HARVEY SIDING
Backwoods Blog;
in the woods and on the road…
John Nason standing beside his shiny backwoods car
One day last week I drove to Harvey Siding on the west side of Monticello to observe what remained of the fall colors. It had rained for several days and the river and brooks were fast and overflowing their banks. The woods roads were also wet and swamped in a few places so I didn’t get as far as I would have liked, but it was a good morning in the woods nonetheless. I only made it in about four miles on the South Brook road when I came to a backwoods roadblock; a modest-size spruce tree laying across the road like someone had just chopped it down. It’s always a good idea to carry a chain saw in back of your pickup when you’re driving in the woods (you never know when you might need one), but since I had neglected such advice, my woods trip ended up being a short one indeed. Fortunately, I was able to back up without having to go too far, reverse my direction, and then headed back. On days like this, all you’re really looking for is an excuse to be in the woods and enjoy the day. I took my time driving back, stopping more often than I normally would, I fired up my Coleman stove on the truck tail-gate and had my lunch at 9AM (it’s never too early to have lunch). I’ve included a couple of photos that I took on my way in around 8AM as the frost was melting, mist still remaining in the low areas and the sun just poking through the trees.
I’ve also included several color slides of John Nason, whose camp was right next door to my father’s camp at Harvey Siding. What’s interesting is that they were next door neighbors in town as well. I don’t know what that was all about?! You can see one of my father’s innovative woods stoves in one of the pictures. It looks like he took a metal drum, cut an opening in the front of it and stuck a stove pipe in the top. No need to spend a lot of money on a fancy fire ring or outside stove. Those were the days when times were simpler and the power lines and telephone wires didn’t make it all the way to the woods. Maybe I should consider bringing my chainsaw and leaving my cell phone home the next time I go…
In the woods,
Dave
October 26, 2022
John Nason camp
(Old George Hutchinson camp shoreline would have been on the right)
Over the years, I have heard “Harvey Siding” mentioned many times, but never got to meet him. John Nason’s “Backwoods Car” looks pretty new and fancy for the backwoods. I’m guessing it is a Chrysler product. My mother used to say that as young as age 3 I could name all the cars on the road, but no more. Regarding carrying a chain saw, I agree that it is a must. Mine is always in the box on back, usually gassed and sharpened. My next door neighbor, Mitch, and other year-rounders out here, tell of having to cut 30 or more trees (usually white birches) to get out the South Shore Road after a heavy wet snow and ice storm. That type of storm seems to be happening more in the past few years with the impact of global warming. Just carrying a chain saw may not be enough anymore. You now need to carry the contents of the whole shed so you’ll have more gas, oil, and a file…..
I remember going there for large family picnics back in the early 50s. I was scared to death crossing that bridge. There was always lots of relatives there and us kids had a great time as well. Thanks for the reminder
posted by Steve H.