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June 14, 2004 |
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Camping at Alder Lake
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As summer rolls around, our weekends become very busy with commitments that are either work-related, volunteering, or those we make to spend time with friends in places near and far. In addition to National Trails Day, a Forest Landowners Workshop, and an Olive Natural Heritage Society meeting, one of Aaron's life-long friends (and a more recent one to Chris) had a Catskill Mountain-style bachelor party.
As someone who grew up in and has traipsed all over the Big Indian-Oliverea Valley, Jon's real love, except of course for his soon-to-be wife Sarah, is the outdoors. We couldn't think of a better send-off for him than a camping trip with his closest friends from high school and college, triggering memories and stories from growing up in this wonderful place.
After much back-and-forth, we decided on Alder Lake with Big Pond as a back-up location. We have written about Alder Lake before but there is so much to see and do there that we won't be repeating ourselves. Alder Lake is located in the Town of Hardenburgh, in the western-most tip of Ulster County. Its source, Alder Creek, is one of the tributaries to the headwaters of the famed Beaverkill River.
Despite the wet and chilly (50's) forecast, we gathered up all the food and beverage supplies we needed (and then some), fishing licenses, canoes, tents, and a huge tarp. Upon our arrival, there were some day-users fishing and swimming, but no one was set up to camp. Others in our group arrived earlier had already walked the entire 1.5-mile loop around the lake to choose the perfect campsite. They certainly did - the site was beautiful. Old stone walls behind us and the lake a few feet in front, a dense canopy of maples above and a thick mat of ferns below.
We canoed our equipment and wood across the lake to the site on the south side of the lake, and just after getting set-up it began to pour. The nine of us placed our tents away from where we would be cooking, relaxing, and sitting around the fire. Thankfully we had a huge tarp to sit under to wait out the rain.
Just before cooking dinner, Jon walked up the hill to his tent and saw a black bear about to enter a tent! He yelled to alert us and hollered at the bear. When we all came running, clapping, and yelling, the bruin backed off a bit but didn't feel like leaving entirely. Eventually it wandered off and we made sure it never returned. We made half-hourly trips back to the tents, loudly drumming pots and pans. Ironically that was what the bear was after, cooking pots that hadn't even been used on this trip yet!
Eventually - around 9pm the rain stopped and we were able to move out from under the tarp and sit around the fire. Of course many stories were told, many cigars smoked, many toasts made, and even a poem was written and read aloud on Jon's behalf. We carried on until 3:30am without any rain or bear activity. For safety reasons we brought all coolers, garbage, and other items to the cars just before retiring for the evening.
At 7am Aaron decided to do some canoe fishing as the rain turned to a drizzle and the fog lifted off of Mill Brook Ridge. We cooked a hearty breakfast, took turns canoeing and fishing until we packed up around 4pm. Looking back, we hope Jon had as much fun as the rest of us did. There is just something about being with great friends in great places that overshadows all else, including unpleasant weather.
Jon Griesser and Sarah Cohen will be married on June 26 at the Full Moon in Oliverea. We wish you the best!
- Aaron and Chris
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