We jumped right into our trip program at the start of camp.  Our early trips tend to be easier and focus mainly on developing skills and stamina for the longer and more adventurous trips we offer as the season progresses.    

During the first and second week the Birdies, Cubs and Juniors went on cabin overnights to various locations near camp including Birdie Beach, canoeing across Augur Lake to Cubs’ Point, Pirate’s Cove, Sunrise Lean-to and climbing Pinnacle (“our” mountain which, since 2018, is all on camp land) where they spent the night in the Pinnacle Lean-To.  These trips are a wonderful opportunity to start sharpening basic camping skills and begin experiencing the joys of spending a night in the woods.

 

 

We sent a large variety of day trips in those first two weeks as well.  The Birdies paddled across Augur in the Peace Canoe and then set off to climb Cub Mountain, a local peak that still has the remnants of an old trail.  In the following photos you can follow their journey that day as they learned about topographic maps and how to use a compass, found “the secret meadow” full of wildflowers and then ate lunch on the summit: 

 

 

We’ve had many trips up Pinnacle, including a group of boys doing a service project on all the Pinnacle and nearby Bigelow trails to sweep them of brush and add some new markers.  They stopped briefly at the Pinnacle Lean-To:

 

 

We then began to venture further afield and climb some higher mountains.  Both camps sent groups up Catamount, a peak with a fun “chimney” section, a deceiving “false” summit and a true summit with wonderful views across the northern Adirondacks around Taylor Pond.  A Whip group ascended a seldom-climbed peak near Keene Valley via a herd path (an informal, unmarked trail) known to only a few locals.  On top they were treated to a fantastic panorama:

 

 

Lincoln groups got their share of open, rocky summits and exposed ridge hiking on day trips to Noonmark and Jay:

 

 

We’ve also started day trips into the High Peaks (the “46”, or 46 peaks in the Adirondacks over 4,000 feet in elevation).  Both camps climbed Cascade and Porter, often the traditional first two High Peaks that many people attempt because they are a relatively short hike and Cascade boasts an expansive area above tree-line:

 

 

A Lincoln group climbed Street and Nye, a pair of High Peaks accessed via herd paths that involve travel through some beautiful forest and a crossing of Indian Pass Brook:

 

 

An intrepid group of older kids from both camps spent a long, exciting day navigating herd paths and climbing another one of the 46 -- Grace Peak -- in the Dix Range:

 

 

We also had day trips to other High Peaks, including Whiteface and Esther, and Giant and Rocky Peak Ridge.  This Whip group made a speedy ascent of Giant and so had plenty of extra time to relax on top:

 

 

The excellent weather this summer has also beckoned us out for some sailing on Lake Champlain.  Camp has a 23 foot boat, the Orion, which we use for these trips:

 

 

This past week we started overnight trips to various destinations more distant from camp.  A Whip group backpacked in and set up camp on the backside of Hurricane Mountain then ascended the next day to the open summit:

 

 

A Lincoln group canoed out to historic Valcour Island in Lake Champlain, the site of a naval battle during the Revolutionary War.  They spent the night and then circumnavigated the island the next day before returning to their launch point.

 

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We had many other trips out as well and you’ll no doubt hear great stories about those from your kids.  Looking ahead, week 4 of camp marks the start of our extended trip season; that time of year when we start taking multi-night hiking and canoeing trips throughout the Adirondacks.  We’ll return to the trip theme in a later blog post to report on those adventures.