Outdoor Education Archives - Eastern Outdoor Experiences

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love my Compass

Posted on June 15, 2016 by EdMoran

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An embarrassing camping moment…

With all due respect to Stanley Kubrick, this is a tale about what happened when I failed to follow plan C (for Compass). DSC_0084ces400

I was backpacking with my son’s Boy Scout troop in Harriman State Park and it was a beautiful moonlit night in mid-November. Most of the boys were camped in the lean-to and a few were in tents right next to it. As is our practice the adults were camped separately, on this occasion about 200 feet away.
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4 hours ago Elevation elevation elevation! This photo was taken just before and a short distance away from the location of yesterday's colorful scene at Artist's Rock. On this late October day the foliage looking down to the Hudson Valley was at peak color. At the same time looking over North-South Lake up towards North Point, most of the leaves were down. Elevation indeed!
23 hours ago This is the view we enjoyed from Artist's Rock on the Escarpment Trail on this same date as few years ago. This year, a good chunk of the Catskills have reached (and in some areas passed) peak color and the colors are expanding down to the valleys. There is still time to enjoy the annual display.
2 days ago Some beautiful views from an October day when we went rock climbing on Bonticou Crag in the Mohonk Preserve. The colors and views towards the Catskills on one side and the Hudson Valley on the other side were spectacular. The Shawangunk Ridge is famous for its many rock climbing opportunities. In addition to the privately owned Mohonk Preserve, the ridge is home to Minnewaska State Park and Sam’s Point Preserve, which together has protected much of the “Gunks” in New York State. The Shawangunk Ridge Hiking trails runs over 70 miles from High Point in the northwest corner of New
4 days ago In additional to learning new skills on last weekend’s backpack, the girls of Troop 2588 had a lot of fun. One of them found a red eft on the trail and we all had a good look before it went off on its way. The girls helped each other with the new skills we were learning, they found rocks to climb on and some nice views, and all worked great as a team. I also run trips for other youth groups and these girls are right up there with boys who have been backpacking longer.
5 days ago Autumn views from North Point. As of October 17 some of the Catskill summits have received their first dusting of snow. Many areas have not reached peak color yet but this week’s freezing temperatures will accelerate the process. The lower valleys recently started changing, so there is still time to catch this autumn’s great color show. Click our link for more information or to reserve the dates for your Catskill guided hiking adventure.
7 days ago I had a fantastic time on the first-time backpack with a girl scout troop and their leaders this past weekend. I previously gave them a couple of mini-clinics while they were preparing for this trip, but we did more instruction during the actual backpacking. The scouts were eager and fast learners. After hiking over Fingerboard Mountain and searching to select a suitable place to camp, we somehow managed to get a decent campfire going using the wet wood that was available near the campsite. The girls were able to start the fire with a spark. They also cooked their own

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