This spring, Susie and camp press manager Katey headed up the trails into the Black Mountains to scout for water and campsites appropriate for this year's first-ever Camp Spring Creek backpacking trip! Katey is an experienced hiker who grew up in Oregon and has led trips for schools in the past. She was also an AmeriCorp volunteer working in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to build, maintain, and service backcountry trails in Adirondack State Park (a park six times the size of Yellowstone!). She's excited to give the campers a positive, challenging experience, similar to the trips she was sent on as a child all over the West.
After some investigating and timing, Susie and Katey decided the campers will hike about halfway up Colbert Creek Trail the first afternoon of our hike and camp out here:
Not shown, of course, is all the gear and water we'll be huffing up there, not to mention the distant cooking site, latrine site ( = dig your own hole in the ground), and bear-bagging tree ( = really tall tree, really far away, with the perfect outstretched branch to throw a rope over).
The next day, we'll day hike up to Deep Gap and the Black Mountain Crest Trail for awesome views looking west over the South Toe River Valley and east toward the Cane River Valley. After a break, we'll hike further to summit Winter Star Mountain at 6,203 feet. Later, back at Deep Gap, we'll likely adventure around for a good water source, then hike down to "base camp" for the night. In the morning, we'll hike back down Colbert Creek Trail to the vans, hive-fiving all the way!
