This has certainly been an interesting thread to follow.

Pete was wondering about some noise abatement tactics for his generator,
which
I was pondering during my lunch;  don't you have an EV MV w/ the folding bed?
I'll admit up front that I'm not certain how big a Honda EX generator is, but
is it small enough to fit in the back under the bed/package shelf (or even
further up, under the rear bench)  Anyway, the point being that you would al-
ready have some insulating qualities there, all you need to do is get some
sound absorbing acoustic tiles or something to further muffle the noise, and
then vent exhaust out of the vehicle.  Just a thought.

Marcus Grant's comments about queuing up for a final ascent in the Fr. Alps 
reminded me of our experience at Half Dome (Yosemite);  there, too, one must
queue up to pull oneself up the last 100 yds or so up a steep granite wall.
What a view from the top though!  There's also a little rock outcropping at
the
top with nothing below for a couple thousand ft. and I saw this absolutely
fearless woman walk out to the very edge and look straight down!
(was it you, Martha, 'cuz she was wearing flannel  :)  )

Personally, a good time to go camping (well, car camping anyway) is spring
and fall, or even winter, out here in Cal.  Fewer people and better chances
for choice campsites.  We went camping after Labor Day in the EV and it was
great, except that wifey-poo thought it was going to remain warm through the 
night (this was at Big Basin SP, a GREAT place to go camping, btw).  NOT!
After thawing out poo and a 15 mo. old, we headed for home, less than an
hour's
drive away.

Norman