Trip report

NH GO Gathering

Weekend Trip DATE: 08/21/2015 - 08/23/2015

Trip/Event Location: Waterville Valley, NH
US

Trip Leader(s): Gandalf , JDNnh

Max # People: 100

Trip Guiding / Event Fee: Yes, but only to cover shared expenses, and I too am paying

Difficulty Level: Easy

The largest camping gathering for GayOutdoors, GO Gathering welcomes gay outdoorzy men of all ages and abilities to New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest at Branch Brook Campground near

...
Driving directions to the location and spot to meet at:

We are at the River Bend Reunion group field at Branch Brook Campground, 97 Branch Brook Drive, Campton, NH 03223. [603] 726-7001

Click Here For Directions

Click Here For Campground Map

We'll have signs to help direct you. Enter the campground and drive towards the office. Right before the office, take a right turn and drive between the swimming pool on your left and baseball field on your right. At the intersection, take a left and continue to a T intersection. Take a left and drive to our site. We'll have a designated parking area. Setup your gear, say hi to everyone, check out the message board under the big party tent, and PARTY!


Trip Report/Photos
Featured Photo

Despite ominous forecasts, the weather late Friday afternoon cleared resulting with a beautiful, warm (high 70s), totally sunny, gorgeous weekend for camping, kayaking, swimming, hiking, biking, and just plain relaxing at the 13th Annual NH GO Gathering at Branch Brook Campground in Campton, NH.   

What fun chemistry! Take a whole bunch of GOers, spend a few months getting them all pumped up to spend a weekend doing what they love best! Enjoy the reaction and be part of it.  Just the fact that we’re still doing this and having so much fun after all these years speaks for itself.

The weekend was an opportunity to enjoy activities in the White Mountains, share a fabulous potluck dinner, watch fireworks and partake in the camaraderie that always accompanies these events.

One of the major highlights of GO Gathering is re-invigorating our thriving gay outdoors recreation community. Gay outdoor recreation clubs are such a good thing because it's such a great alternative of meeting people besides bars or the Internet.

Activities on Saturday included kayaking down the Pemigewasset River, Mt. Tecumseh hike, Welsh & Dickey Mountains hike, mountain biking in the campground and swimming/sunbathing at our campsite. Thank you to everyone who ran an event for others to enjoy!

A Beer Blast/Meet 'N Greet was held on Friday night to kick off the weekend. Campfires were lit each night under a half-moon where we could view millions of stars above and some passing shooting stars. A variety of music was heard thanks to Bryan bringing his Bluetooth wireless speakers. Thank you!

Saturday night marked the conclusion of the GO Gathering starting off with our Potluck dinner where members continue to outdo themselves each year by cooking up culinary delights on either their camp stoves or grills; or bringing a meal prepared from home. After a group picture was taken everyone huddled around the campfire for banter and laughs.

Eighteen members participated in a lively game of Werewolves! Four of them were Werewolves who woke up each night biting, killing and devouring one of our 18 gay campers one by one. In the morning, our gay campers would vote to lynch who they thought was a Werewolf amongst them, who was hanged and burned. At the end, all of the gay campers were killed with one werewolf remaining alive: Bob!   

A special moment was shared when Tony proposed to Craig in front of our community besides the campfire. Craig accepted and they will be getting married! We feel privileged to have witnessed such a monumental moment. You make such a great couple and we are so very happy for both of you!

Later, Mike and Keith crossed the Pemigewasset River in the dark and shot off a bunch of fireworks from a sandbar in front of our campsite. A funny moment occurred when the lighter stopped working so Keith swam across the river to retrieve a lighter and kept it dry on the return! We saved the best and last fireworks cake to Tony and Craig in celebration of their union! The grand finale was Mike’s and Keith's Full Moon over the campsite. :-)

We noticed a lot of new faces and as well as many familiar ones. We take that as a sign of healthy and vibrant GO community that is developing its own tradition while evolving.  As always, we would like to profusely thank everyone who attended this year’s Gathering and helped out when something needed to get done.

Highlights for me was kayaking/swimming down the Pemi River, nightly campfires, sampling the great micro-brew beer everyone brought in, yummy potluck, hearing all the laughter and storytelling in the air, becoming better friends with members I know and those I didn’t know, relaxing at the campsite, Tony's proposal to Craig, Werewolves, and wading across the river in the dark to shoot off the fireworks. My only regret was not being able to spend more time with each and every one of you. Maybe next year!

Thank You to all who attended!

Thank You to all who pitched in and volunteered to make this such a fun event for all of us!

Thank You to the incredible dishes everyone provided for this year’s potluck. It was amazing all the delicious foods everyone provided using their camp stoves that rivalled any potluck you might have attended at someone’s home in the city!

Mark Your Calendars For Next Year! See you at the same location on August 19-21 for next year’s NH GO Gathering! Please come back and tell your friends to join us.

~ Mike

  There are 32 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)

Members That Participated

Gandalf

Outdoor Fitness Level: Very Strenuous


Thornton, NH


United States
JDNnh

Outdoor Fitness Level: Very Strenuous


Thornton, NH


United States
sedonahikerman

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Plainville, MA


United States
HikerBiker

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Londonderry, NH


United States
UMassgrad01

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


North Andover, MA


United States
Stacey

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Cumberland, RI


United States
JPHiker

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Lake Worth Beach, FL


United States
johnpynchon

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Boston, MA


United States
g-man

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


durham, NH


United States
Outsider87

Outdoor Fitness Level: Strenuous


Campton, NH


United States
Outdoor 456

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Lansdale, PA


United States
Tri-coastal

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Lee, NH


United States
TIGER1058

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


KINGSTON, RI


United States
paw

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


burlington, VT


United States
Flycatcher

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Franklin, MA


United States
kalevine

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Buzzards Bay, MA


United States
murph

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Quincy, MA


United States
rbridges33

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Boston, MA


United States
travelguy

Outdoor Fitness Level: Easy to Moderate


Gaithersburg, MD


United States
kayakhike

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Chichester, NH


United States
Scorpione

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Boston / Cape Ann, MA


United States
emsinjp

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Jamaica Plain, MA


United States
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