NH GO Gathering

More than 40 gay outdoors enthusiasts camped at Branch Brook Campground in Campton, NH for our annual NH Gay Outdoors Gathering.

Friday was off to a rocky start with raindrops during the day that turned into a steady drizzle around 10:00PM but that did not deter members from driving up and setting up their tents. We had partly sunny skies for the remainder of the weekend. The GO Gathering has been an annual event since 2003. This year's GO Gathering's biggest turnout to date.

The weekend was an opportunity to enjoy activities in the White Mountains, share a fabulous potluck dinner, watch fireworks and partake in the camaraderie that always accompanies these events.

One of the major highlights of GO Gathering is re-invigorating our thriving gay outdoors recreation community.

What fun chemistry! Take a whole bunch of GOers, spend a few months getting them all pumped up to spend a weekend doing what they love best! Enjoy the reaction and be part of it.  Just the fact that we’re still doing this and having so much fun after all these years speaks for itself.

Activities in the day included a Zipline tour, hikes to Mt. Osceola and Mt. Tecumseh, kayaking down the Pemigewasset River and swimming/sunbathing on the sandbar across from our campsite. 

A Beer Blast/Meet 'N Greet was held on Friday night to kick off the weekend. Campfires were lit each night under a moonless sky with where we could view millions of stars above and some passing shooting stars. A variety music was played on a boom-box.  

Saturday night marked the conclusion of the GO Gathering starting off with our Potluck dinner where members continue to outdo themselves each year by cooking up culinary delights on either their camp stoves or grills; or bringing a meal prepared from home. After a group picture was taken everyone huddled around the campfire for banter and laughs. Later, Mike and Jon crossed the Pemigewasset River in the dark and shot off a bunch of fireworks from a sandbar in front of our campsite. Gay outdoor recreation clubs are such a good thing because it's such a great alternative of meeting people besides bars or the Internet.

We noticed a lot of new faces and as well as a great many familiar ones. We take that as a sign of healthy and vibrant community that is developing its own tradition while evolving.  As always, we would like to profusely thank everyone who attended this year’s Gathering and helped out when something needed to get done.

Highlights for us was the Zipline Tour with Alpine Adventures, nightly campfires, sampling the great micro-brew beer that was brought in, yummy potluck, hearing all the laughter and storytelling in the air,  becoming better friends with members we know, welcoming newcomers, wading across the Pemi River Saturday afternoon for some sunbathing/swimming while watching kayaks/canoes colliding with each other, and wading across the river once more in the dark to shoot off the fireworks,  Our only regret was not able to spend more time with each and every one of you. Maybe next year!

Next year's GO Gathering will be held in the same campsite on August 21-23. Please come back and tell your friends to join us.

~ Mike and Jon

The largest camping gathering for GayOutdoors, GO Gathering welcomes gay outdoorzy men of all ages and abilities to New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest at Branch Brook Campground near Waterville Valley. This year it will be held later in the summer season at a new riverside group campsite along the Pemigewasset River where we can swim/tube right from our site!

We'll have a huge tent canopy setup on our group campsite with tables/chairs underneath for meals, etc. Registrants are asked to pay $35 to attend if they are a full member, $45 if they are a guest member, or $10 if they are staying somewhere else and want to participate in our activities.

Members will be running trips all weekend. We'll have campfires, a Friday night Beer Blast kick-off party, tubing/swimming along the Pemigewasset River, outdoorzy activities; and a huge Saturday night potluck with great food [you'll be amazed at the culinary talents of members using grills and camp stoves], and fireworks.

Last year tubing in the Pemigewasset River by going in at one end of the campround and getting out at the other end was very popular. Bring your tube or you can rent/buy one at the campground office.This year, since our site is riverside, we'll be able to swim right from our campsite. Kayaking on the Pemigewasset River can be accommodated with a nearby outfitter who rents kayaks with shuttle service.  Also the campground has lots of mountain bike trails to explore.

This is an action packed weekend suitable for all, designed to have a bit of everything to give you a chance to try something new or to just enjoy your favorite outdoor pursuits. Activities in the area include hikes at all levels [Welsh/Dickey, Mt. Osceola, Mts. Lafayette/Lincoln]; tubing, swimming and recreational kayaking in the Pemigewasset River; swimming/water slide at Franconia Falls, ziplining with Alpine Adventures, biking on the Franconia Notch bikepath, taking the Cannon Mt. Aerial Tramway to the summit, etc.   

Boasting world-class mountain sports, legendary above treeline trekking, and stunning views, Waterville Valley is the gateway to the White Mountain National Forest hiking/camping scene. Fancy doing something different on a summer weekend? Don't waste it shopping ~ escape from the city and get up to the national forest with GayOutdoors' GO Gathering.

This is our 12th year, our biggest annual event and members say it is THE event to attend. Participating in GO Gathering is not only fun, but rewarding, too. It's a special treat for newcomers and a summer favorite to returning members. It's a weekend for making new outdoorzy buddies and catching up with friends.

It's easy to see why GO Gathering has become our premiere camping weekend. Grab your camping and outdoorzy gear and join us: GO Gathering is calling!  Offering easy access from Interstate I-93, local restaurants and convenience stores, you are within easy reach of anything you might need. The GO Gathering is a special treat for newcomers and a summer favorite fo returning members. We encourage you to join us! We're sure you will be happy you did!

>>Click Here To View Pictures From Last Year

Campground: The campground has flushing toilets, hot showers, swimming pool, volleyball court and a beach along the river. We’ll have a big party tent set up in the field with tables and chairs to accommodate everyone; and a couple charcoal grills for you to help you prepare food for the Saturday night potluck. This will be our central headquarters for the weekend. Setup your tent in the field and we'll have an area to park your vehicles. We’ll also have a central area for group fires each night. The campground has quiet hours after 10:30pm but many of us still party; we just tone it down.  

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 and Saturday 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].  Around 7pm we’ll start the Beer Blast and have some munchies under the big party tent to kick things off. 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! 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, relax and get ready for the potluck. See below for Saturday night festivities. 

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

Saturday Night Festivities:
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...ok we didn't do this last year but we'll try again this year] under the big party tent and having a group campfire. We will also be bringing GO t-shirts and our new hats to sell where you can save money by not paying the shipping costs.

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, munchies, ice for beer blast and allows you to participate in the GO Gathering from August 22nd to the 24th. 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 August 18th meaning you should mail it by August 15th 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 putting together a Zipline adventure with Alpine Adventures. We'll post this trip on the website and only paid GO Gathering members will be able to participate.] 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. It would also be great if someone will setup a volleyball net since this is fun game to play with a group.

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!