SUSTAINING MEMBERS ONLY: Mad River Beach Day

If you missed it, then you missed the camaraderie and magic of a great Mad River Beach Day in New Hampshire’s White Mountains on August 1st! Could not have asked for anything better on a warm summer day in the White Mts then sitting and wading in the Mad River with GO friends!

I think having this a men’s only event makes for a better time.

Everyone attending came from New Hampshire with the exception of Joe, from Schenectady, New York, who earned the furtherst distance award! Joe, John, Brian and Mark arrived at 1PM to enjoy the surroundings of the White Mountains, meet new and familiar faces, and spend the day soaking/sunbathing in the Mad River. Mad River Lodge is FABULOUS! From the views extending for miles from the lodge, to the bunk rooms, to bordering the Mad River, the Lodge was perfect for GayOutdoors members. Jon and I gave a warm greeting as everyone arrived and got Joe and John settled into their bunk room.   

Afterwards Jon and I took everyone down for a short hike to the Mad River. It’s a steep descent but everyone managed well, except for me of course...my feet slipped on some mud but I quickly recovered!

The river was crystal clear, water level low, with a minor river current. Joe slipped on the river crossing but it was nothing major, and we all safely made it across. We got our beach chairs setup and got ourselves settled for a relaxing day along the Mad River!

Brian and Joe were the first in. The water temperature was warm and it felt like lake water. We could soak without the need of getting quickly out.  Brian and Jon explored the small cascades looking for the perfect back message. Brian took a ride down the river with his tube a couple times and it was remarkable how well he floated despite the water level being so low. We spent the afternoon soaking, wading, sunbathing and got caught up on what we've all been up to this summer. We had never met Joe before and it was a real pleasure chatting with him and learning about his history. Jon was crawling up the river when the river current pulled his swim trunks down and he was au naturel for a few minutes! Too funny!!!

Around 4:30PM we made our way back up the house and found Joe, Thad and Rick waiting for us on the deck. The view of the Sandwich Mountain Range from the deck was spectacular as you can tell from the photos. 

After hanging out on the deck for bit, Jon went into the kitchen to work on preparing a delicious meal! Joe and Thad were not planning on staying for the BBQ but we certainly were happy they found some time to stop in and socialize.

We were treated grilled Italian marinated chicken with some of Jon’s special spices, summer mashed potatoes, grilled Brussel Sprouts, and a fresh garden salad. Jon once again shared his culinary skills that so many people have enjoyed over the years at the Mad River Lodge. 

Rick asked if anyone wanted a cannabis gummy bear. I’m not sure who took him up on his offer but Jon did and he became the life of the party! He was funny, chatty and entertaining.  

After the BBQ, while we were sitting on the deck Brian shared with us that around 8:37 the International Space Station was going to fly above the house. And sure enough, there it was. Not only did we see the space station, we saw the SpaceX Dragon spaceship flying behind it that had just undocked after picking up some astronauts to return them back to earth.  How cool is that? A once in a lifetime moment. I got a picture of this in one of the photos.  

I got some fireworks ready for later tonight and of course, one was called “Size Doesn’t Matter”. Perfect! Around 9PM Jon lit our burning man bonfire. It was almost a full moon that added to the magic of this entire evening! The fire was super hot so we all had to step far back to enjoy it. About a half hour later, Brian and John helped Mike light off some spectacular fireworks! After the fireworks, Brian and Mark headed back home. During the evening, Jon kept the fire going by placing wood pallets into it. A warm fire, a full moon, hundreds of stars above us and the company of friends made for a perfect evening! 

Sunday morning Joe, John and Rick left after breakfast seeking new adventures! This was a fun weekend with an amenable group of GO members. 

For over 20 years, Gay Outdoors has been dedicated to helping gay, bisexual and straight outdoorzy men meet each other online to participate in outdoor activities run by volunteers who post them in our activities calendar, find the latest news of interest to the gay outdoors community, learn about where to go, what gear to buy and how to get started in outdoor activities. It all leads to a safe, healthy and positive lifestyle!

Thanks to all of us that signed up and participated! We had a fun and relaxing time. We hope to see you on our other trips real soon!

Mike and Jon

Joe Comments Below:

Had an amazing time with Mike/Jon and all the other members.  Could not have asked for anything better on a warm summer day in the White Mts then sitting and wading in the Mad River while talking and enjoying the sun.The bunkbed was really comfortable and Jon is an amazing cook, so humorous and now a friend of mine.  Mike your hospitality and entertainmen could not have gotten any better. Who does a bombfire and fantastic fireworks.  The view from your deck of the moon rising with Jupiter and Saturn was amazing.  Viewing the ISS and the Dragon scoot across the sky was unbelievable. 

Join us at our private beach along the Mad River with a small group of friends for a day of camaraderie, swimming and sunbathing!

We are heading to the Mad River Lodge in Thornton, NH. From the property we cross the shallow Mad River to access a private sandy beach. The water will be refreshing on a hot, hazy and humid day. The sandy beach borders a huge section of sunny river rocks so there is plenty of space to spread out for our small group!  

Arriving at 676 Upper Mad River Road park at either top of the driveway or along the road [mailbox side], walk down the driveway, continue walking to the lawn and look for a small SWIM sign hanging from a tree on the right. Follow the trail down to the beach marked by orange survey tape until you reach the river crossing. Cross the other side and we'll be further up on the left. Keep an eye out for us. NOTE THAT THE TRAIL DOWN TO THE RIVER IS ROUGH AND STEEP. THE RIVER HAS A CURRENT THAT MAKES IT CHALLENGING FOR SOME PEOPLE TO CROSS AND THE ROCKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER ARE SLIPPERY WHEN YOU CROSS SO YOU COULD FALL IN!

THIS EVENT IS FOR SUSTAINING MEMBERS ONLY. >>Click here to become a Sustaining Member 

We are keeping this event at 10 people to make it easier to practice the recommended social distancing of keeping at least 6 feet of distance between everyone.  Also, the recommended guidance of hiking local during the pandemic may still be in effect for this event so please be living in New Hampshire or within an hour or so drive of the event in order to sign up.

What to bring? Bring a very small cooler to keep your beverages cold. You'll need sandals or old sneakers to safely cross the river [no flip flops]. We have some beach chairs beside the corner of the house on the lawn for you to borrow but not enough for everyone. The beach has trees if you need a break from the sun.  Sunscreen, sunglasses, water, cold beer/beverages in a small cooler, snacks, lunch, and of course your swim suit.  

Why Mad River? What's nice about the Mad River is you won't have to pay for parking, no crowds and it's relatively easy to get to from I-93. The water is refreshing on a hot summer day and the beach is located near a small eddy so there is a small swimming hole waist high to soak into. With the river rock, we like building cairn sculptures. Because it's private, we'll have our own beach!  

Where?  Arriving at 676 Upper Mad River park at either top of the driveway or along the road [mailbox side], walk down the driveway, continue walking to the lawn and look for a small SWIM sign hanging from a tree on the right. Follow the trail down the beach marked by survey tape until you reach the crossing. Cross the other side and we'll be further up on the left. Keep an eye out for us. NOTE THAT THE TRAIL DOWN TO THE RIVER IS ROUGH AND STEEP. THE RIVER HAS A CURRENT THAT MAKES IT CHALLENGING FOR SOME PEOPLE TO CROSS AND THE ROCKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER ARE SLIPPERY SO YOU COULD FALL IN!

BBQ After: Everyone is welcome to join us for an outdoor BBQ after we spend some time down by the River. The cost is $10 person and let us know if you plan on joining us. We'll probably hang out on the deck social distancing around 4PM, start cooking around 5PM and everything should be wrapped up by 6:30PM. It's BYOB and bring your snacks [snacks cannot be shared due to COVID]. 

Lodging Option: Contact us if you would like to reserve one of our 4 bunks for Saturday night at cost of $35 or tent on our property for the weekend at $10 per person [limit of 4 people tenting]. We’ll provide coffee and bagels for breakfast in the morning and have a BBQ Saturday night. We leaving it up to everyone to make their own assessment regarding wearing a face covering inside the lodge or outside on the deck. We'll probably light up our bonfire later in the evening and shoot some fireworks! 

Contact trip leaders if you have any questions.