From June 21–26, 28 people—16 campers and twelve staff members—traded the comforts of home for six days in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. Our home for the week was the Rollins Pond Campground, located in the St. Regis Wilderness.

Throughout the week, we experienced breathtaking scenery, ideal weather (the rain didn’t start until we began packing up), rewarding adventures, and countless reminders of God’s amazing design. From the start of camp, we emphasized the benefits of doing hard things, expanding our comfort zones, and working as a team, and this emphasis continued throughout our adventures.

The purpose of Adventure Camp goes beyond hiking mountains or paddling canoes. Our goals include:

• Coming to better appreciate God by experiencing more of His creation
• Practicing God’s way of life in a more natural environment than most of us are accustomed to
• Spending time with youth in God’s Church
• Learning new skills
• Challenging ourselves with adventure
• Getting away from technology

First things first—each day, before we launched our canoes or laced up our hiking boots, we conducted a Bible study. These studies helped center our minds on God’s way of life and gave us direction for the rest of the day. Also, before going to sleep, we gathered around the campfire to finish each day with a reflection on God’s awesome creation or what we could learn from the examples around us about living God’s way of life.

Day 1: Preparing for the Journey

Our first day focused on orientation and hands-on workshops. Campers and staff alike learned and practiced essential outdoor skills that would soon be put to good use:

• The principle of “Leave No Trace,” as we sought to preserve God’s beautiful creation
• Canoeing techniques, including entering and exiting safely, paddling efficiently, and carrying canoes during portages
• Rope and knot tying for securing equipment and setting up camp
• Orienteering and using maps to navigate where technology is not available
• Fire building, learning how to select proper tinder and kindling, and understanding the three elements every fire needs to burn successfully—heat, fuel, and oxygen

Days 2 and 3: Adventures on the Water

The camp divided into two groups, each tackling a different adventure on day 2 and switching on day 3. One of the adventures was to complete a challenging 15-mile canoe loop that included six portages. After paddling across a pond, portaging is required in order to transport canoes and gear to the next pond—everything had to be unloaded and packed up, carried over sometimes narrow and difficult trails, and launched again into the next pond. Portaging quickly reinforced what we had learned about teamwork. Sometimes one person carried the canoe while others carried the gear. At other times, two campers worked together to shoulder a canoe through uneven trails while another person walked ahead to help navigate obstacles.

The second adventure combined canoeing and hiking into one challenging route. After paddling three miles, the group had to complete a grueling three-quarter-mile portage, paddle another mile, and then hike nearly two miles—with more than 1,000 feet of incline—to the summit of Long Pond Mountain. Reaching the top provided everyone with sweeping views of Rollins Pond and the surrounding St. Regis Wilderness, and the effort required to get there made the view even more rewarding. The hiking, paddling, and portaging then needed to be completed in reverse order to return to camp.

Day 4: Ampersand Mountain

On the fourth day, both groups set out for a hike up Ampersand Mountain. To abide by trail etiquette and park rules, we had to hike in two separate groups, spacing ourselves about a mile apart, but everyone experienced the same adventure. This hike was a six-mile round trip and gained roughly 1,800 feet in elevation, ending with an almost sheer climb to the summit.

Throughout the hike, what we had learned in the days prior was put into practice. Whether through encouraging words, helping hands, or offers to carry someone else’s daypack, the teamwork we’d practiced during the week came naturally. It was a reminder that “teamwork makes the dream work,” accomplishing difficult things often depends on looking beyond ourselves, and finishing together is more important than crossing the finish line first.

When we finally reached the summit at 3,352 feet above sea level, every tired step was forgotten as the cool breeze dried the sweat on our foreheads. Before us stretched a breathtaking panoramic view of forests, lakes, ponds, and mountains as far as the eye could see. Standing there, it was impossible not to marvel at the greatness of God’s creation, and we also had the blessing of sharing this majestic view with the other group as we rested before heading back down the mountain together.

Campfires, Fellowship, and Departure

After long days on the trails and ponds, returning to camp was greatly appreciated. We regrouped as one camp, sharing stories of adventure as we enjoyed a delicious meal to replenish the calories we had burned throughout the day.

Each evening, campers built a campfire using the skills they had learned on the first day. Around those fires, we shared stories, laughed together, and strengthened friendships that will last beyond the week. Before our evening reflections, stickers were awarded to those who had proven themselves throughout the day in noticeable ways—perhaps by canoeing a straight line, starting that evening’s fire, or encouraging another person along the adventure.

We were blessed in countless ways throughout the week. The clear skies and mild temperatures could hardly have been better for hiking and paddling, and even the pesky mosquitoes and flies—usually abundant in the Adirondacks at that time of year—were surprisingly scarce.

On June 26, after we had packed up the wet tents, we left the place we had called home for the past six days, where we had connected with God and built lasting memories. We took home more than our hard-earned T-shirts and stickers—the true reward came from drawing closer to God through our time in His creation, building friendships, and pushing the boundaries of our comfort zones. Adventure Camp isn’t just about surviving a challenging week in the wilderness—ultimately, it’s about expanding our capacities for service and forging bonds of friendship with those of like mind, surrounded by God’s creation.