Fri, May 3 2013 - Hiking, Paddling & Camping Weekend at Beautiful Dauset Trails + Optional Mtn Biking (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Bobby Marie, Charlie Cottingham, Kevin Participants: Charlie Cottingham, Bobby Marie, Kevin, David Duffey, Margery, Melissa M, Lysa, jrssitp, Gloria, Lemmy, Logan, Denise, Randy Lewis, John C, Tim W, Rachel, Tatiana, Horacio *, Alice, CB Genrich, Maria S, Jessica M, Jimmy, Mary Madden

Let's hear it for Dauset Trails!  We 24 ”hardy partiers” had a blast there all weekend.  I couldn’t have been prouder of how the group refused to let a wet forecast - and one of the rainiest Saturdays in recent memory - get in the way of our having an unforgettable good time together.  Newcomers to the big semiannual retreat were quick to agree what a marvelous place the Nature Center is.  Our spacious dining pavilion/ comfort station made the perfect gathering spot for our family style meals, friendly conversation, music, games and laughter.  Likewise our covered “Turkey Roost” platforms made it possible to sleep without worrying about getting wet.  Everything was incredibly green and lush and we had an amazing closeup view of a red-tailed hawk who posed for us in a lakeside tree by the pavilion.
   Many of us enjoyed walking together through the Wild Animal Trail, Museum & Visitor Center and old-time Farmyard on Saturday morning and car-caravaning that afternoon to the quaint nearby Indian Springs Village with its great Ice Cream Shop, Country Store and adjoining State Park.  Several our our mountain bikers enjoyed a few rides and the lovely blue-sky weather Sunday morning made it possible to enjoy some leisurely kayaking and canoeing on the pretty lake beside our campsite before heading home.
   I want to thank my friends and trip co-leaders, Bobby and Kevin for making everyone feel at home on the trip and for their fine work helping organize our meals, campfires and other activities.  We were wowed by everyone's delicious and bountiful contributions to our meals and refreshments all weekend.  Everyone pitched in impressively with food prep, serving & cleanup, and with making sure that we left our dining, camping and lakefront area even cleaner than we had found it.
  Thanks in advance to those of you who have promised to share your links to your online photo albums.  I'll be glad to post them below as I receive them so please email those links to me at Cott4Treks@aol.com.  I also welcome your individual humorous (or otherwise?) trip anecdotes which I'll be glad to add to this archival event writeup.  Note that you can retrieve our original event announcement article by clicking on "View Original Trip Details" above this archive.
  I look forward to our next AOC weekend at Dauset Trails, Friday September 27 through Sunday Sep 29, 2013.  I've again reserved Dauset Trails lakeside camping area, dining pavilion and boats exclusively for the Club's use.  Mark your calendars and expect to see my online AOC announcement article for the trip sometime in August, with signups beginning about September 1st.
 -Posted by Trip Coordinator & Co-Leader Charlie Cottingham, May 6, 2013