We even went off-site a couple of times.  Once was to visit the Adirondack Museum, which is always a must-see if you're in the area.  The other was to find a GeoCache hidden at Buttermilk Falls.  Click here if you want to see our log for that find (it was the second we've done as a troop).

And, as always, the staff at Cedarlands was just excellent.  They went out of their way to make it as rewarding a week as possible.

On Tuesday of the week, we decided we would canoe across the lake to Windy Beach, and make camp... sleep out under the stars and all that stuff.  It was a great idea, except for the torrential downpour.

In the photos, you can notice the humble accommodations where the scouts slept, laying side by side like sausages on a griddle.  The food was foil packets of ham, potatoes, and carrots, which actually turned out quite good, once we got the fire going well.

In truth, this will be a campout that we'll all remember for years and years to come.

The Derrane family came up to join us for Friday, bringing Shelby along to act as mascot.  We took the opportunity to do two more GeoCache activities.  The first was to plant one of our own (near the tree shown below), and the second was to find one at the top of the mountain, which we did after almost two solid hours of hiking.



If you're curious, our cache is called T14's Mid Mountain Respite (WGS84), and the one we found is called the Box of Wonders.

The weather cooperated and gave us spectacular views from the top of the hill.  The only problem we encountered was an aggressive dog along the way that bit into Brian.  You can see Mr. Derrane applying some necessary First Aid.

All in all, it was a good week.  I firmly believe that any occasions which bring us together as scouts, family, or friends is time well spent.  A week outside in the Adirondacks beats the heck out of a week inside an office.