Fahnestock State Park, 6/8-10/2007

I got to Fahnestock State Park in Carmel Friday about 2 p.m. and it was hot as blazes. The sites were great: all with fire rings, grills and extra wood in abundance. Site #25 had a path to a remote section in back; site #26 had a HUGE section for tents among trees.

After settling in at site #25 and putting up the "Campers’ Group" banner, I spent the afternoon exploring around the park and nearby Cold Spring and turned in about 7:30 p.m. Athmane and his wife Sally arrived about 8 p.m. at site #26, expertly setting up the new, huge rain tarp over the picnic table, starting a fire and preparing their supper.

Saturday, I got up early and drove to the historic preservation site, Boscobel, about 20 miles away for their annual snapping turtle "show and tell" program. June is the month to observe snapping turtles laying their eggs. At Boscobel’s promontory overlooking a sublime view of the Hudson Valley and Constitution Marsh, Audubon Society staff showed about 200 parents and children male, female and baby snapping turtles and then led walks around the grounds to observe female snappers laying eggs. An exhilarating start to Saturday!

Sarah