Closing up camp for the winter

For Columbus Day we went up to camp to close up and drain the plumbing: drive up Friday afternoon, drive back Sunday afternoon. It was sunny, and the temperature climbed out of the 40s in the morning to 70 by noon. Friday night it was clear enough for me to take the boys out to the water after dark to look at the Milky Way, and even see a few shooting stars. As we were nearing camp on the way up Josh realized where we were going, and started talking about Nana and Grandad's House, and we had to let him down that he wasn't going to actually get to see N&G. 

The best thing about October at camp, though, is the quiet. No constant hum of a nearby highway, no trains in the distance, even. Just quiet. The loudest sound was leaves hitting the ground. Most of the camps around Higley are empty by now, and aside from a wave to Dick and Judy as they drove by in their antique car, we ran into very few people. 

The weather being so ideal, we spent most of the Saturday at Higley Flow State Park. The ranger station tollbooth was closed up, and the park and trails open dawn til dusk. We did spot some other hikers, and they waved back, surprised and glad to see someone else.

At the state park we hiked a little, but mostly spent our time at the new playground. It was inundated with bumper crops of grasshoppers and ladybugs. (Strangely, I got bit twice by ladybugs.) Josh tooled around on his tricycle, and we all went down to the water to throw stones.  That evening we had a family movie night. Sam watched Hotel Transylvania, and when it became clear that was a little too scary for Josh, he and I went off and watched Finding Nemo in the bedroom.

Thanks to Dad's generous efforts at the last minute Friday getting me the text of the the closing-up manual which I'd misplaced, closing up Sunday morning went well. Even got Sam to play pack mule and carry cargo up to the minivan, for which I was grateful. When we left Josh wept, saying "No home! Cabin!"

Enjoy the photos below and think of the camp settling in for its winter hibernation.

Sam at the Dorans'  bulkhead

Josh, looking for stones to throw into the water

One of those grasshoppers

Stump Bay from the north point near the playground in the state park

Sam and Josh resting during the brief Pine-Trail hike

I experimented a little with panorama shots on the state-park playground