Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Codorus State Park, Pennsylvania

We camped at Codorus State Park just outside Hanover, Pennsylvania, planning to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield. The park had plenty of amenities that we enjoyed.

We rented an individual camp site for two nights. It included a fire pit with grill, a picnic table, and electricity. We only used the electricity for my cpap machine, an electric griddle, and phone charging. The spot was big enough for our two tents with plenty of area for other activities.

Our camp site

Happily, the bathrooms were very close by and were actual bathrooms, not latrines or other minimalist offerings sometimes available. A large field was not too far away either. We played a lot of catch there.

Tossing a football

Receiving a football

The field had a playground, a large fire pit with benches, and a small outdoor theater.

Amenities

The first night, we had a small campfire and made smores before going to bed. 

Starting a fire

Enjoying the night

The next morning, I woke up first and did some reading out by the picnic table while others snoozed.

Sacked out

They slept long enough that I went for a walk and found a few geocaches hidden in the park. They are approved by the park and have very nice housing. No ground tupperware here!

Rabbits on the way to the geocache

Yes, it's meant to resemble an outhouse

The park also has a veterans' memorial area, though no one is buried there.

Pavilion at the Veterans' Memorial

Another geocache featured Kermit the Frog inside. I needed his hopping ability to make it there and back.

Inside another geocache

Obstacle on the path

The park has pavilions for rent. 

Rental pavilion 

Cooking facility inside

By the time I got back to our site, breakfast was underway. We had a guest try to join us but we politely refused.

Pancakes!

Someone trying to crash the party

Checking the fire pit for crumbs

Making cakes

We went to the Gettysburg Battlefield after breakfast, eventually returning for some nap time before our next adventure. I was not tired enough so I found another cache.

A sticky situation

We rented a canoe and a two-person kayak since that was all that was available. Too early in the season, I guess.

First kayakers

First canoers

The campground is on Lake Marburg. The area is very pretty. It is also open enough that wind has a minor effect on our progress. We rowed under a bridge and to some beaches.

Enjoying the lake

Exploring a side water

Trees were all to see

We stopped at one shore and switched around the boats' personnel. 

It's tough paddling uphill!

A moment of good synchronization

Yet another switch

Canoers behind me

At one point, we saw a tree hanging over the water and decided to go through the natural archway.

Aiming for a small hole

We went back to our campground to make a roasted-potato dinner. We had plenty of fixings--cheese, scallions, butter, bacon bits, etc. We were forced to have plenty of patience as the cooking time was not very precise.

Getting the fire started

A good blaze

Roasting potatoes in foil

A great finished product

The next morning we had simple breakfast of oatmeal, apples, tea, and juice. Packing up the campground went quickly and we were soon home. The overall experience was a bit rough on the parents but the kids had a great time.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Cub Scout Camping Fall 2022

Our Cub Scout pack camped out in October 2022. We went back to a favorite, Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation. My family arrived Saturday morning and set up early.

No posing by the tent

The morning was slow since we were waiting for the rest of the scout families to arrive. My daughter tried whittling with her small Swiss Army knife. 

Cutting wood down to size

Just before lunch we went for a hike through the reservation. We found some interesting tracks along the way. We think some wild turkeys crossed the path.

Tracks not made by me

We also spotted an underground entrance that was not open to visitors. The "chimney" at the top looks like some industrial exhaust. Did they build some kind of bunker for emergencies?

Maybe it will open for Halloween?

Our trail took us to Lake Straus, a small leisure lake created by damming Broad Creek. The creek runs through the reservation, eventually emptying into the Susquehanna River. We saw a blue heron on the water in the distance.

Lake Straus

The river beyond the lake

The spillway of the dam

After lunch, we started lighting fires without matches or lighters! This activity is a favorite of the cub master. His first effort was with a magnifying glass. The glass concentrates the sunshine to a focal point. It was able to burn holes through egg cartons. The only challenge was keeping the scouts from wandering around behind the cub master and eclipsing the sun!

One way to start a fire

The activity switched to using flint and steel lighters. My son had some trouble getting it started but was able to make sparks and did get a fire going.

Creating fire!

The cub master had a cattail that he got about a week ago. The cattail looked like a corndog. It was almost dry enough to light. The best part is inside the cattail, where there's a lot of light-weight fluffy stuff that would have caught fire with a couple more days of drying.

Trying to light some challenging tinder

The scouts also learned to tie a variety of knots and run an obstacle course blindfolded. Since I ran those activities, I took no pictures.

Dinner was the ever-popular walking tacos.

Filling and easy to make

As the campfire was being readied, we saw the moon rise over the trees. Just above the moon, Jupiter was visible.

Moonrise

Closeup showing Jupiter higher in the sky

The campfire was mostly casual, with smores as the first part of the fun.

Roasting marshmallows

Things got more serious when we retired two American flags. When the flags are too damaged or ragged to be displayed, they should be burned and/or buried. The older scouts put the flags in the fire.

Taking the flag to the fire

The flag on the fire

Adding the second flag

As the fire died down, we saw the grommets from one of the flags.

Can you find the grommets?

The night was a chilly one and sleep was not easy for me. In the morning there was frost on the ground, the tents, and the buildings.

Frosty field

Looking back to our camp

We left my combo whistle/thermometer/light outside of our tent. The reading just before 7 a.m. was quite chilly.

Read it and weep snowflakes

We had a fun campout but really hope that the Spring campout will involve warmer weather.