Legos?!?

The Adirondacks have been good to the Habitat for Humanity group and they have taken full advantage. In addition to their work, they had a chance to enjoy some time off including a whitewater rafting trip down the Hudson River on Sunday. Gary and the crew at ARO took care of us once again on the 17-mile trip down the upper Hudson and followed it all up with the always amazing barbeque dinner. Maddie was the only person to join the “Hudson River Swim Team” with her out-of-boat experience.

Back at the worksite, they have finished the sidewalk. Ken was a big part of this and really got into the fine points of concrete work. Work also moved along on the footers for the new house. The forms are not the traditional ones, but a lego-like set of blocks. William and Paul have been working hard alongside everyone to get these set so that they can hopefully help pour the concrete before they leave. The concrete will be poured inside the forms which will then act as insulation once the outsides have been covered with stucco or concrete.

The campsite has also been running well. Cooking and cleaning has been easy, although Jake P. and Carl have a little competition with their cooking. This morning they were attempting to outdo the other’s pancakes in a cook-off for the ages. Zach has become the fire guy of the group and has done a great job getting it going almost every night. Jacob has been a real leader with his experience and know-how allowing the trip leaders to kick back and enjoy being part of the group. Kat has also been an excellent leader and just adds a great dynamic. The ladies have really taken to knitting after Kaylie and Julia found some good wool in Lake Placid on one of their days off. Aliya has been enjoying this as well as some other aspects of the trip and her enthusiasm really motivates the others. Tuesday will be their final work day in Saranac Lake. Then they have their final challenge with a day of rock climbing on Wednesday before their drive back on Thursday.

Back on solid ground, almost.

The Maine Coast Group B crew had an amazing journey around the coastal islands on their sea kayaking expedition. The weather during their put in was gloomy, but it was beautiful every day after that.

Their first full day of kayaking was spent visiting a lighthouse and perfecting paddling techniques. Sasha was the partner of choice as he is a machine when it comes to paddling. The end of the day found them camping at Pomp Island, a frequent campsite for Frost Valley folks. There, they had their tents pitched on wooden platforms with a great beach and lookout rocks just steps away. Lookout rock was the perfect spot for meals as well as devotion at night.

On the second full day of paddling, they circumnavigated Hardwood Island and had time for some kayak games including a huge seaweed fight with the guides and what is referred to as “deck disco.” During the disco, the kayakers pull up next to each other and hold the boats together. Then people have the opportunity to walk on the decks and do other things such as dance. Alex was trying to do flips while most folks just tried to avoid falling in.

After their third night out, it was a short paddle back to the put in and the group spent the night back in Acadia National Park. On Saturday, they met up with the other Maine Coast group and had a barbeque to send them off on their kayak trip. (Sorry, no pictures from them).

Rock climbing was next on the agenda for Sunday and Monday. It was a real challenge for a lot of people but also a great opportunity to overcome fear. Julie was everywhere and did just about every climb available. Danny A. (who has gotten the nickname of Alcatraz since there are 3 Danny’s) climbed hard as well in addition to being a belay master. Overall, climbing was a great success and led to some great devotions at night. These kids are really deep and had a 2 hour devotion Sunday night!

Otherwise, the day-to-day operations have been smooth. Connor has been the comic relief while others have really taken a hold of the leadership opportunities including Danny B. and Leonore. Florence and Leonore have really been gung ho and are the first people to jump into everything. Cooking has been new for some people including Hannah who made quesadillas Sunday. Of course, there have been some random occurences that make a trip unique. One such moment involved a man with a telescope who invited the group to visit this evening. Danny M. was all over this and soaked up a lot of information about the moon and stars. Tuesday the group is going to sleep in a little before hitting the carriage roads with their bikes. Check back in a couple of days for another update!

Things you otter know

Mount Desert Island is an outdoor enthusiasts dream and group A of the Maine Coast trip has been taking full advantage. After their bus ride up on Monday, they have been going non-stop. They set up camp at Seawall Campground in Acadia National Park and have been heading out every morning for their activities. One of their first activities was to celebrate Matt’s birthday with a cake at one of Acadia’s many scenic overlooks. Quite a way to celebrate your 13th birthday! Tuesday they began by heading to Bar Harbor to pick up their bikes from Acadia Bike. After a brief review of safety procedures and biking basics, the group hit the famed carriage roads. These trails were originally constructed by the Rockefellers but now serve as a path for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. Tuesday’s weather was foggy and chilly, but the biking kept everyone warm. They traveled about 15 miles that day with only one spill taken by Carrie who promptly got on her feet, brushed off the dirt, and kept on riding. Wednesday’s weather was much better and the group was feeling great so they pushed a little harder. The campers took turns leading the group that day with Ryan doing a lot it. There was only one point where they got turned around, but managed to bike over 20 miles.

Of course, not everything happens out on the trails. The campsite is a busy place with cooking, fire building, and other things constantly going on. Malo is always bumping around helping people out with the stoves, tents, or anything else he knows about. Scott aparently likes his backpack a lot. He wears it everywhere they go and even wears it while cooking. Sam has been a great motivator and decision-maker, keeping the group moving whenever there is some indecision.

Motivation was of utmost importance on Thursday when the group had their first day of rock climbing at Otter Cliffs. There was a lot of apprehension about this so the kids volunteered Todd to go first which he was happy to do. The interesting thing about climbing at Otter Cliffs is that you often have to repel from the top and then climb back up. Ted (and a lot of other folks) had trouble getting over the edge at first but did a great job coming back up a chimney climb. Melody was all over the cliffs getting in as many climbs as possible. But no one has been as excited for the activities as Ben. He’s always psyched to get out there and do anything. This included a tyrolean traverse set up by the climbing guides. This is where a rope is set up between 2 cliffs. The participant then slides across the gap on the rope which in this case was about 60 feet high. Joe really challenged himself with this and did a great job with the support of the group. Friday should be a marvelous day back at the cliffs before a day off on Saturday when the group will pick a couple of things to do. Check back later for more details and hopefully some pictures.

Where the sidewalk ends

Saranac Lake is once again home to the Habitat Adirondacks crew from Frost Valley. Everyone piled in the minibus on Monday morning and made the trip to their home for the next 2 weeks, Rollins Pond Campground. Everyone has been pitching in with the cooking and cleaning in the campsite. While Jacob has taken his usual role as the entertainer, it seems that all of the group enjoys singing as much as he does.

At the work site, the big project has been putting in a sidewalk in front of the house. The group spent Tuesday and Wednesday beginning to prepare the ground, setting the forms, and leveling platic.

They’ve been working at a house that Frost Valley groups have helped to build over the last 3 summers. Seeing these finishing touches go on this house is amazing and this crew has really put in a lot of effort. Aliya and Jake chiseled out some of the road to make room for the sidewalk. Julia and Kaylie have been amazing laying down platic while Carl, Zach, and Ken are the masters of laying down the forms. William, Paul, and Jake have been working hard to hammer in the stakes that hold the forms in place.

Other work has included some land clearing which has been a specialty of Kat, Ken, and Madeline. The group also spent time removing the wooden forms from part of the foundation of the new house that will be going up.

On their first day off (Thursday), the crew headed to Lake Placid for some site seeing. Friday and Saturday they will be back at the site to finish off the sidewalk and start some other projects. Check back later for another update!

Belay is on

With the exception of Monday, the weather has been great for climbing and Rocks ‘N Ropes has taken full advantage. Luckily, we have our indoor climbing wall which was the location for training on Monday. Everyone learned about knots, ropes, and belay technique. Under the careful watch of Amanda and Casey,

the began belaying each other on our artificial rock wall. After a long day of climbing and belaying, everyone was ready to just hang out in the yurt at Sequoia and watch a movie before heading to bed.

Tuesday we packed up the bus and headed to Peterskill Climbing Area in Minnewaska State Park outside of New Paltz, NY. The storm clouds threatened but seemed to miss us all day which allowed us plenty of climb time. Belaying skills were put to use at the base of the 40-50′ rock faces with primary and back up belayers involved with every climb.

The climbs were all on what is referred to as the “Breakfast” Wall and included Cornflake, Cheese Grits, and Short Stacks. With ratings from 5.4 to 5.7,

there was an appropriate challenge for all and plenty of opportunity for pushing limits.

Climbing on real rock instead of artificial surfaces presents some unique challenges including visibility of the holds, wet surfaces, and spiders. They pushed onward and upward throughout the day and really enjoyed the day.

Of course, the day wasn’t just about climbing. Peterskill and the Shawangunks in general are a unique habitat with many interesting features and creatures.

Down time was spent picking wild blueberries, checking out scenic views, and looking for some local inhabitants like the five-lined skink.

Wednesday was another beautiful day that began with some mountain boarding at Frost Valley before the crew headed down to Phonecia for lunch and some whitewater tubing. The recent rain made for an exciting ride and was a great change of pace. On their way back up to the Valley, a short hike up Giant Ledge was in order which afforded some great views of the Catskills. All of this has worn the group out and they are heading off to bed in preparation for the next 3 days of climbing back in the Gunks.

New River blues

Even cloudy, rainy weather couldn’t get the West Virginia Whitewater paddlers down. They have spent the last few days on some amazing activities. Thursday and Friday were their 2 days on the New River, one of the best rivers in the east. Their ducky day was a big hit as the crew paddled their own inflatable kayaks down the class I-III rapids of the upper New River. Besides paddling, they also took time for some games including building their very own ducky tower.

The next day was time for bigger water on the lower New River. Class III-V rapids awaited the crews as they cruised down the river on their 14-foot rafts. It was another great day full of paddling, swimming, and surfing West Virginia style.

Saturday everyone was back on land for a mountain bike tour down into the historic New River Gorge. After a brief talk on safety procedures, the group hit the trail and headed down to the town of Thurmond, once one of the most prosperous towns in West Virginia. After the coal and railroad industries moved out, the town suffered but has become a quaint tourist attraction with its National Park visitors’ center and great views of the river. The guides Jeff and Scott spiced things up with a “sneak attack” on the trip leaders. Todd and Amanda discovered their bike seats had disappeared during a break and just couldn’t figure out what had happened. Once that was sorted out, they finished up their tour and headed back up to Mountain Top campground for dinner and some hang out time.

Caving was on the agenda for Sunday and from what I’ve heard, it was amazing. Some of the campers were a little nervous but the group helped them through and everyone made it through the experience with a smile on their face. Monday is their final day in Oak Hill as they hit the 2nd best (next to the Colorado River) river in North America — the Gauley. Depending on water levels, they’ll be duckying (low water) or rafting (high water) the lower Gauley River before they head back to Pennsylvania on Tuesday for Wednesday rock climbing. We’ll check back with them then!

And now for something completely different

As the Adirondack Rambler moves along, they continue to find new and interesting challenges around every corner. During their canoe expedition, they covered a lot of ground, managed to work in a portage or two, and paddled some beautiful areas. Starting in Rollins Pond, they headed to Floodwood Pond for their first night. Their campsite was on the same island I took my group to in 2005 so I know they had a great night filled with fresh air and small sounds of life. As far as acutal wildlife, they did see a bald eagle being harassed by a sea gull which was an interesting sight. The next day they paddled down to Fish Creek and portaged over to Horseshoe Pond where they only saw one other person. This was their second campsite and really gave them the feeling of the “backcountry” with no one around but themselves. They finished off with a trip around Follensby Clear Pond before heading to Spider Creek Passage to meet up with Bud. Lunch was in Saranac Lake and then it was on to Sharp Bridge Campground for a good night’s sleep before rock climbing over the weekend.
Jeff was the fisherman of the group pulling in a lot of fish over the 3 days on the water. Ben and Ian were the fire tenders of the trip as they kept it going while everyone was taking care of other chores. Filtering water has been something that Emma enjoys as she does it while the group paddled along. She and Audrey did forget to put their tent in the canoe, so they learned how to build an A-frame shelter from a tarp which kept them warm and dry. Much like around here, blueberries are in season and Craig may have found his calling as the blueberry picker. Tommy wanted everyone to know that he is, “still in one piece with both arms.” That may be due in large part to Connor who has been very safety conscious, a great help to the trip leaders. Dynamics within the group have been great and Liam has helped that along as the “unifier” of the group. Overall, an amazing crew having a unique experience. Another update will be on the way soon!

From boots to boats

The Boots & Boats group has made it safely through their land-based adventure and passed some notes my way. They made the drive on Monday and hit the trail near the Adirondack Loj heading for Mount Joe as their first campsite. Tuesday was a wake up call for the group as they took on Algonquin, one of the tallest peaks in the Adirondacks. It was a long, tiring day that was full of steep hiking and even a couple of scrambles, but the view from Algonquin made it all worth the effort. 7 miles and a peak put everyone right to bed as they rested up for the rest of their adventure. After some discussion with the leaders, the route was changed a bit and a couple of days shortened to accommodate everyone. Lake Colden was their home for a couple of nights as they did one day hike before busting out through Avalanche Pass and by Marcy Dam on their next traveling day. A valuable lesson was learned at Marcy as the group forgot to lock one of their bear cannisters. The high traffic of that area means the bears are experienced in getting food and one snagged some tortillas and oatmeal from the unlocked cannister. The group pressed on knowing that they had plenty of food left and was sure to lock their cannisters from that point on.

Individually, the group members have all found their place. Gus has been a great help, always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Eliana is very positive and has great mental toughness which has helped the group to soldier on. Devon’s spirit has been uplifting for everyone when they are tired. Marissa has been pushing herself hard and has come to realize how much she is truly capable of. Erik and Daniel have proved themselves very capable and are always ready for the next challenge. Amber and Sheldon described the group as “hilarious” and can’t wait to see what the canoeing brings. They put in at Rollins Pond yesterday and will be making their way through the St. Regis canoe area over the next few days. After backpacking, canoeing is always a nice change of pace so the already-high spirits should rise to the heavens.

Habitat in the Big Easy! Session 3

The Habitat New Orleans crew got off to a great start. The group was escorted to Newark by the legendary Bud Cox (Godfather of Adventure at Frost Valley). Where we met up with three of our fellow Habitat N.O.’s participants! They successfully boarded their plane and headed out.
The first day at the site the group met at Habitats Camp Hope located to the East of the city, in an area that was deeply affected by Hurricane Katrina three years ago. The group got to see first hand the devastation that still affects the local population. After meeting and greeting our site foreman the group waited out a small thunderstorm and headed out to the worksite. Which was located near by, the work we would be doing was painting! The home had just had the drywall put up and the trim installed so they were really starting from scratch. The two days were slow priming isn’t incredibly fun work and on the second day the group met the woman we were building this house for, her name was Mrs. Edna she inspired the group with her stories and words of encouragement and the work picked way up! On the third day the colored paint started to go up and things really picked up, with most of the color going up on the walls and spirits high they ended the day feeling they accomplished a great deed!

Notable Notables:
Jeff is a trim painting master, he also is great at putting up and taking off painters tape which believe it or not is a very difficult thing to do.
Hannah is the early bird she helps get people up in the morning
Sasha and Anne tend to be the comic relief slightly clumsy around trays of paint.
Evan & Dean are incredibly gifted singers (but not according to the rest of the crew)
Sam gets his work done and he’s a good motivator for the boys.
Lara is focused and hard working (Hint for the parents at home)
Laiya & Natalie are our closet painters! They are small enough to get inside and really do a great job with the tiny space.

 Photos to come hopefully! ((Camera Issues!))

Kam Kobeissi
Assistant Adventure Director
kkobeissi@frostvalley.org

Kevin Terrell
Adventure Director
kterrell@frostvalley.org 

Row, row, row your boat

…or paddle as the case may be. That’s what the Adirondack Rambler has been up to since their trip to the Adirondacks. They headed up to Lake Durant Campground in Blue Mountain Lake on Monday where they met up with the final member of group, Connor. Since Connor wasn’t on the bus that day, there was a coveted empty seat which Ian managed to snag in the morning. The bus ride was full of fun and conversation including plenty of movie facts and political connections by Liam. On the way up, the group also made stops for lunch and some last minute needs. Jeff picked up a new fishing lure to try out at the lake and Tommy got some crocs that needed some duct tape improvements after their first activity.

Tuesday was the first activity which involved a 17-mile trip down the upper Hudson River. With class I-III rapids, it is a great introduction to whitewater and a great way to bring the team together. There are some good sections for surfing and riding the raft in non-traditional ways. Audrey jumped right into this and “rode the bull” for a rapid which involves sitting on the front of the raft and holding on to a strap with one hand while the boat rocks up and down over the waves. After getting down the river, the outfitter treated them to a barbeque dinner before they headed back to Lake Durant for another night. Craig has been sharing some of his plant knowledge and was discussing the poisonous nature of some root structure. Emma was more than happy to just munch on some mixed party nuts and nod. The Legend Bud Cox (founder of Adventure Trips) met up with them with canoes in tow for the next leg of their journey.

Wednesday morning, the crew traveled to the Rollins Pond area near Saranac Lake to begin their canoeing expedition. They will spend the next 3 days/2 nights traveling to different sites by canoe and setting up camp for the night. Ben was ready to go as soon as the boats hit the water and was designated the bowman or lookout. The group will check in when once they are off of the water and settled in at their next campsite at Sharp Bridge which will serve as base camp during their 2 days of rock climbing over the weekend.