September 23-25. Let’s head up to Vermont to camp, hike, and tour the Ben and Jerry’s DELICIOUS ICE CREAM factory, which is a mere 6 miles away from the campsite. We’ll leave from Wawa at 9 AM on Friday, returning Sunday evening. If you’re interested, please read the detailed information below, and reply to let me know you’re coming by Sunday, September 18.

Highlights: Two hikes, a nice campground by a swimmable lake, the chance to visit the adorable town of Waterbury, home to the B&J factory, and — if we’re lucky — some early New England fall foliage…

Schedule: On Friday at 9 AM, we’ll depart from Wawa. If traffic isn’t terrible, we should arrive at Little River State Park by 4. After settling in, we have the option of exploring Waterbury, checking out the lake, taking a night hike, or just hanging out. On Saturday, we’ll hike either the Mt. Hunger Waterbury Trail or Mount Worcester (based on group vote), and tour the Ben & Jerry’s factory later in the day. On Sunday morning, early risers can take a short hike to see some cool waterfalls, and we’ll depart around 10 AM to return to campus by dinnertime. I’ve never been to Vermont before, so I’m open to suggestions for other fun activities 🙂

What to bring: Bring a pair of boots or sturdy shoes. One of the proposed hikes involves clambering over rocks — you’ll want traction for this. Please bring a good sleeping bag and plan to dress warmly. Although highs will probably be in the 60s/70s, and lows in the 40s, it could still drop below freezing at night. Other things: sunscreen, a headlamp or flashlight for night hiking/camp business, swimwear (it may or may not be warm enough to take a dip), bug spray (for wusses), a sleeping pad, and whatever other stuff you’d like. We’ll be car camping, so we can load up on gear.

Food and water: Please plan to bring your own food, i.e., enough for 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and 3 lunches, plus snacks. NOTE: I don’t have a camp stove, bowls, utensils, or anything, and plan to eat trail mix and jerky with my hands like a caveman for every meal. If you want to cook, you’ll need to bring supplies (sorry!). Drinking water is available at the campground. I’ll be heading to Wegman’s on the Thursday afternoon before we leave to grab food for myself, as well as lots of snacks for the group. You are welcome to join me — text me at 240-315-6168 if you need a ride.

Costs: Plan on tossing me $30 to cover all camping fees, gas, and the factory tour. You may also want to bring some extra cash in case we decide to stop at any stores/restaurants in town or during the car rides.

Space is limited! My car seats 4 passengers. If more than 4 people sign on, we’ll need a second car. The campsite has enough room for 8 people. Therefore, I will be limiting the size of my group to the first 7 individuals who respond to this email. If more than 7 people are interested, they’ll be responsible for reserving a second campsite and arranging transportation to it.

If you are interested in this trip, please reply to this email no later than Sunday, September 18. Let me know if you have a car and would be willing to drive.

If you have any questions (or suggestions for things to do!), you can reach me via email (akriete@princeton.edu).

Cheers,

The PUMC’s 4th annual Big Fall Trip has been rescheduled for this upcoming weekend  (10/23-10/25) and we want you to join us! The colors will be amazing, the weather will be perfect, and the people will be merry, so come on out to enjoy a weekend of camping and hiking in the Catskills in upstate New York!

What’s the plan? We’ll head up Friday afternoon and set up camp in a big field near a place called Colgate Lake.  On Saturday, we’ll split up and do big exciting hikes all over the mountains, then return to camp to swap stories and cook up a delicious meal.  On Sunday, we’ll do some shorter hikes and return to Princeton in the evening: exhausted, grubby, with loads of new friends and utterly, utterly psyched to get out into the woods again!!

Is this trip for me? We’ll split into groups for the hiking part of this trip – some will do adventures that are relaxed and chill, some will do adventures that are intense and hard-core.  If you’ve hiked before (even a little bit), you have your own boots and you want to see some sweet mountains and meet some cool people, then this trip is for you!  If you’ve never hiked before and you’re feeling adventurous, this trip may be for you, too!

What do I need? We’ll coordinate on things like cars, stoves and tents (let us know if you have any to share!). There are a few things that everyone will need – good boots, a sleeping bag/mat, decent non-cotton clothing, etc.  A complete gear list can be found at the end of this email. Don’t let lack of gear hold you back though!  People on the PUMC list tend to be very generous about lending things out, and it’s also possible to rent from OA and the local EMS.

Sounds great!  How do I sign up? Send an email to Katie (kewolf@princeotn.edu) by Tuesday afternoon, confirming that you can join us!  Let her know in that email if you have a tent or a car you’re willing to use. Space may be limited due to our camping permit – if that happens, spots will go first to new grad students.  On Tuesday 10/20, we’ll have a meeting to sort out cars and tents and timing and such. We are also looking for more trip leaders, so if you are interested in leading or co-leading a hike, also include that in the email.

It is going to be a fun weekend of hiking and camping in the beautiful fall colors! Hope to see you there!

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Gear List:

List #1: Stuff you absolutely, positively need to come to the Catskills and have a good time (Note: This trip is later than our usual trip, so remember that it will get cold at night)
* Sturdy boots
* Warm wool or synthetic socks
      ~ no cotton
* Non-cotton shirts and pants
       ~ no jeans
* Warm layers
~ Fleeces are good, cotton sweatshirts are bad
* Hat for the cold
* Gloves
* Waterproof raincoat w. hood
* Water bottles
~ At least two liters worth.  Old soda bottles work well
* Nice, comfy pack to carry this stuff in
~ Ideally, this would have a padded hip-belt and adjustable straps
* Flashlight
* Something to eat out of
~ A bowl and spoon will probably cut it
* Sleeping bag
* Sleeping pad
~ Thermarest-style or foam
* Sense of adventure and enthusiasm for life

List #2: Stuff that’s nice to have, but you could get by without
* Hat for the sun
     ~ Baseball caps are good; Indiana Jones’ style are better
* Sunglasses
* Non-cotton underwear
       ~ chafing is no fun…
* Trekking poles
       ~ These will help keep your knees happy
* Something waterproof to put over your pack
~ Black plastic trash bags are good; fancy pack-covers are better

 List #3: Bring it if you have it
* Playing cards
* Camp-friendly musical instruments
* Compass
* Knife
* Water purification
* Matches
* First-Aid kit
* Tent
* Car