Adirondack Trip to climb Ampersand Mountain - Sunday to Tuesday 2/19-2/21
We packed up all our climbing gear and snowshoes on Sunday morning and drove the 5 hours to the Adirondacks, eventually making our way to Upper Saranac Lake where we found the Executive Lodge where we were going to stay for the next couple of days. We met the owners and moved in to the comfortable lodgings. After visiting, dinner and some games, it was time for bed. Monday morning came early and we rose and showered before sitting down to a good, hot breakfast. We could see Ampersand Mountain from the windows of our lodge as it rose high above the other side of the lake. Piling into the van with our packs and snowshoes, we drove to the trailhead and started down the trail. There wasn't much snow but the trail was very icy so we put on the snowshoes to make use of the crampons on the underside so we wouldn't slip and fall. The snow got deeper as we rose in elevation but there were still plenty of icy spots that took great care on our part to cross safely. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime of slipping and sliding up the steep slopes of the mountain, the ground sort of levelled off and we walked over to the final climb which brought us out of the trees onto the open top of Ampersand Mountain. It was a beautiful day and the views were stunning in all directions. We took time to enjoy the moment, eat some food, drink some water and take pictures before beginning our descent back to the van. Going down was much faster than the hike up, mostly because there were stretches of steep slope that we could sit down and slide on instead of struggling to climb. Everyone made it back to the van and we returned to our lodge for dinner and relaxation before bed. Tuesday, we packed up and started for home, making a stop at Massawepie Scout Camp to check out the frozen lake, the big lean-to and what was left of a snow house before continueing home.
Day Camps - Thursday 2/23 and Friday 2/24
Our winter camp during the February School break did not come with snow so we had to skip the snowshoeing, the playing tag in the snow maze, sledding, building snow houses and sculptures etc. We did take a group photo on the only snow pile in the park to prove it was winter. So. we had fun doing alternative activities. We made bubbles. Lots of them from little tiny ones to BIG ones and chased them around the cabin. We went on our treasure hunt which took us on a hike through the entire park. Along the way we found a hollow tree and many of the kids wanted to see if they would fit inside. We also climbed up and down many hills, crossed the creek a few times, sometimes on a bridge and sometimes finding other ways over the water. We found a hidden "Christmas Tree" out in the woods and finally found our treasure. Back at the cabin we made lunch and then went back outside to learn how to start a campfire using flint and steel instead of matches. Once the fire was going, we toasted marshmallows and made smores. Harry brought out some big boxes so we played some games with the boxes like steamroller and team races. We also went down to the pier to do some fishing and playing along the creek. It was a fun-filled day and before we knew it, it was time to go home.
The next day started out pretty wet but it didn't stop us from going on another treasure hunt. We hiked through the forest, sometimes on trails and sometimes through the thick woods until we eventually found all the clues and figured out where the treasure was hidden. Afterwards, we were all pretty hungry so we cooked up some lunch. After lunch we loaded everything into the trailer and the kids into the van and went to Mendon Ponds to feed the birds. Unfortunately, without snow, there was plenty of birdseed on the ground so the birds weren't landing on our hands too often to feed. We walked back towards the van and stopped to play for a while at a huge, hollow log near the visitors center before returning to Webster Park to meet the parents at the end of the day.
