So many trips, so much fun! I'm pleased to report that the oldest Mohawk and oldest Seneca bunks had an amazing adventure in the backcountry of the Adirondack Mountains from Sunday, July 8th to Tuesday, July 10th. This two-night, three-day trip began early Sunday morning where M5, M6, S4 and S5 boarded a bus for 3.5 hours to Bald Mountain, Inlet, NY for their last co-ed lunch together until Tuesday. M5 and M6 hiked Bald Mountain (1 mi) following lunch, while the girls' bunks drove another hour to their campsites at Lewey Lake, Lake Pleasant, NY.
Once S4 and S5 arrived at their campsites, the girls were ecstatic to explore the natural beauty that surrounded them. The girls learned how to set up a shelter along with several different styles of knots used for the parachord. Once the shelter was erected, we broke up into our three different crew assignments, Cook Crew, Clean Crew, and Fire/Journal Crew, and started preparing our meal, reflecting on the day, and building the foundation of the fire. Once dinner was consumed, we headed down to the fire where Journal Crew shared their thoughts of the day. This is some of S4 and S5 thoughts on our first day.
"When we finally arrived at our Lewey Lake destination, we were amazed at the beauty of our surroundings. Our tents are adjacent to a babbling brook; it is truly gorgeous. We learned how to put up a tarp in case it rains. It wasn't an easy challenge but after working together we finally got it! After putting up tents, we had some down time for bonding. We are all excited but would be lying if we said we were without nerves. We are currently broken up into Cook, Clean, and Fire/Journal Crews, and learning about our responsibilities to the environment, such as "Leave No Trace" tactics." - S4 and S5 girls.
We ended the night with our "high" and "lows" of the day around the fire.
The following morning we got up early and packed our gear up. We drove to the trailhead, stretched before our hike, and talked about safety and staying hydrated before we started climbing. We started our ascent into the hills of Snowy Mountain at 10:00am (6.8 mi). Our destination was reached after 3 hours and 12 minutes of climbing the granite bedrock. All the girls climbed up the fire tower that was at the summit of the mountain and gazed at the breath taking view of the Adirondack mountain range. We were able to enjoy a wonderful lunch looking out at the numerous lakes and mountaintops. 3 hours and 31 minutes later, a total of 6 hours and 43 minutes of hiking, we reached the bottom of the mountain and celebrated our hard work in climbing Snowy Mountain.
We broke into crews soon after we had returned to our sites, and enjoyed a lovely meal. Everyone was pretty tired after our grueling hike, so we chowed-down on some dessert and met at the fire for some reflections and "highs" and "lows." The thoughts of the day were read aloud around the fire.
"It was a rough journey up the mountain but we finally made it to the top of the fire tower and then sat and ate lunch. It was beautiful! We then started our decent and 3.4 miles later, we made it to the bottom and drove back to our campground." - S4 and S5 girls.
The final morning of the trip, the girls packed up their gear and headed 30 miles north to Ross Pond, where an outcrop of bedrock was ready to climb! This wasn't a "rock-wall" that we see at camp but a natural forming piece of earth. The girls were really excited to climb and defeat their fears of heights! The Mohawk bunks met up with the girls after climbing and headed back home, a 4.5-hour drive back to camp.
So what about the M5 and M6 bunks and their experience in the Adirondacks? Well, Tiyulim specialists Stephanie Donato and Josh VanHorn lead the Mohawk boys after lunch up Bald Mountain to a beautiful lookout at the fire tower (1 mi). After spending the afternoon hiking Bald Mountain, the boys were eager to see their campsites at Limekiln Campground. The boys set up shelters and pitched their tents with ease. After camp was set up, everyone broke up into crews for the evening and made a wonderful meal for all. The boys enjoyed playing cards and relaxing with one another until it was fire-time! A delicious dessert was prepared and enjoyed around the fire along with shared "highs" and "lows" of the day. Here are some thoughts from M5 and M6.
"Today we went on a mile hike. After a 4-hour bus ride we arrived at the trailhead and started our hike. Everyone did great and the view was amazing. We then arrived at our campsites and set up camp!" – M5 and M6 bunks
The following morning everyone got up early and drove to the trailhead of Black Bear Mountain. Everyone had an amazing time and climbed the mountain with ease!
Stay tuned for more Tiyulim adventures!
Tiyulim Specialist
Alisa Kotash
Alisa Kotash Undergraduate of the Department of Geological Sciences SUNY Geneseo (914) 263-5837 Mobile akkotash@gmail.com
