted
for.
Along with countless private citizens, news crews from ABC News
and KNBC-TV have had their video tape confiscated, along with some
equipment. ABC News eventually got their tape and equipment back,
but KNBC-TV and most others have not. The irony is, because it is
easy to see the Sheriff coming, only the innocent ever lose their
film. People who intend to photograph the base are careful enough
to not be seen, and they take the obvious precautions with their
film.
To protest the arbitrary seizing of film from visitors and the
withholding of it without due process, we will be conducting a
"Freedom Ridge Camera and Video Show" to coincide with the camp-
out. Participants are invited to bring cameras and display them
proudly on the ridge. The "cameras" do not have to be functional
or real, and to avoid the charge of inciting a federal crime, we
cannot recommend that you bring film or video tape.
It may or may not be illegal to photograph the nonexistent base,
but there is nothing illegal (that we can tell) about simply
having a camera on the ridge or even pointing it at the base. If
some people have film in their cameras, that is their choice, and
they are taking their own risk. The Sheriff or an army of FBI
agents could raid the camp-out to seize this film, but it would
require a lot of manpower to do it, and the raid itself would
create a compelling news story and result in a lot of interesting
pictures.
The aim of this protest is to secure the return of all film and
video tape that has been confiscated without warrant and not
returned. If any film must be seized for national security
reasons, then a hearing or appeal process must be provided to the
victim to assure "due process." We also want the Air Force to
make public a definition of exactly what areas, by presidential
order, cannot be photographed, so that citizens have enough
information to obey.
But realistically... What we hope to gain by this protest is to
separate the Sheriff's Dept. from the Air Force, to make it beyond
the means of this local police force to play the front man for the
secret base in enforcing this antiquated law. If the Air Force
wants film confiscated, then it must identify itself as the
complainant and find its own means of enforcement through open
channels.
If you choose to take part in this protest (It is entirely
voluntary.), then you must be prepared to accept your own
responsibility for whatever happens to you or your equipment. In
all likelihood, there will be no confrontation--The authorities
would have to be really dumb.--but if there is, at least you will
have the company of others.
Your "camera" should be displayed only in the company of the
group, since our strength lies in numbers. If, by chance, you are
stopped by the Sheriff and asked any question about photography,
you should politely decline to provide any information and not
turn over any of your property without a warrant. You also should
not reveal to your fellow campers whether or not you have film in
your camera, since there could be spies among us. (They're
invited, too!)
----- COURTESIES -----
-- Stay away from the rancher's compound.
-- Do not litter.
-- Do not bring drugs or any other illegal substances.
-- Alcoholic beverages are discouraged.
-- Firearms are discouraged.
-- Obey the speed limit and other commonsense laws, especially
within Lincoln County.
-- Respect the land.
-- Do not steal the Restricted Area signs.
-- Do not taunt or moon the Cammo Dudes.