Summary

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, GayOutdoors is hosting a weekend at MountainSide Campground in Hinsdale, NH!  MountainSide is a small horse farm with rolling hay fields, a large wooded area, a house, a barn, and several buildings, including a guest house, cottages, and a bunkhouse.  A large grassy tent area overlooks the southern mountains of Vermont and offers colorful sunsets.  The owners, Dave and Mike, have been longtime GO members and are excited about having our camping weekend at their campground.

Several outdoor activities will be posted for the weekend, and they will be posted as separate events on the website.  Below is a tentative schedule. You may have an activity that you would love to share with other members, such as hiking and swimming excursions, biking, paddling, a bocce ball tournament, morning yoga sessions, etc. We can help you organize it or pair you off with an experienced trip leader to co-lead the trip if you are a little nervous about doing it yourself.  We are not asking for money to attend, but there will be a donation box to help offset costs if you are interested in contributing. 

Friday, 8/16

• 2 pm - 9 pm - Check-in
• 7 pm – Beer & Wine Blast

Saturday, 8/17

• 9:30 am – Kayaking on the West River at the Vermont Canoe Touring Center in Brattleboro
• 9:30 am – Hiking to Daniels Mountain in West Chesterfield
• 1 pm – Swimming in Kilburn Pond
• 1 pm – Window shopping in Brattleboro
• 6:30 pm – Potluck dinner 
• 8 pm – GO Slide Show & 25th Anniversary cake
• 8:30 pm – Fireworks!

Sunday, 8/18

• Breakfast and check-out

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations must be made through MountainSide directly.  In order to reserve your site, book directly with Dave, the owner, by calling 603-398-7871 or through their website http://www.mountainsidenh.com/.  You can let Dave know your preference for a tenting site, or he can choose one for you. If you prefer to upgrade to one of the campers/cabins or in the bunkhouse, or if you have an RV, discuss this with Dave when you register. You will be asked to pay onsite when registering with either cash, check or PayPal; credit cards are not accepted.

Below is the list of accommodations. I will update this list periodically when I learn of accommodations being booked. It was last updated on 4/21. 

• Bunkhouse – Best rented to 2 couples or four friends; has a refrigerator.  (Vacant)
• Single Cabins – Four individual cabins are available  (All booked)
• Abercrombie – King bed with a refrigerator! (Vacant)
• Double Cabin – Can sleep a couple. (Vacant)
• Ice Shanty – Two single beds, all set for fishing. (One bed booked)
• Screen house – Treat yourself to glamping!  Can sleep 2 or 3.  (One bed booked)
• Pavilion – There is a King and Twin bed.  The King bed is great for big guys!  (Vacant)
• Indian Pipe – Can sleep two individuals  (All booked)
• There are also a number of tent sites and RV sites  (5 tent sites and 1 RV booked)

Check-in on Friday is between 2 and 9 p.m. You must check in at the campground no later than 9:00 p.m. Friday night. Dave will make sure you get checked in at registration and find the perfect site for your camping needs. You are encouraged to reserve as soon as possible since space is limited.

MEALS

You are on your own with regard to meals, including breakfast.

The Canteen is the ideal location for meals and our Saturday night potluck. It’s a covered area with 6 or 7 picnic tables, a gas grill, a gas stove/oven, a wood pellet smoker, a sink, and a small refrigerator. Coffee [with cream/sugar] will be provided on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 7 am.

There are many reasonably-priced restaurants in the Hinsdale/Brattleboro area, should you wish to dine out. 

SOCIAL EVENTS

During the day, you are welcome to attend one of the planned activities or do something else entirely.  Rock River is a popular spot in the area.  Evening activities are where members can relax and socialize with everyone else. 

Friday Night Beer/Wine Blast at the Canteen 7 pm: We’ll start off the weekend on Friday night with our traditional Beer/Wine Blast beside a communal bonfire. Bring a six-pack of your favorite local craft beer to share in our communal cooler and sample what everyone else brought! Or bring a bottle of wine to our Wine Table and sample what everyone else brought! We’ll have name badges, and it’s a great way to meet the gang.

Saturday Night Potluck at the Canteen 6:30 PM: Calling all camp cooks! Let's have a potluck supper.  We will circulate a link to sign up to contribute to the potluck a few weeks before the weekend once we have a better idea of the number of attendees. Please focus on the main dishes since we usually have so many appetizers and desserts that they get thrown away; packaged food is usually not eaten. If you prefer not to cook and still care to contribute to the feast, we will also need heavy-duty paper plates, plastic utensils, and napkins. Please indicate in the comments section on this page what dish you will be bringing. Please bring only one dish per person; otherwise, we end up with a lot of food going to waste. Please be sure to bring the serving utensils for your dish. That said, the Canteen had a gas grill, gas stove/oven, and a wood pellet smoker for you to use.

We'll end the potluck with a slideshow from GO’s last 25 years and an Anniversary cake!

Saturday Night Fireworks: After the potluck, it's time to relax and watch the sunset over the breathtaking hills of Vermont. Then, party with a bonfire and, later, FIREWORKS!!!

Directions To Trailhead Parking Lot

MountainSide Campground is located in Hinsdale, NH, and is easily accessed from I-91 and Rt. 119.  To maintain privacy, the campground owners have a policy of only releasing their address when you book your stay.  They will be happy to assist you with directions at that time.  This campground requires reservations. You may make reservations by phone or email.  Book early if you want to reserve lodging, such as a cabin, camper, tent site, or bunkhouse bed. All reservations and funds will go through the campground and NOT the leader of this activity.  Please contact MountainSide directly regarding reservations.