Westfield River with Andy
Where: Westfield River
When: 7/12-7/13/97
With: Andy
When: 7/12-7/13/97
With: Andy
Andy's first camping trip! He'd been showing interest for some time but I'd never managed to get organized and go. We'd done a couple of successful overnights in the backyard, so I knew sleeping in a tent wouldn't be a problem. It was just a matter of finding the time to get away. Finally the opportunity presented itself. A good weather forecast and no conflicts with other activities, so off we went.
We set off late in the day, around 3:30, and arrived at the parking area a little after 5:00. We packed up pretty quickly and headed down to the river. I was carrying my new Lowe Contour IV pack (its first trip too) containing the majority of the gear (sleeping bags, tent, food, clothes) and Andy had his Cookie Monster pack with his essentials (Mr. Clown, Teddy, books, crayons).
We followed a pickup truck past the gate and found a sizable gathering of folks down in the Indian Hollow camping area. I briefly considered setting up camp there in an area away from the crowd. We'd avoid a couple of river crossings and a not-insignificant hike, we'd have a wide, level, and grassy campsite right on the river and we'd be close to the car. I wanted to get away from the crowd though and also wanted to at least try the hike, so we pressed on.
At the river, I switched to water shoes for the crossing. The river level was pretty low so I figured I could take both Andy and the gear over in one trip. He rode on my hip and we took our time going across. The rocks were a bit slippery, but we made it over just fine. As I switched back to my boots on the other side, a man and his dog appeared, heading in the opposite direction. A photographer, judging by the tripod in his backpack. I reshouldered my pack and we started along the trail.
Around this time the mosquitoes became a problem. I coated us both with repellent, but they continued to pester us. The best we could do was keep moving, a tough tactic with a small boy. We did the best we could and made our way into the woods. We passed above the Indian Hollow campers who were enjoying a cool pool in the river created by a makeshift dam of rocks and continued along the old dirt woods road, heading deeper into the forest.
Andy did pretty well with the walking, though I had to prod him occasionally to keep up the pace. After a while though he began to get tired and wanted to stop more often. He did better after I took his pack but the woods still echoed with the timeless refrain, "Are we there yet?"
We were both pretty happy when the cut-off down to the river appeared. We walked down to water and I looked for a way across. A straight crossing seemed best, so we moved out onto a small rocky sand bar and I changed to my water shoes again. I was unsure of the water depth, so I decided to make two crossings, first with the pack and then with Andy. I made sure Andy was okay and headed out with the gear. The water was deeper than at the lower crossing (I had to take off my shorts and cross in my underwear), but it was still no real problem.
I headed for a small collection of rocks poking above the surface and had almost made it when I slipped and plunged forward. Somehow I managed to catch myself before submerging to any significant extent, and I finished the crossing and dropped the pack on a rock on the other shore. I was a bit concerned about repeating the crossing with Andy, since a slip might get us both wet, but we made it over just fine.
Safe across, I left my water shoes on and we pushed our way through the brush and up the slope to the campsite atop the cliff at the gorge. I figured I'd try there first and move to another site if this one was occupied. The backup plan wasn't needed though as we arrived to find an empty campsite. Andy loved it and set about exploring the area. He showed me where to put the tent and the campfire and peered over the cliff edge at the river below.
Since it was pretty late (as I'd planned), we set about immediately to assemble the camp. Andy helped me put up the tent and then I started dinner preparations. I figured Andy could stay in the tent, away from the bugs, but he wanted to be outside with me. We walked down to the stream behind the campsite to get water and then returned to get dinner going. I made mac & cheese while he munched on an apple and crackers and helped me gather wood for the evening's fire.
After polishing off some decent portions of M&C and feasting on some snacks Jane had thoughtfully sent along, we built a small fire. There was plenty of wood on the ground and it was all bone dry, so we had no problem getting a nice little blaze going. Once we got it started we concentrated in burning any trash and leftovers we had, and then just let it burn for the sake of enjoyment. I explained to Andy that before there were lights, everyone used fire for warmth and light. The lesson didn't really sink in until the day's light departed and he tried to color by firelight and had difficulty discerning the colors of his crayons in the flickering orange glow.
At last we called it a day and headed in to bed. I made a quick trip back to the stream to put our milk in the water (to keep it cool) and then joined Andy (and Mr. Clown and Teddy) for some book reading. The temperature was still quite mild and we both stayed on top of our sleeping bags. I hung a blue glow stick from the tent peak for a night-light and we started our journey toward sleep. That's when the owl started hooting! Probably the same owl Bill & I had heard last year, with a deep, eerie hoot made all the more prominent by the gorge and the water. Andy was spooked at first, but I quickly explained what it was and he was fine after that.
The owl continued to call for a while and then even he went to sleep and we followed. Andy & I both had a slightly fitful night, rousing ourselves in the wee hours to cover up as the air turned cool, but for the most part we slept well.
We slept until about 7 and then spent some time relaxing and coloring in the tent. To avoid the bugs, we decided to eat in bed, so I went out to get our food. First though I went down to the stream to get the milk. As I approached, I noticed some trash on the ground that I didn't recall from the previous evening. Then I realized it was the remains of the milk carton and the Ziplock bag it had been in. The obvious claw marks told the story. A raccoon I suppose. I went back to the tent, showed Andy the torn up carton and poured us both cups of water. Grabbing our bags of cereal, I climbed back onto my sleeping bags and we had a nice little breakfast safe inside the netting.
At last though it was time to go. I packed up as much as I could inside (sleeping bags, clothes, and pads) and then ventured out. We made a small fire to dispose of the morning's trash and then loaded the packs, thanked the campsite, and started toward home. Back at the river, I crossed a bit further downstream, where the water was shallow enough to allow me to make a single trip with both Andy and my pack. It was a slow, deliberate wade across the quiet early morning water.
Back across, I switched to my boots and we made our way back to the dirt road. A brief encounter with an orange salamander provided some entertainment, but mostly we just walked and enjoyed the woods. I carried Andy's pack most of the way, so he had fewer complaints.
Nearly back at Indian Hollow we encountered our first people since the previous evening, a couple on mountain bikes. We greeted them and then continued to the crossing and then back to the car. I congratulated Andy on his excellent hiking and thanked him for his company as we headed for home.
More pictures
We set off late in the day, around 3:30, and arrived at the parking area a little after 5:00. We packed up pretty quickly and headed down to the river. I was carrying my new Lowe Contour IV pack (its first trip too) containing the majority of the gear (sleeping bags, tent, food, clothes) and Andy had his Cookie Monster pack with his essentials (Mr. Clown, Teddy, books, crayons).
We followed a pickup truck past the gate and found a sizable gathering of folks down in the Indian Hollow camping area. I briefly considered setting up camp there in an area away from the crowd. We'd avoid a couple of river crossings and a not-insignificant hike, we'd have a wide, level, and grassy campsite right on the river and we'd be close to the car. I wanted to get away from the crowd though and also wanted to at least try the hike, so we pressed on.
At the river, I switched to water shoes for the crossing. The river level was pretty low so I figured I could take both Andy and the gear over in one trip. He rode on my hip and we took our time going across. The rocks were a bit slippery, but we made it over just fine. As I switched back to my boots on the other side, a man and his dog appeared, heading in the opposite direction. A photographer, judging by the tripod in his backpack. I reshouldered my pack and we started along the trail.
Around this time the mosquitoes became a problem. I coated us both with repellent, but they continued to pester us. The best we could do was keep moving, a tough tactic with a small boy. We did the best we could and made our way into the woods. We passed above the Indian Hollow campers who were enjoying a cool pool in the river created by a makeshift dam of rocks and continued along the old dirt woods road, heading deeper into the forest.
Andy did pretty well with the walking, though I had to prod him occasionally to keep up the pace. After a while though he began to get tired and wanted to stop more often. He did better after I took his pack but the woods still echoed with the timeless refrain, "Are we there yet?"
We were both pretty happy when the cut-off down to the river appeared. We walked down to water and I looked for a way across. A straight crossing seemed best, so we moved out onto a small rocky sand bar and I changed to my water shoes again. I was unsure of the water depth, so I decided to make two crossings, first with the pack and then with Andy. I made sure Andy was okay and headed out with the gear. The water was deeper than at the lower crossing (I had to take off my shorts and cross in my underwear), but it was still no real problem.
I headed for a small collection of rocks poking above the surface and had almost made it when I slipped and plunged forward. Somehow I managed to catch myself before submerging to any significant extent, and I finished the crossing and dropped the pack on a rock on the other shore. I was a bit concerned about repeating the crossing with Andy, since a slip might get us both wet, but we made it over just fine.
Safe across, I left my water shoes on and we pushed our way through the brush and up the slope to the campsite atop the cliff at the gorge. I figured I'd try there first and move to another site if this one was occupied. The backup plan wasn't needed though as we arrived to find an empty campsite. Andy loved it and set about exploring the area. He showed me where to put the tent and the campfire and peered over the cliff edge at the river below.
Since it was pretty late (as I'd planned), we set about immediately to assemble the camp. Andy helped me put up the tent and then I started dinner preparations. I figured Andy could stay in the tent, away from the bugs, but he wanted to be outside with me. We walked down to the stream behind the campsite to get water and then returned to get dinner going. I made mac & cheese while he munched on an apple and crackers and helped me gather wood for the evening's fire.
After polishing off some decent portions of M&C and feasting on some snacks Jane had thoughtfully sent along, we built a small fire. There was plenty of wood on the ground and it was all bone dry, so we had no problem getting a nice little blaze going. Once we got it started we concentrated in burning any trash and leftovers we had, and then just let it burn for the sake of enjoyment. I explained to Andy that before there were lights, everyone used fire for warmth and light. The lesson didn't really sink in until the day's light departed and he tried to color by firelight and had difficulty discerning the colors of his crayons in the flickering orange glow.
At last we called it a day and headed in to bed. I made a quick trip back to the stream to put our milk in the water (to keep it cool) and then joined Andy (and Mr. Clown and Teddy) for some book reading. The temperature was still quite mild and we both stayed on top of our sleeping bags. I hung a blue glow stick from the tent peak for a night-light and we started our journey toward sleep. That's when the owl started hooting! Probably the same owl Bill & I had heard last year, with a deep, eerie hoot made all the more prominent by the gorge and the water. Andy was spooked at first, but I quickly explained what it was and he was fine after that.
The owl continued to call for a while and then even he went to sleep and we followed. Andy & I both had a slightly fitful night, rousing ourselves in the wee hours to cover up as the air turned cool, but for the most part we slept well.
We slept until about 7 and then spent some time relaxing and coloring in the tent. To avoid the bugs, we decided to eat in bed, so I went out to get our food. First though I went down to the stream to get the milk. As I approached, I noticed some trash on the ground that I didn't recall from the previous evening. Then I realized it was the remains of the milk carton and the Ziplock bag it had been in. The obvious claw marks told the story. A raccoon I suppose. I went back to the tent, showed Andy the torn up carton and poured us both cups of water. Grabbing our bags of cereal, I climbed back onto my sleeping bags and we had a nice little breakfast safe inside the netting.
At last though it was time to go. I packed up as much as I could inside (sleeping bags, clothes, and pads) and then ventured out. We made a small fire to dispose of the morning's trash and then loaded the packs, thanked the campsite, and started toward home. Back at the river, I crossed a bit further downstream, where the water was shallow enough to allow me to make a single trip with both Andy and my pack. It was a slow, deliberate wade across the quiet early morning water.
Back across, I switched to my boots and we made our way back to the dirt road. A brief encounter with an orange salamander provided some entertainment, but mostly we just walked and enjoyed the woods. I carried Andy's pack most of the way, so he had fewer complaints.
Nearly back at Indian Hollow we encountered our first people since the previous evening, a couple on mountain bikes. We greeted them and then continued to the crossing and then back to the car. I congratulated Andy on his excellent hiking and thanked him for his company as we headed for home.
More pictures
