And they’re off!

07/03/2008

The Adirondack Rambler crew has been moving over the last few days. On Sunday, they did some icebreakers, packed their food, checked out their gear, and talked about goals and expectations in preparation for their grand adventure. There were a lot of overlapping goals which was great to hear. Both Jake and Evan are looking to build some wilderness skills while Ed and Ellie are both looking forward to gaining knowledge and skill on the backpacking portion of the trip specifically. Ryu and Kendall are both looking to build some strength and stamina while Robin just wants to have fun. Finally, Daniel and Emma are just looking to enjoy being out of doors while learning to appreciate nature as well.

Monday was spent on the road driving up to Lake Durant campground where they set up their first campsite and got to bed early.

Tuesday was their first day of action as they went whitewater rafting on the Hudson River. Some recent rain has the river flowing at prime levels and there were definitely some notable moments. A couple of the kids joined the Hudson River Swim Club with an unexpected out-of-boat experience but overall the guides Mike and Dean kept the group going and provided an exceptional run. Of course, even the guides need a break so Emma stepped up and guided one of the boats for almost 2 miles! After their 17-mile trip, the group had a barbeque dinner at the outfitter which proved too much for Kendall who fell asleep at the table. The Legend Bud Cox met up with the group that evening as well with the canoes and equipment in tow.

Wednesday morning the group prepared for their backcountry canoe expedition which was slated to begin at Rollins Pond near Saranac Lake. After hitting the water and practicing some strokes, the group found a remote site and set up camp early in the afternoon. Then they headed over to the campsite of our Habitat Adirondacks trip for a big dinner of burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, and some leftover chili. After dinner there was a vigorous match of Nukem before the Ramblers headed back to their site for the night. They’ll be on the water until Friday when Bud will be picking them up in preparation for their rock climbing days near Keene Valley. Check back Sunday morning for another installment of the Adirondack Ramblers’ adventures! Hopefully they can get us some pictures for the next update too.

Kevin Terrell

Adventure & Trips Director

(845) 985-2291 ext. 265

adventure@FrostValley.org

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zach eigenbrodt

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Zach couldn't keep himself out of the woods when growing up. He started working at a Northern Wisconsin YMCA Camp as a wilderness trip leader while in college and fell in love with getting kids into nature. The smiles on kids faces after returning from a once in a life time wilderness experience is why he is here today. Zach brought his talents to Frost Valley YMCA, in 2014, when he started as the Trips Coordinator and soon was promoted to Adventure Director. Zach loves all forms of Wilderness exploration, though some would say his heart lies most with canoeing.