Grey Fox Blog

Best Campsite from 2008

August 15th, 2008 | Category: Best Campsite

The Grey Fox Best Campsite Award Has Gone “Green”

The prize goes to the campsite that creatively shows the best use of space at the festival. Everyone who camps at Grey Fox is in the running. The award is selected by our Recycling Crew who cover every inch of the Walsh Farm in search of that “spatial triumph.” This year’s award goes to Jim Griffeth of Schenectady, New York, who scaled down and basically recycled a used very small camper — and spiffed it up with the Grey Fox logo.

Photos from the Best Campsite from 2008

Here is Jim’s story:

Hi All,

My name is James A. Griffeth and I’m from Schenectady NY. My Nephew, Fred Dennis and his lovely wife Andrea introduced me to the bluegrass scene 7 years ago at Grey Fox. I have always had a passion for bluegrass music since I was a boy way back in the 50s. I now count down the months and days till the next event and seeing all of you again. I have alot of memories at the Rothvoss Farm and am sure you do too and along with you will miss it. The Walsh Farm turned out to be a huge success and with all the work Grey Fox put into it , there will surely be many more years of Blugrass music there with all of the renown and famous groups who perform there.

Both of my sons James and Jeremy have been going with me to Grey Fox now for the past four years and like me they can’t wait to go back.I got Jeremy a mandolin for Christmas 2 years ago. He is 11 years old and has taken the Acadamy for Kids and is learning more all the time.

To me Grey Fox is a place of Peace. I have met so many nice and interesting people there and it’s like we’re all one big happy family.

Alongside of enjoying all of the performers, I also love to walk about at night and listen to all the jams going on thruout the encampment. It’s an experience everyone should discover.

My first year on the Rothvoss Farm was in 2002. I will never forget that year not only for experiencing the whole scene, but also the day when a small motor home lost it’s brakes on the hill above me and came crashing down the hill wiping out some tents and missing my tent by just inches. Thank God no one was in its path. Some of you might remember that day. I can definitely say that was when I decided not to do the tent scene any more.

Being an avid camper for decades I was given an old pop up camper. It was in very bad shape so I stripped it down to just the box and built my Kozy Coupe over it. I took it to Grey Fox for the first time in 2003. I receive a lot of compliments on it every year I brought it to the festival. Every year I make changes and improvements to it. This year as you may have noticed I added the sun playing the guitar and the Grey Fox both painted on the roof. I also added the Grey Fox weather vane that I also made. I have more changes to be done and with the help of Jeremy — because the idea was his — it will come about.

On Saturday during Grey Fox my campsite was chosen Best Campsite for 2008. I wasn’t there when it was chosen because I had to run home in Schenectady briefly. While there I got a call from my nephew Fred telling me the awsome news, I had won. I was so happy and excited when he told me I just couldn’t wait to get back. This meant so much to me and was such an honor to be chosen. I personally want to thank everyone who was involved in this choice. “Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart. You surely made me a happy camper at Grey Fox. Being the first year on the Walsh Farm and winning the honor made it very special to me.

I will close for now and hope to see all my friends and you next time and remember: