Glamping Weekend in the White Mountains

If you missed it, then you missed the camaraderie and magic of a great Glamping Weekend in New Hampshire’s White Mountains! I think GayOutdoors being a men’s group makes for a better time. Mad River Retreat is FABULOUS! From the views extending for miles from the house, to the bunk rooms, to bordering the Mad River, the house is perfect for GayOutdoors members. Jon and I gave a warm greeting to everyone as they arrived.    

Wayland, Gaston and Stacy joined us for the weekend at our house in Waterville Valley. Everyone arrived by 5PM, and spent the evening socializing on the deck with spectacular views of the Sandwich Range and Mad River. We put together a communal cooler for everyone to put their beer and wine into so we got to sample what everyone brought. We shared appetizers on the deck and later on Jon made a big batch of Lo Mein for dinner if anyone wanted any. Mad River Retreat is the perfect place to get away from everyday stress. As it got darker, we saw the Buck Full Moon rise from behind the mountains. We finished off the evening soaking in in the hot tub under a full moon with billions of stars above us!

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day with temperatures expected to get near 80 degrees by mid-afternoon. After a leisurely morning, we drove to Quincy Bog in Plymouth for a short hike.  Okay, this is not the sort of trail one would get lost in the woods, but you can get so captivated with all the wildlife, you never know. We had lots of fun guided by our fearless leader, Jon. We walked around the Quincy Bog using boardwalks and shoreline trails. Some of the highlights was the peacefulness and lily pads of the bog, the wobbly Buckley Bridge where it felt like we had one too many beers, a very strange looking yellow flower, great blue heron, lots of ducks & geese and found out what these strange men dressed in camouflage with nets were up to [trapping dragonflies and identifying them.] But whatever our tastes in nature, we all seemed to have a good time walking the trails and reaching the highpoint at the ledges. The conversations were as relaxed as the hike itself.  There was no rush and the weather was perfect. We stopped by the Nature Center where the Bog Host informed us that already 150 people had visited. Inside, we examined a display of interesting artifacts found at the bog exhibits and a number of books. All in all, it was an enjoyable outing.

Afterwards we drove to Waterville Valley for a swim in Corcoran Pond. The pond was crystal clear and water temperature felt like lake water. We got our beach chairs setup and got ourselves settled for a relaxing afternoon by the pond!  

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we returned back to the house deck for some appetizers brought in by everyone and some beer/wine while enjoying the spectacular views. Everyone stepped up and brought some delicious dishes for the potluck. Jon ended up being the grill master cooking up mouthwatering salmon and crab cakes in the oven; homemade American Chop Suey on the stove top; and grilled seasoned chicken breasts, steak tips and asparagus.  Top it off with a fresh salad and nobody left the table hungry! Later we had a trifle topped with chocolate and almonds. We then went upstairs in the loft to watch and adventure racing program and finished the evening with another session in the hot tub!

For over 25 years, Gay Outdoors has been dedicated to helping gay and gay friendly men each other online to participate in outdoor activities run by volunteers who post them in our activities calendar. We promote a safe, healthy and positive lifestyle for gay and gay friendly men. Thanks to all of us that signed up and participated! We had a fun and relaxing time. We hope to see you on our other trips real soon!

Mike and Jon

Jon and Mike are hosting a glamping weekend at the Mad River Retreat in Waterville Valley, NH!  The Mad River Retreat is on the Mad River with breathtaking views of the Sandwich Range. A large grassy tent area overlooks the Mad River and Sandwich Range. A 5-person hot tub is on the premises to soothe those tired muscles.

We have six bunk beds available at $25/night. Linen/blankets/towels are provided. Space is limited so email ASAP to reserve a bunk! Tenting is also available at $25/night.

The price includes coffee and bagels for breakfast each morning.

Below is a tentative schedule:

Friday:

You can arrive anytime on Friday after 2PM. Relax on our deck, enjoy the spectacular views; or take a short walk to the Mad River to hang out by the water or take a swim. You are on your own for meals on Friday. You are welcome to use our kitchen facilities to cook.

Beer/Wine Blast ~ 7:00PM

We’ll start off the weekend with a Beer/Wine Blast on our deck! Bring a six pack of your favorite local craft beer or vintage wine to share in our communal cooler and sample what everyone else brought! It’s a great way to meet the guys. Socialize and meet other members!

Saturday:

Below are suggestions. We hope participants will host and post one of these or an event of their own.

>>Post An Event

9:30 am – Kayaking/Canoeing at Squam Lakes Association in Holderness. Rent kayaks/canoes from Squam Lakes Association by the hour or day. The Squam Lakes offer excellent paddling opportunities, with many islands, coves, reefs and miles of protected mountain views. You can paddle to Bowman Island that is open to the public for swimming, sunbathing and hiking. If you would like to run a paddling excursion to Squam Lake but need help, contact us! https://www.squamlakes.org/boat-rentals

9:30 am – Smarts Brook Loop near Mad River Retreat. Take a short and easy hike on the popular Smarts Brook Loop that features a scenic gorge and has views of Smarts Brook Cascades in places. It’s about 3 miles. 

1 pm – Swimming in the Mad River. Saturday afternoon we can chill on the Mad River at nearby “The Eddy”. It’s open to public and will have children but it has a nice deep swimming hole where the river curves. Great for sitting on floats! It has a rocky beach so beach chairs will be needed and we recommend wearing sandals. There is some shade under trees on one end. [Carry what you’d normally bring to the beach: towel, sunscreen, chair, beverage, etc.].

1 pm – Window shopping in Plymouth, NH.

If you’d rather take a longer hike that stretches to the afternoon, there are plenty of options. Waterville Valley itself offers a number of hikes including Goodrich Rock, The Scaur, Snows Mountain and Noon Peak. Moderate hikes include Jennings Peak, Mt. Tecumseh and our adopted trail, Mt. Osceola. Closer to the Retreat is the ever-popular Welch/Dickey Loop. If you would like to run one of these hikes but need help, contact us!

Appetizers on the Deck ~ 5:00PM
Bring some snacks and appetizers to share while we enjoy views from our deck as meals are being prepared for the potluck.

Potluck ~ 6:30 PM

Bring something tasty to the BBQ/potluck to share. Please focus on main dishes since we usually have so many appetizers and dessert that it gets thrown away; packaged food usually does not get eaten. You can use our gas grill if you need to grill something, oven to bake/warm up something, our stovetop for cooked pasta and we’ll have lots of outlets if you want to plug in a crock pot. [Time you’re cooking so that it will be finish for the start of the potluck at 6:30].

In order to have a varied menu of food, once you sign up, please post a message to let everyone know what you will be bringing for the potluck. If you are looking for ideas as to what to bring, here are some suggestions: burgers/buns, hot dogs/buns, veggie burgers, potato chips, grilled chicken, chicken kabobs,  finger sandwiches [ham salad, tuna salad, etc.], pulled pork sandwiches, garden salad, Cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, crockpot dishes [we have outlets to plug them into], oven casserole dishes [we can warm them up in our oven], watermelon, homemade desserts, etc.

Main entrees is where we typically fall short so, please make this your first choice to contribute to the potluck. Vegetarian dishes are appreciated. Pasta dishes are a good second choice. And everyone loves salads: potato, macaroni, pasta, fruit, garden, etc.

We usually have way too much dessert so please make this your last choice for the potluck. Please refrain from contributing packaged bakery items, bread, soda/lemonade, etc. Homemade food always gets eaten and we usually end up throwing away the packaged food.

We will provide paper plates, plastic utensils, napkins and serving utensils.

Campfire ~ 8:00PM

After the potluck we’ll light up a fire.  

Fireworks ~ 9:30PM

MEALS

You are on your own Friday night and all lunches.   You will have full use of the kitchen/house while you are here so don’t be shy opening cabinets/drawers, using utensils/pots/pans, turning on the stove and checking out our extensive collection of hiking books/maps. Our home is your home while you are here!

There are many reasonably-priced restaurants in Waterville Valley/Campton area, should you wish to dine out.

So come and enjoy the lovely and secluded natural environment of the Mad River Retreat’s 5 private acres along the Mad River…gorgeous mountain scenery…swimming in the Mad River…white mountains hiking…delicious Potluck, campfire and fireworks! Put the dates in your calendar! We’ll see you there!!!

Your hosts,

Mike and Jon