Document your Adirondack adventures for generations to come
There are certain moments in a child’s life that remain significant, even though at the time they occurred they did not seem to be such a big deal.
I would like to share some of my most treasured memories with my readers this week.
Most people celebrate major milestones in their family’s lives by writing them down or through photographs documenting first hair cuts, first day of school, birthdays, graduations, confirmations, first dates, etc.
But for kids growing up Adirondack, there may be a whole different set of milestones. Some examples are: the first time you put your head under water at the lake, or dive head-first from the dock. Or the first time you got up on water skis, hiked a mountain, paddled solo, caught a trout, or shot a deer.
Perhaps it was the first time you were allowed to camp out on the island alone with your friends, or were allowed to go up to camp by yourself.
The moment you first smelled Balsam, and Spruce or picked a fungus from a tree to doodle on with a stick.
It may have been the first time you were allowed to start the campfire or split the wood for the woodstove.
These memories—filled with so much happiness and joy—provide an opportunity to start your own Adirondack family traditions that can one day be passed on to generations to come.
If you want to chronicle your own milestone without the help of photographs, begin by simply recording your experiences in a camp journal.
One great personal milestone was when I had my first taste of spruce gum.
I scraped it from the tree under the watchful eye of my father who was explaining that it might taste a little funny.
I wish we had photos of my face at first bite. I can only imagine the contortions my face made as I bit into the hard to chew, bitter gum—all the while trying to look as if I was enjoying the experience.
I once visited an Adirondack camp during the holidays and noticed trophy awards made from disks of maple adorning the Christmas tree. The ornaments hung from ribbons, each etched with information about the day the award was won.
I thought it to be a great creative tradition.
With the summer season about to start it is a good time to start planning ways to celebrate your own Adirondack milestones. It does not matter how old your are.
Just keep in mind that Adirondack children truly never grow up—they just reach more milestones.
