I just ran across this video on Archive.org:

During five summers from 1957 to 1961, the five-member Barstow family of Wethersfield, Connecticut, set out to visit all 48 of the then United States of America on a series of month-long camping trips.

In 2000, Father Barstow added narration to the footage and put it all on VHS for our viewing bliss. Good lord, what a video and what a family. I haven’t finished the whole thing (it’s long) but the intro alone is worth your time.

Watch the video after the jump…

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Posted: May 27th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

I was listening to The Rising Storm podcast this morning while eating my over-easy eggs topped with Fritos and Caracas sauce and on came Townes’ “I’ll Be Here In The Morning.” Haven’t listened to a second of him in a long while and it sure did put me in a good mood.

Not much else to say about that.

MP3: Townes Van Zandt – I’ll Be Here In The Morning

MP3: Ray Lamontagne – Heaven Is A Honky Tonk (Live on ACL) (thx)

Posted: May 27th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none

The Siamese Ponds Wilderness consists of 112,524 acres in the southeast section of New York’s Adirondacks. It’s less frequented than the High Peaks area to the north, but it’s just as wild with several lean-tos, including the East Branch Sacandaga lean-to (pictured above).  The hike to the lean-to is an easy four miles that mostly runs along the East Branch of the Sacandaga River, a “wild” river under the New York State Wild, Scenic, and Recreational River System Act. Mother Nature’s quite a lady.

Another two and a half miles will get you to the first of the two Siamese Ponds, which has a few designated campsites around it’s perimeter. Cold Splinters was up there last weekend and the trail is muddy and full of bugs just waiting for you to stop for water or lunch, but the lean-to is in a beautiful location for an easy overnight. The picture above was taken on the suspension bridge over the river that connects the trail up to the Siamese Ponds.

The trailhead is at the Eleventh Mountain parking lot on Route 8 between Speculator and Bakers Mill. Can’t miss it.

Posted: May 27th, 2009 under Camping.
Comments: 3