Seven wonderful Questers have just completed a three-week journey of canoeing, backpacking and rock climbing in the Adirondacks of New York. In no particular order, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate Julia, Stephen, Spencer, Cow, Lily, Ian, and Eli! I feel confident in saying that these seven teenagers formed a tight bond and have each left their Quest with six new friends with whom they shared a very special and unique experience in a beautiful place.
Field Specialist Tim and I drove up to the Adirondacks last week to retrieve these Questers after their week of roughin’ it in the wilderness. After hiking a total of 36 miles, Tim met them, right off the trail, with fresh fruit and smiles, while I snagged us a primo campsite, where we resided for three rain-free nights! I’d rate the campsite as a 4-star accommodation, complete with space to park our large van, a nearby kybo, deluxe fire pit (where we enjoyed multiple fires and s’mores) and shade from the hot sun. We were also a mere one-minute walk, along lovely wooded paths, to a babbling brook for bathing, drinking and leisurely lounging and playing. The only thing that reduced this site from having 5-stars was the presence of those pesky mosquitos.
The following two days consisted of early rises (parents, your teenagers are indeed capable of cheerily rising at 6 a.m., as long as they have exciting rock climbing to look forward to that day!) and choice climbing spots, and did I mention sunshine! The early bird does indeed catch the worm! Thanks to Tim’s knowledge of climbing in the Adirondacks, the Questers were able to climb rock that offered a range of difficulty and variety, from crack to slab. For many of the Questers, it was their first time roped in, harnessed and “on-belay”! And for those who were seasoned veterans of such lingo, it was still amazing to see all of them succeed in their own ways. My neck quickly became sore, as I yelled up encouragement (at times, 90 feet into the air) for Quester after Quester after Quester to relax, enjoy the view and take pride in what they had just accomplished. I didn’t climb, but I was told that the views were quite spectacular! Scrumptious blueberries were also thrown down from various climbs. I foresee some new members at climbing gyms in the near future. Supporting one another on the rock, and seeing success for each other climb after climb, was truly a wonderful way for this group to end their journey.
For our final night in the Adirondacks, their two leaders, Emily and Woody, and I took the group out for a night on the town! Emily and Woody had returned from their day-off with news of free music in the town of Lake Placid. We drove the kids crazy by not telling them our secret evening surprise. All we gave away was “we know you’ll like it!” These kids are so smart … somehow they just knew it involved ice cream! So, after the inevitable ice cream, we enjoyed a lakeside evening of rockin’ tunes and dancing! Super fun!
There was more excitement to be had the following day (and the sunshine kept a’shinin’) on the return drive to SAM Camp. We drove east back into Vermont, stopped at an amazing swimming hole that Ian told us about, and continued up Lincoln Gap Road a few miles until we arrived at a parking lot for the Long Trail. And you’ll never guess who we came across at this parking lot! No, you’ll never guess! Okay, I’ll tell you. Right there, in this very parking lot, were ten smelly, sweaty, synthetic clothing-wearing, hiking stick-holding, whoopin’ and hollerin’ Long Trail Questers! And another surprise guest, Mark, who is co-leader Hannah’s father (and their cute dog), who had kindly brought fresh fruit and chocolate brownies (needless to say, he was instantly popular!). Fifteen Questers and their four leaders reunited at last! To step back and watch the individual members of this larger group, interact with one another, sharing stories, laughing, giving each other advice, making instant connections through shared experiences with Questers they hadn’t previously connected with, was instant joy for me. I definitely had that “warm and fuzzy” feeling inside watching them hang out together. The afternoon was really special for everybody, one created by the unique experience of being out in the woods, living, eating, singing, paddling, hiking, climbing, being bitten by bugs, sleeping in tents, overcoming adversity, and laughing within a small community. We had to pull ourselves away from one another. The Long Trailers disappeared into the woods, as we piled back into the van to return to where we had started from, SAM Camp! The Adirondack Questers spent two days back at SAM, where younger SAMmers looked up to them as role models. That night, they performed an amazing and humorous skit, as the sun set over Lake Ninevah, turning the entire sky pink, orange, yellow and purple. They had made it, safe and sound!
A day later, I was back in an 11-passenger van, with Tim and Long Trail Quester family members (Sarah’s parents and brother, and Rowan’s brother), on our way to the Appalachian Gap for Visiting Day with the Long Trailers! Now, having read various e-mails between Long Trail Questers parents, I had some idea of the homemade, store-bought and fresh delicacies that would be spread out in the parking lot at the App. Gap on this day. . but really I had no idea of the extent of this. In few words, it was magnificent! Apple pie, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, fruit cobblers (did you notice how I started with the desserts?), gourmet meats, breads and cheeses, pesto, sandwiches made with mozzarella and brie, arugula and cherry tomato, fish, herbed popcorn, a variety of quiches, pints and pints of red raspberries and blueberries, (and heavy cream to go along with them), sweet cherries and Oreos. We even celebrated Aida’s brother’s birthday with a decadent chocolate cake! There were many cold beverages to assist all of the food going down, from sparkling cider to coconut water! It was a feast of feasts. Besides the delicious food, it was such a joyous occasion when families and friends were able to see the Questers with their own eyes and hug them with their own arms. And for those who could not make the journey, the treats and letters that you passed along (Simon did receive the bundt cake and beef jerky in the mail, Sammy received the delicious popcorn, and Rowan received letters and a brother and sister, who were oh so happy to be in each other’s company) were much appreciated and made the day special for everyone. There was more than enough family to go around! Thank you so much to everyone who made this day memorable and special for the Questers!
Hannah and Oliver drove back to camp for a day-off, while Tim and I continued hiking with the group. We stuffed as many Visiting Day leftovers as we could into our already-full-with-resupplies backpacks. We were able to create a dinner that night of nothing but leftovers. Simon and Sammy are rationing out the treats that they received. Yes, Simon did hike with an entire bundt cake and Sammy hiked with about six bags of gourmet popcorn! I think that bundt cake recipe will be sought-after by many.
As far as the hiking has been (after all, this is a hiking trip, not a foodie adventure!), the group has recently entered a more mountainous section of Vermont. On the official Long Trail map, which is divided into seven sections, I am happy to report that they are already on the sixth map! I can hardly believe it! I think it was Sammy who commented, “. . with these last three maps, we’ve got a major peak to go over in each one!” Of course, there are more than three mountains on each map, but he was referring to Camel’s Hump, at 4,083 feet, (which they climbed a few days ago, then promptly descended to the lowest elevation on the Long Trail, the Valley of the Winooski River at 326 feet), Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont, at a whopping 4,393 feet, and Jay Peak at 3,858 feet, the final big one before they briefly enter Canada. Tim and I can attest to the steepness of the current and upcoming terrain. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been hiking an average of eight miles each day for the past few weeks, carrying a heavy backpack, trudging up-and-down mountains, or maybe it’s because I’m no longer an agile, athletic teenager, but I was drenched in sweat and breathing quite heavily during the 1.5-mile long ascent of Molly Stark Mountain. While there, we enjoyed a Silent Meeting, gazing north over the beautiful Green Mountains, and contemplated Camel’s Hump (at least, that is what I was contemplating … you never know what these teenagers are contemplating … perhaps the impressive 185 miles that they’ve added to their hiking boots, which are looking more beaten up each day!) So, our Long Trailers have some exciting times coming their way. I will be reunited with them in a few days, where we will enjoy a layover day at Sterling Pond, which is near Stowe. As always, they love receiving mail from the outside world, so don’t hesitate to write while they still have 12 days on the trail.
Other exciting news in the Quester world is that we have received seven new Adirondack Questers, who are currently assisting SAM campers with their pack-out for cabin trips. I’d like to welcome Cedar, Rachel, Emmanuel, Anna, Zed, Ethan, and Max! They will spend a large chunk of time today packing out all of their fresh food for the canoe section of their trip. On Wednesday, we will say goodbye to them, as they paddle off into the horizon. May you stay warm, dry and healthy!