Ritzhikes

Where: Boston Harbor Islands When: 8/9-8/11, 2002 With: Andy, Chip, Brian, Jason, David, Daniel, Anna Dave suggested a hike with all of the kids sometime this season and that sounded like fun. We'd all taken our kids camping individually but had never gone as a group, though Chip & I went out with our boys a couple of years ago. Camping with children is always a challenge but this would be especially interesting, given the range of ages (5 1/2 to 13) and abilities. We needed a destination not too far away, not too difficult to get to, and with plenty of activities to keep everyone occupied. My first thought was the Westfield River. It fit all of the requirements and Chip & I had had a great time there with the boys previously. Then a new idea hit me (though I don't recall how or why) - The Boston Harbor Islands. Recently designated as a park system, they are managed by a combination of state and federal agencies. I'd heard about camping out there for some time, an...

Where: Mr. Beaver's Paradise (Westfield River) When: 7/27-28, 2002 With: The B.U.M.S. Back in The Day, putting a hike together for the four members of the Brotherhood of Universal Mutual Stupidity (a.k.a. The BUMS, a.k.a. The Stupids) involved a few quick phone calls and some decision-making about destination, transportation and food. The years have added many layers of other considerations however. We've many miles between us, and there are kids and schedules and responsibilities and....well, it's pretty rare and special when we can pull it all together. The last time we all gathered was in 1999 for our last Collinsville trip, and this year's trip almost didn't happen. A number of dates were proposed, rejected, agreed upon, rescinded and it began to look like we'd have to wait another year. Like the clouds parting to reveal a patch of blue sky however, our schedules shifted, a date opened up and lo and behold, we could all make it. So we locked in the dat...

Where: Kinsman Pond When: 2/23-24/02 With: Chip Back around the holidays I got the usual "Winter hike this year?" email from Chip, to which I replied, "Maybe." We chatted a bit and marked our traditional Superbowl weekend as a target date. We considered a number of routes and destinations and decided to revisit Kinsman Pond Shelter. Several years ago we'd made three attempts to reach it via various routes (the Hell & High Water series of hikes) before finally succeeding by coming in from the west. This time we planned to try a new route from the east, a direct line from the highway using the Lonesome Lake and Fishin' Jimmy trails. Only about 3.5 miles total distance, with a couple of 1000-foot climbs along the way. It fit our new criteria for winter hikes (shorter, easier routes) and offered a shelter and nice surroundings for the night. To make things interesting we figured we could return via a ridge walk to Cannon Mt., making the hike a loop and p...