Ritzhikes

Where: Westfield River, Indian Hollow When: 8/12/00-8/13/00 With: Andy, Chip, Brian, Jason Chip & I had long talked about taking the boys out for a combined camping trip. The trick would be careful planning and selection of destination. Brian and Jason had done a lot of hiking and some camping, but never any backpack camping. Andy had a few years of backpacking under his belt but still wasn't up for a major mountain assault. In the end we decided to go back to Mr. Beaver's Paradise, a small rocky gorge along the Westfield River in Western Massachusetts. It was nearby and the walk from the car was short and level. The gorge itself was pretty neat, with a deep pool, a rope swing and some tall cliffs, and there were several good tent spots. We picked a mutually acceptable date and met at our house to begin the journey. I had been watching on-line river gauges all week and noticed the river level was high but acceptable. Our route required two river crossings and high wat...

Where: Pharaoh Lake When: 8/4/00-8/6/00 With: Bill & Tom It had been a while since the last Ritz Brothers hike so we began to make plans. Bill suggested Pharaoh Lake, near Lake George and in the same general area as another hike we'd done. We considered going in from the area we'd been at before, but were unsure of the condition of the access road so we decided to take a different route. The plan was for a two-night trip, Friday & Saturday, so I took a half vacation day and drove directly to Bill's from work. I arrived around 2PM and found no one there, but Tom showed up shortly, followed by Bill & Dad. Bill's car was in the shop and Dad had been giving him a ride. We discussed cars and agreed to take Bill's Caravan for the size. The gear was loaded in and we were on our way, but the van started bucking immediately and it was evident that it wouldn't be going anywhere soon. Fortunately Bill spotted Deb heading in the other direction so we did a...

Where: Massachusetts Bay When: 6/16/00-6/18/00 With: Seth & Chip The time had come for another Stupid camping trip. The previous five years we had gathered in Collinsville, CT for a couple of days of kayaking down the Farmington River, with an overnight stay in the woods along the river. Very pleasant, very relaxing, and we'd had an incredible streak of good luck with the weather each year. It was the same trip each year though, and the last year we'd been hassled a bit about our admittedly illegal camping spot on someone's private property, so we were thinking about trying something new. As luck would have it, Seth hit it big with some of his animation and offered to fund something a bit more ambitious. His suggestion was to rent a sailboat and go for an ocean cruise. He & Chip had enjoyed a good amount of sailing in their youth, and it seemed like a good step up from the kayaks. Chip, a skilled and experienced sailor, was thrilled with the idea. I had very l...

Where: Guyot Shelter When: 3/25-26, 2000 With: Chip At last! Four years after we made our first attempt we finally got Chip to Guyot shelter. Can we stop winter camping now?! But seriously, folks... As usual, chat about the trip started in early January, with Chip aiming for a date in mid-February. My schedule was already booked, so we pushed it out to early March. Our initial plans were for a ski trip to 13 Falls, hauling our gear on sleds. It was my suggestion, based on my walk along that route last summer. It seemed like a relatively easy trip, though long and somewhat mundane. No climbs, no summit assaults. Chip was agreeable and had three friends from Topsfield lined up to join us. March came and Chip called to say his friends had decided to opt out, so it was just the two of us. Given that, I suggested we take another shot at getting to Guyot shelter. I'd hiked the route last summer so I had a good recollection of the route, and it seemed feasible for us to do. Chip w...

Where: Camp Resolute, Bolton, MA When: October 22-23, 1999 With: Andy & the Cub Scouts This was a Father/Son "getting to know you" overnight at a local Scout camp for new Cub Scouts. Just a 15 minute drive North on 495. Things started Friday evening, so Dads arrived with their sons after work. We parked and found our way to the camping area without too much trouble, and proceeded to set up our tent. One Dad arrived well after dark with a brand-new tent, still in the box, which his wife had handed him when he arrived home from work. We all pitched in the help him set it up. I don't recall any dinner activities, so we may have been told to eat at home. There was a campfire though. The next morning we had breakfast, then were on our own. The campfire and overnight had been the primary purpose of the event. Several other families left early to get back for things like soccer games. We hung out and explored the camp before heading home. More photos

Where: Sudbury River, Fruit St. to Cedar Swamp Pond When: 10/10/99 With: Solo My annual excursion to the source of the Sudbury River. Given the size and surroundings of the waterway, it's always something of a challenge to hit the conditions just right to make the trip a success. This time I got it just about perfect. A recent rain got the water level up high enough to provide some good floating room and the late season date meant some of the more annoying shoreline vegetation was gone. I also had some nice fall foliage to look forward to. The sky was overcast and a bit threatening as I pushed off, and a few sprinkles began to appear as I began my journey upstream. The air temperature was pretty mild though, so I wasn't uncomfortable getting damp. The stream level was a little low, but not enough to be a problem and the decreased vegetation helped me move along pretty quickly. I made my way up through the first section of swamp and made my turn into the straight channel a...

Where: Bondcliff/Twinway/Franconia Brook trails When: 9/2-9/3/1999 With: Solo Well, I finally ran out of excuses. The weather forecast was perfect, there hadn't been recent rain to swell the streams, the lawn didn't need mowing, it was midweek (fewer crowds), Andy was in school, Jane was on vacation, my boots were broken in... In short, there was no reason why I shouldn't go hiking, so I went. Hoping to make the trip as comfortable as possible, I packed as light as I could and wound up with about a 25 pound pack. No stove or pots. Instead I took snacks for the trail (Kudos bars and Batman gummies), sandwiches for lunch/dinner, and instant breakfast for, well, breakfast. Spare clothing was kept to a minimum also. A sweater for warmth and a spare set of socks was about it. For sleeping, I brought the hammock tent and my Cat's Meow bag. No pad required. I threw in a rain tarp and parka and pack cover, having learned my lesson on the previous trip with Andy, though I ...