Washbourne Chronicles: 2009.09.20 -- Acorn Camp on New Hogan Lake

Friday

We packed 7 people into the van, and used the roof and the back to get all the camping stuff down the road.

2 tents, 7 sleeping bags, 7 camp chairs, a dutch oven (more on this exquisite culinary companion later), two coolers, a whole bunch of fishing gear, and two 6 foot by 2.5 foot by 7 inch foam mattresses for the older crew who don't like to sleep on the camping pads the rest of us used.

We planned on going for a hike so we included the stroller, and we needed the ladder just to access all the crap we brought. The reclining camp chair down under there somewhere was my birthday present. Turns out it was too damn hot for a hike around the damn.

No one expected 100 degree temps in the last week of September, so we were a little warm. Here is the view from the campsite. I think I may have selected the best one, site unseen, by careful analysis of the map. Such factors as proximity to dump station are quite important. I note that the water level is down 100 feet from conventional depth.

Saturday

Erick got his birthday present two weeks early (below), and was presented with a fishing pole. We left right after my gourmet birthday breakfast (creamed eggs on toast, sausages, and home fries) to go fishing.

We talked to several different people with the goal of getting the best spot to catch something, and ended up at "Wrinkle Cove". With the water so low so the fishing aint what it was and we got skunked pretty badly.

Here is the view from the campsite on Saturday afternoon. Robert and I spontaneously decided to swim across the lake, because it was too damn hot for anything else. I grew up on a large lake and have done that kind of thing many times before, but Robert is used to pools; and so swimming in a large lake make him nervous.

Hence the backup plan based on my Dad's excellent suggestion. We brought a blow up water toy that someone gave to us, and I tied a string to it as a backup in case Robert got tired.

Here we are maybe 1/4 of the way across. When we got even with the buoy slightly ahead of this position, Robert climbed up on the mattress, and I towed him the rest of the way across. I note that using a string as a harness is not such a great idea from a comfort perspective, but it did work.

Hard to see but that boy is getting a free ride here.

Success!! We achieved the far side with no problem. I had been talking with Robert and assuring him that there was nothing in the lake to be afraid of. I was hoping that he would swim himself for more of the return trip, and was surprised when he said he was going to "go for it".