On Sunday, we packed up and headed for the Adirondacks. We set up base camp at Wilmington Notch State Campground, did some camp stuff and went to bed. Monday morning we arose, had a good breakfast, and headed to Pitchoff Mountain to do some climbing. Another group had gotten there before us and set up so we drove to Keene Valley and set up at the "Beer Walls" climbing area. Only a few of the kids wanted to climb and the others either watched or explored a little nearby. Before leaving, most of us hiked over to a lookout spot where we could see many of the Adirondack High Peaks. Then we stopped at Stewarts for ice cream and went swimming at the Wilmington beach. Dinner was delicious spaghetti and meatballs.
Tuesday, after a hearty breakfast, we travelled back to Pitchoff Mountain to do some hiking. After signing in at the trailhead we began our hike / climb to Balanced Rocks located on an almost flat section of the mountain near the top. The kids and counselors enjoyed playing and exploring around the rocks and through the large crack below. It was determined that no one wanted to climb to the wooded peak so we headed back down to the car. We went swimming, got cleaned up and went into Saranac Lake for dinner at the "all you can eat" buffet. It was raining so hard that no one wanted to get out of the car so I drove up to the door and the kids piled out. After dinner the rain had almost stopped so we drove back into Lake Placid to walk the main street, check out some of the stores and listen to live music before returning to camp.
Wednesday morning, after a good breakfast, we packed up camp and drove into Lake Placid again to replenish some of our food items for the canoe trip, dry some of the clothing that got a little wet during the storm and have lunch. A short while later we arrived at the launch point on Follensby Clear Pond to start our canoeing adventure. We packed what we needed into the canoes and paddled out on the big pond to find an empy campsite for the next couple of nights. while some of the canoes checked the close sites, Harrys canoe checked out some of the more choice sites. A couple were already taken but we found a great site on an island with a good swimming area. After setting up camp, most of the kids went for a swim. After dinner it was discovered that we had forgotten a couple of things in the trailer so two of us jumped into a canoe to go retrieve the items. On the way back we were treated to a very pretty sunset. After the teens were in bed, the counselors sat around the campfire and tried some night photography, using a tecnique called "light painting", long exposures and flashlights to light up the subjects.
At least one of us was up for the sunrise. After a good breakfast and loading what we thought was everything we needed for the days paddling adventure we paddled north on the pond through a narrow section and around islands. We heard and saw loons along the way. Then came the part of canoeing that nobody likes. Carrying the canoe and gear over the portages. Everyone did well and the carrys weren't that long. After a couple of carries we stopped for lunch and discovered that the lunch bag hadn't made the trip. Fortunately there were some snacks along to help. After one last carry, we did a quick swim and then paddled all the way down Fish Creek to the Fish Creek Ponds campground where we planned to stop for ice cream before finishing up with a short paddle back to camp. It was decided that since we didn't really have lunch, pizza would be more welcome than ice cream. Afterwards we paddled bak to camp using the short route and made dinner. That night the teens took turns trying to start our campfire with a flint and steel, a skill that sometimes requires practice and patience. Friday morning, we packed up, paddled back and loaded everything into the van and trailer and drove home.
