Winter Camping with LaSalle

--- From the LaSalle School eBulletin ---

NEW YORK - March 27, 2012 - Last month, LaSalle's Recreation Department organized a winter camping trip for five boys. Alex Branch, a Montana native and currently a Lasallian Volunteer, was one of the trained and experienced staff that accompanied the youths on the trip. Alex kept a journal detailing his impressions of how the boys approached different situations and reacted to the many challenges such an excursion can, and did, present. What follows is his personal account of the trip.

"A lot of preparation goes into a winter camping excursion, and students Rob, Jason, Jordan, Eli, and Mike did a great job of being present and positive about the process. It took us about an hour the night before and another 45 minutes the morning of to get all our gear packed and get on the road. Each boy had a pack with about 25 pounds of gear, including a one-person tent, heavy winter sleeping bag, foam sleeping mat, extra clothes, and their fair share of community gear - cooking stove, cook-pot, pan, food, etc.

We set off mid-morning and drove to the Hogtown trail-head on the east side of Lake George, northeast of Pilot's Knob. There was less snow and ice than we expected the first day, and our four mile hike into Fishbrook Pond, around the back side of Sleeping Beauty Mountain, went smoothly. We ate a short lunch at Dacy Clearing, about one mile in, then climbed up and over the southwest ridge of Sleeping Beauty and past Bumps Pond to Fishbrook, finally arriving there at about 3:30 in the afternoon. There are two ADK lean-tos on opposite shores of the pond, and from our vantage point at the first the territory around the second looked more suitable for tents. The walk across the frozen pond was a first for the boys, and put a couple out of their comfort zones, but they showed their incredible sense of adventure and trust in the staff by following us across.  


The late afternoon weather was pretty chilly, dipping below freezing and spitting bits of rain and snow as we set up camp, so our second order of business once the tents were up was getting a sizeable pile of dry wood and a hearty fire to cook our dinner on. Cooking and eating dinner took until well after dark, and with the temperatures hovering around freezing, a long day behind us, and a long day ahead, bed was a welcome sight for the boys at about 8:00. Most of them didn't even want to stay up to roast marshmallows!

The next morning started beautifully. The clouds cleared and the sun came out while we sipped on hot chocolate and cooked a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and English muffins over the camp stove. We left camp about 10:00 AM and set off for the summit of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The trail offered quite a bit more ice the second day, much of it a frozen cascade rather than an actual trail, and gave some of us reason to strap on our snowshoes as we climbed. From camp to summit is a 2-mile trek, and the view was well worth it. We ate a quick snack and paused for a photo opportunity while taking in the views of Lake George and the surrounding area, then fled the wind and headed down the mountain. 

The trail down confronted us with many more challenges than our first day, mostly as rivers of ice, and going was slow for the first mile and a half or so. Eventually, the trail leaves the frosted northeast side of the mountain, snaking around to the south face and the shining afternoon sun.  It was a blessing to make it to dry ground, though the boys did seem to enjoy the challenge of sliding most of the way down the mountain.  We finished the last couple miles on good, more or less level trail, and made the van about 1:45. After a quick lunch we hit the road back to LaSalle, returning safely to campus about 3:30. 

We spent until dinner getting unpacked and debriefing the trip. The boys felt positively about the 

experience, rating it a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10, and had plenty of compliments for their team members. As part of debriefing, I also asked kids to describe an obstacle they overcame to be successful, and this trip offered plenty. Boys talked about the ice, the length of the hike, the weight of the packs, the weather, and a few other things, all the while identifying their achievement of the summit as worth the effort."