Collective Camping

Our Little Piece of the Adirondacks

Some people go camping to rough it and while we've done some versions of that in the past, we tend to car-camp now because of the flexibility of bringing all the gear (food and wine) you need for the trip.

Our favorite spot in the Adirondacks has become a place filled with traditions, most of which revolve around good food, good drinks, and of course, adventure. We've been lucky enough to return here to our favorite campsite year after year. And if we play our cards right, sometimes we get to come a few times in a summer. We go alone to disconnect or bring along friends to share this special place with. It's peaceful and thrilling all at the same time.

We go all out with campfire cooking. I am always planning meals that I am genuinely excited to cook, because somehow everything tastes better over an open fire, especially after a full day outside and a few glasses of wine. Pulling off a legitimately great dinner with nothing but a fire, cast iron, and a little ingenuity feels like an accomplishment. Enjoying the meal together with a good view and the sounds of nature is an even bigger reward.

One of our camping days usually includes hiking Black Bear Mountain, and we’ve learned that a bottle of wine is worth the extra weight in the backpack. Reaching the top, finding a place to sit, and sharing a glass surrounded by Adirondack views has become one of our favorite rituals. There are peaks and lakes as far as the eye can see... It never gets old.

Then there’s the island.

We canoe out to a little island in the middle of the tiny lake, drag the canoe up onto some tree roots, swim to the ladder, climb the rock, and work up the (liquid) courage to jump into the water. And because every tradition needs a tradition of its own, we never make the trip without our favorite canned piña coladas. It’s a little ridiculous. It’s completely perfect. And it’s ours.

That’s what I love most about this place. The campfire meals, the wine on the mountain, the paddle to the island, and all the stories in between have turned a beautiful camping spot into somewhere that feels like our own little piece of the woods in the vast, mountainous Adirondack Park.