Heading out from Bradford Landing |
There is something therapeutic about canoe camping. You paddle in, set up
camp, have dinner, and then settle in for a long relaxing evening around the
campfire.
I did my first canoe camping trip with the RICKA Wilderness Group a couple of years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Since then I’ve done short overnight trips, and multi-day
excursions. This summer I had the
good fortune to spend a night camping with the Paddle Across
Rhode Island crew on the Pawcatuck River, and decided that I
wanted to do it again. I posted
the idea on the Flatwater
Message Board and this trip was born.
Arriving at the campsites |
We are fortunate to have a couple of very nice paddle-in
campsites on the Pawcatuck River in Rhode Island.
There is the Carolina Canoe Campsite in the Carolina Management Area
just upstream from the Richmond Landing.
It’s a small site, but very nice.
Then there are the Burlingame Canoe Campsites in the Burlingame
Management Area upstream from the Bradford Landing. At Burlingame there is a large open field suitable for groups,
and five smaller wooded sites. All
these sites are available on a first come first serve basis, and can get
crowded in the warm summer months.
We would be doing a short overnight trip at the
Burlingame Canoe Campsites with the RICKA Flatwater Group. Our original plan was to paddle down
from Richmond Landing, but with low water levels in the river, we decided to
paddle up from Bradford instead. We
met at the Bradford Landing at 2:00 for the trip up to the campsites.
Setting up camp |
One of the challenges of canoe/kayak camping is
that everything that you bring needs to fit in your boat. While you can carry more in a canoe or kayak than you can in
a backpack, space is still limited, and drybags are needed to keep your gear dry. Everyone carried their own gear, and we
divided up the group gear as best we could. With our gear packed and our boats loaded we headed off the
campsite.
We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. It was sunny and warm, and the leaves
were just beginning to turn. It’s
a short paddle from Bradford up to the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. When we arrived, we found that a family
had already pitched their tents in the big site at the field, so we scouted out
the smaller wooded sites. We chose a grass-covered site with a nice fire ring,
and everyone spread out to pitch their tents. Some found space near the river where they could hear the
running water. Others stayed
closer to the fire ring.
Settling in around the campfire |
Jim had dropped off some firewood earlier in the
day, so we were able to enjoy snacks and dinner around the campfire. Everything tastes better when you cook
it outside, and this trip was no exception. Tom was our grill master. He turned out great hamburgers, hot dogs and marinated vegetable
skewers from Lindsay. Dinner was
followed by Henry’s delicious Blueberry Dump Cake from the Dutch oven. With dinner complete, there was nothing
left to do but sit back and enjoy the fire. We talked, napped (at least some of us) and enjoyed the
great outdoors.
At around 10:30, I finally turned in for the
night. Before I knew it, the
morning light was streaming through my tent, and I could hear someone out by the
fire ring. Even without looking I
knew it was Jim because he is always the first one up. Before long, we soon had a nice fire
going and a pot of coffee perking on the stove.
Dutch oven cooking |
Slowly the group emerged from their tents for a
cup of coffee, and a piece of apple or blueberry pie from Mike. After a few cups of coffee, I was
ambitious enough try a Blueberry Breakfast Bake in the Dutch oven. It turned out great. When we had all eaten our fill and had
way too much coffee, we decided it was time to pack up and head for home. Everyone packed up their own gear, and then
helped out with the group gear. With
our boats packed, we took one group picture before heading back to Bradford.
The trip back to Bradford was slow and leisurely
– no one was in a rush. By 11:00
our cars were packed and we were saying our goodbyes, but not before agreeing
to do this again next year.
Packed up at the end of a great trip |
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