Bowman Base Camp

[Lefty E]

I was wondering if any of VFFT's excellent historians would have info on the Bowman Base Camp located off Rt. 2 near Lowe's Path?? AMC or RMC or other?? Thanks in advance..Lefty E

 

[Becca M]

I camped there in the mid 1980's - the memories are VERY vague....

 

[sierra]

I practically lived thier in the 80's. The place was owned by a old dude who was retired from the defense industry. He wasnt really into promoting the place, I think he just enjoyed being there. As a result we had the run of the place, sometimes we tented, sometimes we used the bunks and the kitchen if the weather was bad. We had many great times there, it was like our own weekend place. I liked the owner, but really dont feel like saying anything personal about him as Im not sure he would want that or not. The place was a little rough and had many mice, you could feel them running over you as you slept, still a camp at the base of the Northern Peaks, it was heaven, we climb Madison, Adams and Jefferson from every route we could dream of.

P.S> hey Becca not sure about our timeframes but maybe I saw you there? to be frank in my younger days, once I got off the mountain things got hazy very fast.

 

[natron]

hmmm..

The place was a little rough and had many mice, you could feel them running over you as you slept,
in my younger days, once I got off the mountain things got hazy very fast.

that might explain your tolerance to the mice

 

[dug]

If they really were mice.....

 

[sierra]

To be honest dug Im not ruling out anything back then.

 

[peakbagger]

I believe it always was a privately owned place.

I had heard that the property was offered for sale to RMC several years back. RMC was considering it as a option for crew quarters prior to the new location. I think the deal was that RMC would buy the camp and the USFS would buy a part of the lot to protect Lowes Path. The sellers were apparently asking for significant dollars for the property at the time.

Apparently, the physical condition of the facility at the time the RMC looked at it was such that it would not be cost effective to convert it. The construction apparently met no known code. It had been closed for quite a few years prior. I heard an off hand comment at the time that renovation by kerosene was probably the best option. Given that the road has grown in significantly over the years, I dont expect anyone goes there. I still see power lines running over to it.

 

[Quietman]

I had heard that the property was offered for sale to RMC several years back.

I was curious as I'd seen the sign many times while driving past.

I found THIS reference from an RMC newsletter after a quick search, but nothing else.

 

[TCD]

I stayed there once in the late 80s. The original owner was still there; quite elderly, nice guy. The place was a roof over your head, in a great location, but the building itself was definitely a knock down for any new owner of the property.

 

[mirabela]

I stayed there with some GMC old timers on my first trip to the Whites, summer of 1987. There was a communal kitchen, a lodge/camp-style 'great room' type of thing, and some dingey bunkrooms. I don't remember too much else. We hiked King Ravine from there ... it was quite an intro to the range for me.

 

[Becca M]

P.S> hey Becca not sure about our timeframes but maybe I saw you there? to be frank in my younger days, once I got off the mountain things got hazy very fast.

Welllllllll it's all coming back to me..... (things *still* get fuzzy fast in the mountains!!!) We only stayed there maybe 2-3-4? days hoping for the rain to stop. They must have had tent spots and hot showers b/c we didn't stay in a building. BTW, we still attempted Adams, (from the camp, which was really cool) but, we never summited in the rain in our '80's jeans and cotton t's!!!!

Is there a spur trail to the camp still?????

 

[sierra]

Yes they had some nice tentsites that we mostly used on nice days, if I remember correctly the owner would build his picnic tables with a living tree going through the tables. Becca wish I met you back then we could have benn hiking partners all this time, it would be like out 25th anniversary.

 

[Becca M]

Yes they had some nice tentsites that we mostly used on nice days, if I remember correctly the owner would build his picnic tables with a living tree going through the tables. Becca wish I met you back then we could have benn hiking partners all this time, it would be like out 25th anniversary.

Hey, yeah, there could have been trees going thru the tables, that's possible!!!!

Has anybody poked around that area and seen if there's anything left????

(about the 25th anniversary.... just getting to a one-year anniversary is a challenge - I've heard it gets easier years 1-25 )

 

[Lefty E]

Yes Becca, I was there the day of my posted request for history on the base camp because after having driven by it a million times and never having even been to it, I decided to stop and check it out...it is still standing but getting run down, windows are still there and not busted out..could see some old beverage bottles left over from you and sierra!!!! outhouse was in good shape..door to basement open and kind of scary to be in there..trails and skid roads growing in..looks like it must have been a fun place to stay...! So it looks like a man owned the property and build a camp for hikers to stay at??

 

[sierra]

Hey, yeah, there could have been trees going thru the tables, that's possible!!!!

Has anybody poked around that area and seen if there's anything left????

(about the 25th anniversary.... just getting to a one-year anniversary is a challenge - I've heard it gets easier years 1-25 )

Yeah the one year mark does seem to be the crux. I made it 5 years once and she still one of my best friends and always will be, but alas, she is a city girl and Im a mountain boy.

 

[RoySwkr]

So it looks like a man owned the property and build a camp for hikers to stay at??

It was a hostel sort of place, I never stayed there as price was more than driving home

Somebody complained to me once that it was too chilly in late fall

 

[sierra]

It was a hostel sort of place, I never stayed there as price was more than driving home

Somebody complained to me once that it was too chilly in late fall

It was a huge Hostel that hardly anybody used, sitting at the base of the biggest peaks in NE, the owner rarely made contact with the guest, you basically had your own camp for real cheap money and someone complained it was "chilly" in the late fall? unbelievable, if thats the case Im sure it would have been to chilly to summit Adams anyway for them.