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November 8, 2004 |
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Beaverkill Camping
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It's a great feeling to help kids learn to appreciate and have fun in the outdoors. A few weeks ago, when the leaves were still at peak color, we planned a camping trip with our friends Justin and Katy and Chris' 17 and 14 year-old cousins - Caitlyn and Tristin. Both Caitlyn and Tristin have been to the DEC environmental education camps, in western New York and the Adirondacks, and both enjoy learning about nature and being outdoors. Unlike most teenage girls, they been taught by their father how to safely handle guns while hunting and target shooting. Earlier in the year, Caitlyn went on her first backpacking trip in the Adirondacks, and this weekend would be Tristin's first.
Our destination was the headwaters of the Beaverkill River. On a previous hike that we wrote about (8-16/04), we had found an inviting campsite near a beaver pond, and we were eager to return there. We started in with our huge backpacks from the State trailhead at the end of Beaverkill Road (elevation 2,150'). Luckily we didn't have to lug the heavy packs up any big mountains - the hike into the Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest along the Neversink-Hardenburgh Trail is pretty flat, with only gradual ups and downs. In the first two miles, the trail crosses Black Brook, Gulf of Mexico Brook, the outlet of Vly Pond, and a couple other nameless trickles before finally meeting up with the Beaverkill River. The trail follows an old dirt road alongside the Beaverkill for another mile, then a single-track trail for a quarter-mile to a stream crossing. Fortunately the water was low and we could get across without getting our feet wet. Just after this point, at the edge of the Big Indian Wilderness Area, the trail turns south and the Beaverkill turns north - it was near here that we found our campsite waiting for us (elevation 2,600').
As we anticipated, it was a great campsite. There was room for three tents, lots of dead firewood, a scenic beaver meadow nearby, and a small stream to get water from. We were delighted to see lots of little brook trout darting around in the stream (a tributary of the Beaverkill). After preparing our campsite and gathering wood, we worked together to make a fabulous dinner, followed by hot tea and cocoa by the campfire. To protect our food from bears, we hung the food bags from high tree limbs. We hoped to hear some barred owls that night, but instead we heard the shrill voices of coyotes.
The next two days were days of exploration. The first day we explored the stream and beaver pond, and bushwhacked up on the nearby hillside. The second day we went on a more ambitious bushwhack, following the Beaverkill upstream to its very source. This is a spectacular area of the Catskills, where the famed American trout river is only a small stream meandering through several beautiful beaver meadows (hence its name). Exploring these scenic meadows was a lot of fun, and we picked our way carefully to keep our feet dry. Back in the woods we admired the great size and variety of the old growth trees, and helped the girls learn the different kinds of trees growing in the northern hardwood forest.
The further we went, the smaller the Beaverkill became. The ascent finally became steeper as the stream climbed up out of its valley to where it fell from the heart of the high peaks. In this case, the source was the col between Graham and Doubletop Mountains, about two miles from our campsite (elevation 2,950'). As we progressed into the col, hiking turned into climbing and scrambling over huge boulders covered in thick moss carpets. The boulders hid crevasses and supported only a few stunted and scraggly trees. It was a gorgeous world fit for leprechauns and gnomes. We enjoyed it thoroughly as we ate our lunch, then finally made our way back to camp.
All good things must come to an end, and so on the last morning we packed our things and cleaned up the campsite (leaving firewood for the next campers). Caitlyn and Tristin were true happy campers, and both insisted on carrying heavy packs for much of the hike out. After dropping off our big packs at the cars, we took a relatively quick hike up to the summit of Balsam Lake Mountain so the girls could see the fire tower and get a good view of the Catskill High Peaks before going home. The steep climb was tiring after our morning's hike out from the campsite, but the clear view from the top with the fall colors blazing was well worth it. It was fun to look out and see where we had just been hiking and camping. The girls said that they can't wait until the next trip, and we certainly can't wait to have them back for more adventures!
- Aaron and Chris
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