There was wind and a bit of drizzle, ominous skies and blazing colors on the hills. When the weather changes, so do outdoor activities.
Chapman State Park's second annual Fall Festival held over the weekend included a number of events with an autumn theme. Jen Moore, environmental education specialist, said it started last year because the campground hosts had a cider press.
There was also pumpkin decorating and garbage can corn then. This year, Moore said other activities included mountain pie making, trapping and leaf printing.
Article Photos
Times Observer photo by Colin Kyler
Old fashioned way
Bob Steele stirs some homemade ice cream during the Fall Festival.
On Friday, Moore said there were 32 participants in geocaching at night. A few of them were able to find the geocache container using a global positioning system, but the rest gave up.
Reflectors assisted the seekers, Moore said, and flashlights did too. Everyone had a good time.
"Kids were hiding behind trees and scaring each other," Moore said. "You could hear the insects, and the bats were out."
James Johnson, ranger, said the first step in making mountain pies is to sterilize the mountain pie makers. Then a cooking spray goes on the inside shell, followed by two pieces of bread.
"Next, you add your favorite fixins," Johnson said. "It can be anything you want."
On Saturday, pies that were made included pizza's and fruit pies. On a cold day, Johnson said it's nice and warm to eat.
Cooking time depends on how good the fire is. If the fire is hotter than normal, Johnson said it takes less time to cook.
Bev Kinney went over creating homemade ice cream. It requires making a batter like a pudding and then placing it in the freezer.
After 20 minutes to 30 minutes, Kinney said it's time to stir. There were three electric cranks and one hand powered crank available.
"You have to stir until your arm gets tired," Kinney said.
Attendees could sample both chocolate and vanilla varieties. Once they get the process down pat, Kinney said they'll have really good ice cream.