Everyone arrived and set up on Friday. Although there was no water on the site, we took a short drive to Crowley’s Landing (a boat launch and picnic area) to fill up two five-gallon water bags at a bathroom sink. The water bags lasted us the weekend. The water was slightly brownish, possibly because it’s high in iron; the area was once a center for iron mining.
We ate dinner and made a campfire. A few people walked to Crowley’s Landing and swam in the Mullica River. I took a night hike down a sandy trail leading from the campsite into the heart of Wharton.
On Saturday, we all drove a few miles down the road to rent kayaks. It had rained heavily during the previous days, and the rivers were so swollen that we were not allowed on most of them. Fortunately, the Mullica River was still open, but only for people 12 years of age and older. That meant that 8-year-old Sean could not join us, so he and his father went back to Crowley’s Landing and swam for the afternoon.
The rest of us rented three two-person kayaks and had a great time navigating the Mullica. We went swimming in the river and used a rope hanging from a tree to imitate Tarzan. No one got Tarzan’s yell just right.
After kayaking, we returned to camp, ate a late lunch, collected and sawed some wood for the evening’s campfire, and played soccer and chess. I collected several hundred wild blueberries along the sand trail in back of our site.
When evening came, we made another campfire and roasted marshmellows.
Later, three of us took a night hike along the same sandy trail. At one point, Mary wanted to turn around so Bella went back to camp with her and I continued. On my way back, I met Bella and we decided to walk further. We went several miles, making several turns, before we finally came to a paved road. We argued briefly about where we were, but then headed back. There was some tension concerning whether we would find our way back, and we attempted to frighten each other by telling scary stories. Despite the scary stories, we found our way back without a problem, reaching camp at 1:40 AM. The campfire was out, but the garbage had to be put away, the picnic table prepared for tomorrow’s expected rain, and the teeth brushed. So I didn’t get to sleep until after two. I estimate that Bella and I walked 6-8 miles.
On Sunday it rained on and off. Most of the time it drizzled, but there were also periods of downpour. A few people went swimming in the morning, and then we packed up and headed over to Batsto Village where we inspected the grist mill, a blacksmith’s shop, a stable, a mansion, and the workers’ quarters. (Batsto Village is a restored iron-mining company town.) Then we ate lunch in a diner and headed home.
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