NH GO Gathering

What To Bring: You need to bring a tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, folding chairs, and all the gear associated with car camping. Bring a camp stove for cooking your meal Friday night, breakfast each morning and making hot coffee/tea. That said, there are plenty of restaurants and a Dunkin’ Donuts nearby. Also bring recreation gear ~ kayak, sandals or old sneakers if paddling, swimsuit, hiking boots and daypack, bike, etc. You will need lunch food and water to take on your trips. There are convenience stores nearby should you forget to pack something and they sell ice. Arrive and setup your camp anytime in the afternoon on Friday after 2PM. 

Lodging: If camping is not your thing, here are some lodging options:

• Mountain Fare Inn, Campton
• Gilcrest Cottages & Motel, Thornton
• Days Inn, Campton

You will still have to pay a $10 admission fee to participate in the GO Gathering.

Schedule: 

Friday: Friday dinner is on your own. Some members cook dinner at the site while others go out to a nearby restaurant [Sunset Grill, Mad River Tavern, Tell’s].  Around 7pm we’ll be having a Wine/Cheese social under the big party tent to kick things off. Sign up for any impromptu trips, meet the trip leaders, make new friends, and enjoy a nice time around the campfire. 

Saturday: Get your gear and lunches packed, meet your trip leader and head out for a fun day. Return in the afternoon, play croquet/horseshoes and relax. See below for Saturday night festivities. 

Sunday: Hugs, kisses, and pack up. We have to leave in the afternoon by 2PM. 

Saturday Night Festivities:
Beer Blast: We'll have coolers filled with ice late in the afternoon for you to contribute a six-pack of beer from your local micro-brew. Place a six-pack in the cooler and then sample the other beers people brought. This is always a fun thing to do where we get to sample some unique beer from far away lands!

Potluck at 6:30PM: We provide the paper plates, plastic utensils and napkins; however it’s up to you to provide the serving dish with utensil. The Saturday night potluck begins at 6:30PM at the big party tent so think about the time it will take you to prepare your meal so you’ll be ready by 6:30PM. Main entrees/grilled food is where we typically fall short so please make this your first choice to contribute to the potluck. Vegetarian dishes and a description of the ingredients are appreciated. Salad/Appetizer is a good second choice for the potluck. We usually have way too much dessert so please make this your last choice for the potluck. Please refrain from contributing packaged food like a bag of chips, packaged bakery items, bread, etc. Homemade food always gets eaten and we usually end up throwing away the packaged food. Everyone sits together under the big party tent to enjoy dinner. [If you wish not to participate, you can always eat at one of the local restaurants.]

Afterwards we’ll be playing Werewolves [a fun group party game] under the big party tent and having a group campfire.  

Registration: Pre-registration is required and we don’t accept on-site registrations. This is to help us get a correct head count to properly plan for the weekend and ensure that we have the money needed to pay for the necessary deposits. The registration fee is $35 if you are a full member, $45 if you are guest member and $10 if you staying somewhere else but still want to participate. This will cover the campsite fee, equipment rental, firewood, wine/cheese, ice for beer blast and allows you to participate in the GO Gathering from July 12th to the 14th. If we have any extra money left over [unlikely], it will be given to GO.

Payment: Make your check payable to GO Gathering and mail it to 676 Upper Mad River, Thornton, NH 03283. PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR GO MEMBER NAME so we can match who's signed up on the site with your check. You can pay for more than one member, just include all the names. We must have your check by July 11th meaning you should mail it by July 8th at the latest for us to receive it on time. This is so we can pay the required deposits, get an accurate headcount to make sure we hold a successful gathering, and account for fair weather members who are hesitant about participating.    

Activities: WE NEED TRIP LEADERS TO MAKE THIS EVENT SUCCESSFUL! POST YOUR TRIP ON THE WEBSITE AND MENTION IT'S PART OF THE GO GATHERING. We'll have a message board setup at the campsite if anyone wants to run a last minute trip. [Jon and I are thinking about running a kayaking trip down the Pemigewasset River. We know of a local outfitter that rents kayaks and will shuttle us up the river. We'll post this trip on the website.] Everyone appreciates it when a member steps up and runs a trip for the club! If you need help planning/posting a trip, contact us. 

Dogs: Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash and cleaned up after. They cannot be left unattended and are not welcome in the bathrooms or at the big party tent during meals. 

Volunteers: During the weekend we will be asking you to help out where needed. Jon and I cannot do this alone. The more help we receive, the more likely this will be a successful event. During the weekend ask us if there is anything you can do to help. Thank you!