When my council's resident camp was closed through most of the nineties, my troop took up residence at Buckskin Camp at Curtis S. Read. In my fourth year there my closest friends and I opted for a 50-mile hike through Summit Base. What was mentioned about Read custimizing the trip for the individual group is true. On Sunday night, our guide presented us with three or four options. We chose the northern half of the Northville-Lake Placid Trail. It remains to this day one of my favorite memories of Scouting amongst Nat Jambo and being part of the staff that reopened my home council's camp. I ended up going to college in Plattsburgh for the sole reason of being within an hour's drive of the Adirondack High Peaks. The 'dacks are truly rugged. Steep, damp, rocky, buggy. But, oh so rewarding. Summit Base can offer you two major options. 1-the 50-mile one way trek on the N-LP Trail. 2-a base camp with multiple peakbagging day hikes. In a week, you can probably bag ten or so of the 46 high peaks. Depends on how ambitious your crew is. Just remember to bring your Gore-tex boots and short gaiters. The 'dacks have three seasons. Winter, mud and bug. You'll be there somewhere on the cusp of mud and bug.
