Go4Lo Short: Spring Thaw in Vermont

Some highlights from our camping trip this weekend.
Things didn't start off well, and the weekend was a demonstration in the scarcity of free dispersed camping in the early season northeast. We had originally planned on camping in Moose River Plains in Adirondack Park after the original original plan to camp in Tuscarora State forest in Pennsylvania got rained out. The NYS website didn't mention the seasonal closure of the road. Once we found a closed gate there after driving up from our home on Long Island we headed to another dispersed campground called Bear slides along the Hudson River not far from Lake George 85 miles to the southeast. The Bear Slides sites are always open but we found a swelled Hudson River flooding the access road. We tried to forge through but reconsidered once Stompy was submerged to the top of the 35" tires at 11pm. We realized that even if were to make it through if the river went up at all throughout the weekend we would be trapped. We then decided to head to a guaranteed site another 80 miles to the east in Vermont, the Sommerset Airfield. The Airfield is a well knows set of dispersed sites that is open year round off of a national forest road in Southern Vermont. We arrived there early Friday morning after conceding to a motel in Queensbury NY the night before after our first 2 strikes. We quickly found one of our favorite spots at the airfield and began setting up our tent. A few minutes later as I drove the last spike for the tent a Forest Ranger pulled up. "How's it going" I said. He replied " Great but you're not going to like me. I have to close the gate for mud season. You can camp here but you have to park outside the gate." Jenny and I both looked at each other considering that our Gazelle T4+ tent is about 80 pounds the 200 yard walk was not something our overland vehicle based camping setup is tailored for. As we both stared at each other in shock mentally reviewing the obstacles we had encountered on just trying to pitch a tent in the woods somewhere in the past 15 hours and 500 miles driven, the ranger called out "you know there is a wonderful site along the river I could show you. Let me just get that other set of campers out of here and I'll show you where it is." After packing up our tent that was up for all of 10 minutes we followed him to one of the most epic campsites we have stayed at on the east coast and started what ended up being a wonderful relaxing camping weekend. Unlink most trips where we spend time off-road 4x4 adventuring with the truck we didn't venture far and opted instead to enjoy our campsite and grilled slabs of meat over an open fire.
0:00 - Loading the rig
1:41 - Checkout this Campsite on a stream
4:50 - Campfire Grilled Salmon
6:31 - Hiking on the snowy/muddy VAST system trails
7:54 - Campfire grilled Steaks for dinner, pork souvlaki for lunch.
11:07 - Wild Turkeys say farewell

[@DIY_AUTO_PHOTO]

Time well spend ! and my GOD that stake looked so good! ! lol )))
I am actually looking now into some portable grills dont really want the gas one as yes.. they are easy and fast to setup but thinking to get something I can use ether with wood or charcoal

[@Go4Lo]

I've used the one in the video with both wood and charcoal.

[@moodsofoverland]

Looks peaceful! I’m hitting The Pine Barrens this weekend with some of the Central PA Overland folks 👍🏕️

[@Go4Lo]

Hope you had a great trip!

[@moodsofoverland]

@@Go4Lo it was a good time: E25- A 3 Day Pine Barrens Adventure 4K
ua-cam.com/video/ShoJE8teZqU/v-deo.html