The logistics of the idea were daunting from the start. Our friends and family are spread out over several countries on two continents, some are teachers and some have children in school. We decided to choose a week that created the least number of conflicts with family and work schedules, but this meant that we are in the middle of the peak season. Many expressed interest, but a significant number weren't able to make a firm commitment in time for us to secure a place for them at White Pine Camp. We currently have three cabins reserved, all spaces are allocated, and White Pine Camp is otherwise fully booked for the week of our stay. For those still interested in joining us, there are still several alternatives.
There are three basic ways that you can be near to White Pine Camp while we are there: Camping, staying in an RV Camper, or finding other lodging accommodations in a rental cabin, nearby camp, B&B, inn, motel or hotel. We will be happy to help you sort out the details with regard to any of these options if you would like to join us. What follows is a general guide to each alternative.
Camping
Those in Germany and many other places in Europe typically aren't familiar with primitive camping which is common in the Adirondacks and other wild places in the United States. For them, "camping" is pitching a tent or staying in a camper on an organized campground that has a certain level of infrastructure, often including central sanitary facilities and even a kiosk/snack bar with things to eat and drink. The one European exception that comes to my mind is in Sweden, where there are broad rights to pitch a tent just about anywhere in the wilderness, including in many cases, on private property. With the exception of pitching a tent on private property, the idea of camping in the Adirondacks has a lot in common with the Swedish idea.
You are pretty much good to go, as long as you are familiar with the camping regulations of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (summarized in brief by the Adirondack Mountain Club, with more information about protecting your food from bears here).
If you are interested in planning a camping trip to coordinate with our get-together, then proximity to White Pine Camp is key. As you can see in the map below, there are lots of nearby options. White Pine Camp is at the end of White Pine Road, so you will be closest to us if you can find a campsite on Osgood Pond. And if you have or rent a canoe, you can paddle over to visit us.
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| Excerpt from Adirondack Paddler's Map For Canoe & Kayak Travel Published by Paddlesports Press |
The most common way to do primitive camping is pitching a tent in the wilderness. It will also give you the most flexibility of options to coordinate with our trip. In the Adirondacks, there is an alternative way to get shelter: a lean-to. Pictured below, a lean-to is a three sided structure with a solid roof above your head. In the event of rain, there is a better chance of staying dry in a lean-to than in a tent (with water seeping up from below), but the tent will give you more protection from mosquitos and the myriad flying insects that you will encounter while staying in the Adirondacks. Either way, bug spray should be in your list of things to bring. Other benefits of lean-tos are that they have a certain amount of infrastructure, including a fire pit, and they are often scenically located overlooking a nearby river or pond, as is the case on and near Osgood Pond. The biggest drawback to the lean-to is, for the most part, they are strictly first come, first served. Since these are public property, many smaller groups will share "their" lean-to with you, but you may or may not be comfortable doing that.
Around Osgood pond, looking at the map above, you will see that there are about four lean-tos, indicated by the red symbol with a structure on it that looks like half a house. If you are pitching a tent, there are "primitive campsites" indicated with a red "+"on the map. These are essentially small clearings, each with a fire pit. Sometimes there is a privy near to an established campsite or lean-to, but not always. The primitive campsite at the north corner of Osgood pond is easiest to reach via canoe. On the other hand, the campsite along Jones Pond Road on the far right of the map section above is very easy to get to, with drive-in access. That one is occupied relatively often, and not the quietest place to camp because of the proximity to the road.
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| Classic Adirondack lean-to, photo from White Pine Camp Facebook page |
Regardless of lean-to or tent, you will want to get an early start when looking for a campsite, and be prepared with a few back-up plans. Those coming from Europe will probably not be able to bring all the camping gear they will need. The best resource I have found for this is St. Regis Canoe Outfitters. While we haven't visited the shop ourselves, they appear to have everything you would need, for example: tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear, rain gear, canoes, equipment to mount the canoe on your car and even packaged trail food items. For those leery about transporting a canoe on a rental car, they will even transport gear to your location. Gear can be rented per piece or in configured packages.
If you are coming from Europe, I would definitely recommend not trying to get off the plane, driving to the Adirondacks, picking up gear and heading into the woods on the same day. Plan at least two days in a B&B / Inn / Motel / Hotel, before heading into the woods.
RV Camping
Quite a number of our German friends had the idea to coordinate with our trip by renting an RV Camper. The biggest challenge that I see with this is logistics. If you are traveling from Europe and want to join us, you will want to find a company that will rent an RV that is both near to an airport and within a drivable distance to the Paul Smiths, NY area. From what I have been able to find, Cruise America / Cruise Canada appears to be the best option. Their closest locations to camp near to airports are in Montreal, Canada and Syracuse, NY. Montreal would be the most convenient as there are direct international flights to major European airports. It is possible to cross the border either to or from Canada, but the RVs must be returned to the same country they were picked up from.
The closest RV Campsite to White Pine Camp is Charlie's Inn, which is about a 15 minute drive from where we will be. They have all the necessary hookups.
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| RV Camper, Photo Credit: cruiseamerica.com |
Lodging
In order to best coordinate plans, the closer to White Pine Camp you can get, the better. This will be a challenge because the week we have chosen is among the most popular to plan a vacation in the Adirondacks. Depending on the size of your group, the most attractive alternative could be to rent a cabin. There are a number of cabins on Osgood pond that are rented out by the week, three of which are listed online by "Adirondack 'By Owner'." I also have a few phone numbers for rental properties that are not listed online.
The next three pictures are of the cabins that are listed online. As of this writing, Twin Pines and Camp Brig O'Doon are showing vacancy during our week on their reservation calendar. The Gazebo instructs those interested to contact the owners during this time. The most affordable option among these are the two cabins at Brig O'Doon, with one unit for $600 per week (max 4 people) and one for $900 per week (rate for 4, or $1000 for 6 people). Click on the caption to see each property's detailed description and more pictures.
The next three pictures are of the cabins that are listed online. As of this writing, Twin Pines and Camp Brig O'Doon are showing vacancy during our week on their reservation calendar. The Gazebo instructs those interested to contact the owners during this time. The most affordable option among these are the two cabins at Brig O'Doon, with one unit for $600 per week (max 4 people) and one for $900 per week (rate for 4, or $1000 for 6 people). Click on the caption to see each property's detailed description and more pictures.
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| Twin Pines on Osgood Pond, listing on Adirondack "By Owner." |
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| Camp Brig O' Doon on Osgood Pond, listing on Adirondack "By Owner" |
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| The Gazebo on Osgood Pond, listing on Adirondack "By Owner" |
Many of the lodging options will be fully booked during the week of our stay. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me directly, and I will be happy to help look for a place that fits your needs.
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