Surveying the Camp

Today we went to OUR camp!

 Tonia enjoyed roaming around the forest and was exploring all that she could. 

 Even Katie got out of the car to walk around and explore the upper area. 

 We took 1000 feet of Caution tape and laid out the land. We marked a road for the van, a parking area, a path up to the high ground and a 50 by 90 foot area for a camp site.  We used exactly 1000 feet. 

 We enjoyed choosing which trees were to stay and which ones would have to be removed to make a clearing for the sun to shine through on our campsite. 

 Here you can faintly see the caution tape in the distance. All the trees in this area will be cleared for a camp site and for the sun to reach the forest floor and hopefully for some grass to grow. 

 This low area will become the parking area. We initially thought this might be a good area for a camp but decided it was too low. we may need to build this up with some gravel or perhaps if we get a bulldozer in to level a roadway in some of the dirt can be pushed into this area. 

 This photo shows from the top of the camp looking towards a foot path that will go from the camp to the parking area below. We had thought that we would have the turn around and the camp in the same area but came to the conclusion that the short walk would be ok and it might be nice to have the cars away from the site. 

 After we surveyed the camp we went for a walk down by the brook. Can you see the frog in the above photo.

 I had thought this tree was on property 7 but it is on our property

 Sara was not as adventurous today and did not want to get into her bathing suit to explore the brook. She eventually took off her shoes and waded into the water. 

 This is the view up the hill up to the property from the brook. Our property ends at the brook. 

 Tonia loved walking and splashing around in the brook. She kept picking up the rocks 

 We found this really long flat rock in the middle of the brook. I am excited to see the brook after a rain when there is a lot of water. The brook does have a good flow to it. 

 If you look carefully you might see a crayfish there in the water. Charles says he wants to go down to the brook at night and go Crayfishing. I think that will have to be next year when we might be ready for a camp overnight. 

 There is a white caterpillar hanging on a silk thread in this photo. It is a bit blurry. I almost walked into it.

 Tonia and I enjoyed sitting on our SUN rock. 

 This is the creek at Property 7. the brook has eroded an area under the road in. This makes me a bit nervous but Charles said look at that layer of rock, it is not going anywhere. 

 Here you can see layers of rock. This is worry some for well drilling. There are tons of flat thin rocks that will make a nice patio around the fire pit if we would like. We would have to carry them all up from the brook though. 

 This rock is on the south corner of our property on the Brook. 

 Here are some of the new signs that land first has put up. 

 When we arrived there was a new locked gate that we did not have the combo to. We had to call Bill to get the combo. I am really excited about the gate. It is a nice gate and not just a chain across the road. 

 Also new on this visit was the street sign and Private Drive sign. 

This is the view down the road towards Trout Brook State Forest.