Having a heck of a time posting shots from Flickr..
Texas, hard for me to put in context your bad experience in CA. I have had a couple bad experiences at home and away. I WILL say generally the further you get from camp and what seem like contonment areas the better the people. Closer to camp, the more folks feel safe acting foolish.
Further out, 50, 100 miles from nowhere the more respectful, "professional" or with their "acts together" crews and riders seem to be. We've met riders and crews at the top of Beef Basin, having come over Elephant Hill looking in wonder at it all as were we. Same thing having ridden thru all the Kennedy trails, down Rattlesnake, and eating lunch at Corral Meadow, or the far side of Death Valley, Steel Pass. The people we meet in these areas aren't the sort to hazard their equipment and health carelessly. Most cases their stuff, skills, and attitudes are all up to snuff. Seems aggressive, rude or impatient people rarely have the endurance and attention to detail to make it that far out. Usually we meet shirt of my back kind of people if you need it, no matter the state. We try to be as well.
I try to stay out of large organized events theses days. Someone is always breaking down, someone exceeded their skills and needs recovery, alcohol is more than casual, or the pace just isn't what I am comfortable with. If you are in a new area with no one to ride with organized jamborees can show you areas you wouldn't get to see otherwise. Great for an intro, then branch out!
