My bags are packed and today, it’s time to go. I’m heading back north today, “Upta Camp”. Once again, it’s that special time of the year known as deer season and it’s time to make the annual road trip.
Heading up to camp is not hard core camping. It is a small cabin with two rooms. Some people have camps that are beautiful log cabins, and others have lake front retreats. Some others can be an old rickety shed-type building with a wood stove.
Our camp is not on a beautiful lake and it’s not a rickety shed. It does not sit on scenic lake, but there is a moose pond that is very close by. It is however in the middle of the deep woods and seeing another person while staying there has a high probability of not ever happening.
For many years I have gone to camp in the Northeast Kingdom. Going to camp, does a lot of different things for people. For many, it is the chance to get away and get in tune with nature. For me, it brings me back to a better understand about the limits and realities of my life. But it’s also about sharing with, those that are with you and enjoying nature in its purist sense. It’s a place you can go to enjoy the old art of communication as well as solitude. This week, there will be many tall tales told, lots of laughs and great food cooked up every night. Making memories that will last for a lifetime.
Our camp was built by a family that had visited and cherished it for generations. They filled it with many lifetimes of memories. When I spoke with the Mrs. for the first time about going to camp, one of the first things that came up was the availability of indoor plumbing. I had to explain about the outhouse feature....... the natural spring fed well, and all the wildlife that abounds right outside through the front door. It took a lot of convincing for her to make that first overnight trip up to the camp. As I remember it, there never was that discussion of a shower or lack of one that made it to the conversation.
We have now upgraded the camp with an outside shower. It is attached to the outside wall and enclosed on all sides with an opening on top. Water pails are left on the wood stoves to get hot all day. At the end of the day, the hot water is poured into a holding tank above the shower.
Mix in some cold water and “wallah”.
But more than anything else, Camp is a magical place where for a short period of time, the city life that I have left behind, is so very far away.
Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves .............Henry David Thoreau
Heading up to camp is not hard core camping. It is a small cabin with two rooms. Some people have camps that are beautiful log cabins, and others have lake front retreats. Some others can be an old rickety shed-type building with a wood stove.
Our camp is not on a beautiful lake and it’s not a rickety shed. It does not sit on scenic lake, but there is a moose pond that is very close by. It is however in the middle of the deep woods and seeing another person while staying there has a high probability of not ever happening.
For many years I have gone to camp in the Northeast Kingdom. Going to camp, does a lot of different things for people. For many, it is the chance to get away and get in tune with nature. For me, it brings me back to a better understand about the limits and realities of my life. But it’s also about sharing with, those that are with you and enjoying nature in its purist sense. It’s a place you can go to enjoy the old art of communication as well as solitude. This week, there will be many tall tales told, lots of laughs and great food cooked up every night. Making memories that will last for a lifetime.
Our camp was built by a family that had visited and cherished it for generations. They filled it with many lifetimes of memories. When I spoke with the Mrs. for the first time about going to camp, one of the first things that came up was the availability of indoor plumbing. I had to explain about the outhouse feature....... the natural spring fed well, and all the wildlife that abounds right outside through the front door. It took a lot of convincing for her to make that first overnight trip up to the camp. As I remember it, there never was that discussion of a shower or lack of one that made it to the conversation.
We have now upgraded the camp with an outside shower. It is attached to the outside wall and enclosed on all sides with an opening on top. Water pails are left on the wood stoves to get hot all day. At the end of the day, the hot water is poured into a holding tank above the shower.
Mix in some cold water and “wallah”.
But more than anything else, Camp is a magical place where for a short period of time, the city life that I have left behind, is so very far away.
Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves .............Henry David Thoreau
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