Driving through the little town of Quick my eyes fixed upon finding
Dutch Ridge Road, so many thoughts and feelings flooded my mind. We had
our maps from Map Quest, and Topo Maps from Topo Zone.
There was the sign for Dutch Ridge Road..
We headed up the hill and along Dutch Ridge Road looking for our turn off
to go over the hill and down towards Galahad. We weren't quite sure if
we could locate it, and sure enough we missed it. We ended up at the end
of Dutch Ridge Road where the roads all meet. There was the sign for the
Hunting and Fishing Club!!!
Was it really still there ?? We turned
down the narrow road following the sign, one place we came to, the road
divided, we weren't quite sure which way to go, we chose the road most
traveled and finally we came upon another sign pointing us onward. Finally
we came upon one last sign, it read "Carbide Recreation Club".
We were there, there was the lower
lake !! Across the lower lake we saw the Lodge, yes the Hunting and Fishing
Club WAS still there. There was a little white guard house we stopped and
I signed in.
Oh how different everything looked.
There were trailer campers, and a mobile home, there was a man walking
around by the mobile home, not knowing if we would even be allowed to be
there we drove across a little bridge and into the yard/driveway of the
mobile home. I got out and spoke to the man, he told me he was the caretaker.
We had noticed a sign pointing toward the upper lakes, even though we couldn't
see them, he told us one had been drained and said we could drive up there
and look around, he told us who to contact for membership information,
I was thinking ahead, thinking about a reunion, wanting someone to be a
member so that we could "legally" be on the creek. He told us the road
down toward that camp, (meaning Galahad), was in really bad shape, he said
that we would probably have to go back around Dutch Ridge and take the
road over the hill. We thanked him for the information and continued on.
We drove up the road where the sign pointed toward the Upper Lake, we saw
nothing but brush and turned around. The road was no more than a path.
We came out of the road from the Hunting
and Fishing Club and decided to try the old way, turning the opposite direction
of the way we had came we were on our way. What Road? Where did it go ?
There used to be a road here, not much of a road here now. We continued
on, not really having a place to turn around, the road was in terrible
condition, I was so afraid we'd get stuck.
Finally we came to a place where the
road looked freshly paved and graveled, it was in great shape, it was the
road that came from Dutch Ridge.
Within in moments there was Galahad,
it was still there, there were "campers" playing basketball, a few others
walking near the pool. Besides a new bridge over into the camp, it hadn't
changed at all.
Did this mean Carlisle and Camelot
would still be there? They really weren't gone? Surely they were there.
We would stop at Galahad on the way back I told Dad, we needed to get on
down the creek.
We forded the creek at Galahad and
proceded down the road towards Camelot. I really knew in my heart it would
still be there, all this talk of the camps being torn down, hmmm, I don't
think so. I knew that when we came to Camelot, and it was intact, Carlisle
would be as well.
From the creek crossing at Galahad
to the crossing at Camelot was not near as far as I remembered.
There it was, the creek crossing into
Camelot !! The "No Tresspassing" sign was still on the tree at the edge
of the creek, but, someone had forgotten to hang the Camelot sign there
beneath it. Noone had been keeping the weeds cut, (man the new caretaker
sure wasn't as profficient as Russ), I couldn't see the Camelot Castle
and Wings from this side of the creek the weeds were too high. The left
turn out of the creek into Camelot's driveway had been washed out by "recent"
high water. Oh well we'd just go straight through the creek and turn back
to the left into Camelot. The swinging bridge was gone, I guess it finally
got too old and was no longer needed, campers might get hurt on it so it
had to be torn down.
We forded the creek but could not turn
back to our left, there was brush where the road should be, and looking
straight ahead, where was the pool ??
Tears flooded my eyes and replaced
the anticipation of finding our beloved summer place filled with the sounds
of campers singing and laughing.
We could see where the pool had been,
and the field between the pool and Camelot's driveway. We could see the
knoll that once held Camelot's Castle and wings, I could picture Ma and
Faye's little cabin there behind the Castle.
I knew it was useless to continue down
the graveled road toward Carlisle, but, I had to see for myself that it
too had been destroyed by the cold, hard, steel blades of the bulldozers.
So, on we went.
There on the right we could see where
the old road had cut back across the creek, the old bridge wall is a lonely
survivor. There behind it is the clearing where the Camelot corral was.
Boy, does that place have memories!!
At the mouth of Panther Hollow and
near where the Carlisle damn once stood there was a man spreading grass
seed around a new gas well operation.
Then, there it was, or actually, WASN'T.
The Carlisle site was less recognizable
than that of Camelot. The road has changed, the creek has changed, you
couldn't tell where the road had once went by the driveway, instead it
kinda dropped off into the creek. There is what appears to be a 4-wheeler
path down the center of Carlisle following the old sidewalk. We made it
a little past where the front of the Castle had once been. Past this point
the brush was really thick, I was in sandals and afraid to walk very far.
The stone patio area in front of the
"reading room", (front of the Castle), and portions of the stone sidewalk
were the only visible signs anything had been there at all.
I could picture in my mind every inch
of what had once been.
I relived every step I had ever taken
here.
Every friend I had ever seen on this
sidewalk.
(Next time I come back, I thought,
I will bring the 4-wheeler so I can make it a little futher than Dad's
van could take me, I will make it through the creek, will see if the corral
spot is visible. I'll see if that stone fountain is still there. I'll go
as far as I can on that 4-wheeler, will see if I can find where the rifle
range was.)
I took some pictures and took in every
inch of the place, I searched for anything, any sign of Carlisle once having
been there. I believe there was an evergreen that may have been at the
back corner of wing one.
I couldn't even tell where the path
had went up the hill to the vespers circle, but, behind my closed eyes,
which couldn't contain the tears, it was ALL there.
We left Carlisle and headed back down
the road, we stopped at Galahad and found the people running it..
Galahad is now a year round Christian
boarding school for troubled boys. It was bid on by a Church group and
a Nudist Colony. The Church's bid was lower but, was accepted over that
of the Nudist Colony.
Could you imagine a Nudist Colony
at Galahad ?
Galahad is now called Camp Joshua Scott.
The VERY low price for which it was
purchased makes one wish that the Carbide Camps could have been purchased
and preserved, instead of a place for the brush to consume. What a shame
Camp alumni couldn't have purchased Camp Galahad and set up a camp for
our children and grandchildren as well as a place for reunions and gatherings.
Galahad at least was spared from the bulldozers.
The folks at Galahad were very nice,
invited us in and told us about their Camp Joshua Scott. They had originally
purchased Galahad and 15 acres, they have since purchased 55 more acres
and are thinking of checking into buying more down the creek toward, and
possibly including, Camelot and Carlisle. I showed them pictures of how
it used to look, they couldn't believe it was gone.
They couldn't believe it was gone ????
CAN ANY OF US ??
We left Galahad went up the hill to
Dutch Ridge and headed for home. Took pictures of the turn off, I won't
miss it next time.
As soon as I got home I called the
man who's name I had gotten from the caretaker at the hunting and fishing
club. The next day my check was in the mail, and two days later I received
my receipt and am now a member. I have another trip planned allready.
We ARE taking the 4-wheelers and are
going to see if we can find some of the old trails.
The Hunting and Fishing Club is a bit
ran down, I'm not even sure who actually owns it, but, it feels good to
know I can visit the creek.
The lodge can be rented out and the
man I spoke to on the phone about my membership said we can rent it for
our reunion.
Sure would be nice to breath some life
back into the creek, gathered together with friends from those wonderful
times. |
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lower lake on the way out of the club
Camp Galahad
creek crossing at Camelot
left turn out of creek into Camelot's driveway
standing in road facing where the pool was
standing in front of the poolsite, looking towards Camelot's
Castle and Wings.
Gas well across creek, to the left of Panther Hollow
Looking down through Carlisle from where the Carlisle
sign would be.
The Patio area, Castle's fireplace would be on the left
Standing directly in front of the patio area.
I think this evergreen was at the rear corner of Wing1,
this picture was also taken standing near where the Carlisle sign would
have been.
Standing approximately where the driveway was, looking
toward Wing 1.
Camp Galahad coming from Camelot
the folks running Galahad
Turn off from Dutch Ridge to Galahad, the sign on the
tree says "Camp Joshua Scott"
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