Category Archives: local camping

Checking Out The Van

Finally, we got The Goshawk ready for a local mid-week camping trip to Ricker Pond State Park. I had reserved the only on-shoreline spot we could fit into and as I write this looking out the door, I can see early sign of autumn’s colors reflected in the water while a soon-to-depart Common Loon cruises and calls. Few campers, mid-seventies temps, and a nice forecast. What’s not to like?

After a quick setup, Penny and I took a pretty walk where this Great Blue Heron posed for us.

Sally is coming tonight with the kayaks so we’ll hit the water in the morning. While we are waiting, we tried some selfies to pass the time. Penny is up and frisky after a couple of tough medical weeks so we should have a couple of good shakedown days as we get ready for longer journeys.

West River Railroad

When I see remnants of the West River Railroad like I did while camping this week, I think of my dad. About 80 years ago, he was a poor kid from Lynn, MA who signed up for the Civilian Conservation Corps and travelled by train to Brattleboro. There he boarded a small self-propelled train that chugged up the West River Railway to South Londonderry.

This bridge abutment marks the crossing point for the old West River Railroad

Dad was stationed at the CCC camp in Weston and excelled in athletics, particularly local road races. His group built the highway, by pick and shovel and wheelbarrow, now Route 100, up over the mountain to Ludlow. The best thing he did was to meet my mom, a South Londonderry girl, at a local dance and as they say, the rest is history.

The railroad was thirty-six miles long (There is a famous old book on it called “Thirty-six Miles of Trouble) and ran from Brattleboro to South Londonderry.

A rail trail along the old track bed now allows recreational users to enjoy the wonderful scenery.

While camping at Winhall Brook Campground, Penny and I did some exploring of the West River trail. From the north section of the park the trail goes a little less than three miles to South Londonderry. From the south section, you head south for a mile or so and run into the obstacles created by the construction of the Ball Mountain flood control dam.

The trail heading south from the campground. Firm and level, great for biking or walking.

We ran into bad weather and cut our camping stay short so I never checked out the hike up to an overlook to see the dam. However, there is a lot of information online on the trail which, with some breaks, continues down to Brattleboro.

Even the campground playgrounds have a railroad theme

My grandfather was a railroad engineer living in South Londonderry who was killed in a train accident in Connecticut when Mom was young. He rode the West River Railroad to work for years.

The West River Railway is part of our family DNA. It is great to see the local efforts made to restore the rail bed for horses, cyclists, hikers, skiers and snowmobilers. All aboard!

Ricker Pond Camping

We do most of our camping in the winter but usually take a couple of local trips each summer to check out Airstream systems and enjoy some of Vermont’s state parks. This past mid-week, we reserved a spot at Ricker Pond State Park in the Groton State Forest and had a wonderful three days.

We headed out Wednesday morning ahead of some thunderstorms.

We headed out Wednesday morning ahead of some thunderstorms.

Ricker Pond SP is like essentially all Vermont parks — aimed more at tent and lean-to campers than RV’s. There are no hook-ups nor is there any internet — wifi or 4G. There are only about five sites where we can fit our twenty-five foot Airstream in.

One thing Vermont parks have going is great attention by the staff.

One thing Vermont parks have going is great attention by the staff.

The flags were at half-mast for the servicemen shot in Chattanooga.

The flags were at half-mast for the servicemen shot in Chattanooga.

We infrequently camp when school is out and when we do, we avoid the weekends. Even so, there were tons of kids around. It’s a pretty-safe park for them, with limited traffic and long smooth dirt roads for bike riding, but because of all the recent rains, the bacterial level at the swimming area was high and the beach was closed.  We enjoyed the squeals and yells of kids although a few carried on rather late. It was nice to see no electronic devices — we had Kindle books on our iPad but other than that, radio silence. It didn’t kill us.

Our site was #17 which is probably the best for a trailer. We even good decent solar inspite of all the trees.

Our site was #17 which is probably the best for a trailer. We even good decent solar inspite of all the trees.

Here are some shots that I took while out on birding/dog walks.

I love this big piece of granite. I tried to get Mary to put her head inside for a photo but she declined.

I love this big piece of granite. I tried to get Mary to put her head inside for a photo but she declined.

This young angler had a small bass on the other end of her pole.

This young angler had a small bass on the other end of her pole.

There were a number of first-year Mallards which have been tamed by feeding by the campers. Penny was quite interested in these two.

There were a number of first-year Mallards which have been tamed by feeding by the campers. Penny was quite interested in these two.

This park has 27 campsites, 23 lean-to shelters, 5 cabins and a couple of waterfront cottages. The lean-tos are very popular and people reserve the same one year after year.

Many of the lean-tos have great locations right near the water.

Many of the lean-tos have great locations right near the water.

I did a lot of birding and in spite of mid-summer and heavy foliage, heard and/or saw most of the usual suspects. Red-eyed vireos seemed to be holding a convention there. The highlight was the pair of Common Loons who have nested there and have a couple of chicks. I took some photos from the canoe but stayed well away from them. You can see one of the youngsters in the photo.LoonsWIt’s a pretty little body of water and it is easy to see why so many folks, many who have camped all over Vermont, come back. If you have a larger RV, there are several sites up at the next campground, Stillwater, which can handle large units. You’ll need a generator or solar system — it’s boondocking at about $20 a day. But look at this shot of Ricker Pond – it’s pure Vermont.

UplakeW