Took my daughter hammock camping for the first time.

**alrany187** · 08-12-2012, 16:59

My daughter had been asking to go to the Adirondacks to do some wilderness exploring for the past couple of months. She has never been camping and I suggested a shorter trip closer to home first in order for her to see if she was really ready for it.

My friends and I were planning to head to Little Rock City in southwest New York and I asked the girls (daughter and her friend) if they wanted to go. They said yes and so it was. I had extra hammocks and they were told there were no facilities in a state forest and they would have to rough it. I showed my daughter the first Shug video which she watched in silence, but showed no interest in continuing with them.

We arrived at Little Rock City and did a quick look around. It seemed promising, so we started to set up.

I was tying the Marlin Spike Hitch on my daughter's suspension, and behind me I hear her say "On the knot, not the toggle" repeatedly. I turn around to face her and she says "Do you want me to s h o w y o u i n s l o w m o t i o n?" to which we both started laughing.

Everyone had a good time, except for Dan who had the faulty ENO Guardian and left. We explored for the remainder of the morning and then there was a thunderstorm in the afternoon, but my daughter commented how the sound of thunder echoing through the hills was quite unique.

**Les Rust** · 08-12-2012, 17:07

Glad you all had a good time. Yes, they're learning even when we don't think they're half way paying attention. I like the looks of Little Rock City. Of course, here in Tennessee we See Rock City all the time. Thanks for the trip report. Hope she gets out there some more. You're a good man to take her.

**MAD777** · 08-12-2012, 18:01

That's so fantastic that she wanted to go with you! Great spirit!

It's so funny that she's only been in a hammock one time and already mimicking Shug!

**HappyCamper** · 08-12-2012, 18:33

Excellent! Glad she enjoyed it. Thanks for the pics.

**nogods** · 08-12-2012, 18:59

Looks like you had a great time - rock city is a neat place to explore.

The Finger Lakes/North Country Trail in Allegany State Park offers the opportunity to do a long backpacking trip or just short over night trips.

There are 3 lean-toes in ASP on the trail at which you can camp. All three can be reached by hikes of 1.5 to 7 miles, depending on what trail head you use. Or you could hike from one end to the other (20 miles).

They all have well maintained outhouses and spring water coming out of a pipe (but you would still want to filter it.) The lean-toes are in excellent condition.

The Beck Hollow lean-to in the northern part of the park has the best hanging area around the lean-to. Stony Brook lean-to in the central part of the park has the second best hanging area, although if you bushwhack (no real bushes involved, just some ferns covering the forest floor) up the hill behind the lean-to you will find a better hanging area.

The last lean-to, Willis Creek, doesn't have a very good hanging area near the lean-to, but just east or west of the lean-to there are some nice spots.

Bring a bear bag or canister though, especially if you use Willis Creek lean-to. The bears have been more daring than in most years, perhaps because of the hot dry weather and the near absence of fruit on the berry bushes.

And be sure to stop at the park police (not the rental office) in the Red House Admin building to let them know the make, model, and license number of your car, and where it will parked overnight, so they don't ticket it or put a nasty note on your car. i always give it to them in writing to be certain the desk sergeant doesn't forget to pass on the information to the next shift.

**alrany187** · 08-12-2012, 19:33

Originally Posted by nogods

Looks like you had a great time - rock city is a neat place to explore.

The Finger Lakes/North Country Trail in Allegany State Park offers the opportunity to do a long backpacking trip or just short over night trips.

Actually, we didn't go to the one in Allegheny State Park. We went to the one in Rock City State Forest, just south of Great Valley. No lean tos or cabins there. A few "designated" campsites that have a small covered table and a fire pit. Great for hanging and exploring. The North Country Trail goes through the state forest also.

Ellis

**alrany187** · 08-12-2012, 19:54

Originally Posted by Les Rust

Glad you all had a good time. Yes, they're learning even when we don't think they're half way paying attention. Thanks for the trip report. Hope she gets out there some more. You're a good man to take her.

Originally Posted by MAD777

That's so fantastic that she wanted to go with you! Great spirit!

It's so funny that she's only been in a hammock one time and already mimicking Shug!

Originally Posted by HappyCamper

Excellent! Glad she enjoyed it. Thanks for the pics.

Originally Posted by nogods

Looks like you had a great time - rock city is a neat place to explore.

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you. Best part is she is even more enthused about hanging than before. She still throws out little Shug quotes. She has decided she needs new boots for the outdoors. As I have my DIY hammock, I have surrendered my ENO SN to her with suspension and tarp. I am so happy that she enjoyed it so much.

Now I need some help from my NY brothers on how to get to Sliding Rock Falls, south of Cranberry Lake.

Ellis

**nogods** · 08-12-2012, 19:57

Originally Posted by alrany187

Actually, we didn't go to the one in Allegheny State Park. We went to the one in Rock City State Forest, just south of Great Valley. No lean tos or cabins there. A few "designated" campsites that have a small covered table and a fire pit. Great for hanging and exploring. The North Country Trail goes through the state forest also.

Ellis

Yes, I know exactly where you went. I've hiked the FLT from Allegany County to the PA border in 2009. This summer I'm hiking the CT (which is the same as the FLT/NCT after route 242) from Springville to the PA line.

I mentioned ASP because you said your daughter wanted to go "wilderness" camping in the ADK's. A short backpacking trip in ASP would be a good warmup.

I've spent a lot of time in the ADK's as well. My son recently graduated from Paul Smith's with a BS in outdoor rec. One of the many pleasures of hiking in the ADK's is the new open latrines - no sides, just a seat over a hole. But nice and quiet, and some with a view.

The nice thing about hammock camping is that you aren't restricted to designated campsites in either the ADK forest preserve or the many state forest in WNY. You can camp anywhere that is 150 feet from road, trail and water. In the ADK's the added restriction is you can only camp below 3500 feet. You could also pitch a tent, but the rooted and rocky terrain, especially in the ADK's, makes pitching a tent usually limited to designated campsites

If you read the regs for the eastern high peaks region of the ADK's you'll see a rule that says you can only camp in designated campsite in the South Meadows-Flowed Lands Corridor. But read carefully, that regulation does not go into effect until after the entire tent-site lean-to plan has been completed, which has not yet happened.

And I know of one senior forest ranger who is lobbying to have hammocks excluded from that restriction, although that probably won't happen.