Sawyer Pond backpacking trip

Gus and I went to the White mountains in a place called Sawyer Pond, NH. There is a little lake there and a two beautiful tree covered peaks. The campsites are very nice and yet still rustic enough for Gus and I to feel like we were backpacking. I highly recommend this site for anyone with small kids or people going on their first backpacking trip. It is only a 5 mile drive up a well graveled road from the main highway, and then a 1.5 mile hike to the campsite. There are trees and streams all along the way as well as over 265 mushrooms (we counted)! The trees cover the path above, and on both sides making it even more spectacular when you get to Sawyer Pond. There are two toilets, which makes it easier to “rough it”. There are 7 tent sites all are the typical New England type sites made 4 inch slats of wood nailed together about 6 inches off of the ground to keep your tent dry in case of a deluge. The lake is magnificent, clear, pristine, and warm enough to swim in. The fish weren’t biting but I heard of many people that have caught fish there. They are mainly brook trout, which would make for a fun fishing trip if conditions were right. Some people do take canoes up there but we didn’t see any. On our first night we fished and saw a moose cross the lake! I tried to take a photo but it was too dark and far away. I was a little nervous sleeping over since there were bear warning signs everywhere, but once I relaxed and started to fall asleep I felt fine. Gus on the other hand was in his element. He was a little nervous to stray from camp in the dark to put up our food in a tree (bear precaution), but other than that he seemed braver than myself. In fact, when I mentioned bears he said “Bears don’t scare me, it’s the snakes I am worried about.” I tried to not let him see me laugh. He has been watching Indiana Jones a lot lately! We slept pretty well until about midnight when the moon came over the mountains in nearly full fashion and very bright, at which time the Loons decided to start howling! I thought they were wolves at first, but then quickly realized that the repetitions were too birdlike to be wolves... not to mention that there probably haven’t been wolves in NH for about 100 years.

We obviously survived the night and enjoyed fishing, wandering, swimming, exploring, collecting firewood, newt and frog catching, more fishing, and more swimming. We ate dinner much earlier that night and tried to watch the sun fade from the tops of the mountains nearby before going to bed. We left early the next morning to see if we could catch some fish somewhere else. We eventually ended up at a fish hatchery where you could catch a fish and take it home to be cooked for about 2$ a pound. We happily fished. Gus caught his first fish and I enjoyed watching him reel it in. I wish I would have remembered that the camera takes video, but at least I got a picture. We gutted the fish, headed home, got some ice, and cooked the fish when we got home. It didn’t taste too good to either of us. I told Gus that only a handful of times have I enjoyed eating fish, and usually it was at a campsite with my dad. I never seem to know how to cook them properly, or somehow they manage to make me feel queasy. We agreed to catch more and go fishing more often but we would throw them back since no one in the house wanted to eat them. The trip was awesome and I took a bunch of photos.

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