Snow-less, Whats the Goal? and Other Ramblings of a Tired Man

It's Friday and everyone on the PMOEC staff has gone home except for me. They were beat, I am beat and they deserved an extra hour off to jump start their weekend- or maybe give them an excuse to take an afternoon nap. Whatever the case, this week, as so many before it have been, was exhausting in the good way. We had our first group of the winter that came from the States, Connecticut to be exact, and that really changed our approach on the week. Gone were the needs to emphasize sentence structure, proper grammar and enunciation. Here were a group of 22 boys who were focused on the bond shared with the class, the challenges associated with pushing yourself physically and simply having a good time. We did all we could to reach these goals and, despite little help from Mother Nature, I think we succeeded. It is heartwarming for me to hear Pok-O Instructors talking about if we need to reach the top of a mountain on a hike, as summiting does not necessarily mean the goal is met. Didn't somebody once say that its not about the goal, but the journey?
Looking forward to next week, we get back into work projects for a while but are eagerly looking forward to our first lecture of the Cabin Fever Lecture Series. CARL HEILMAN II!!! He defines Adirondack photography and, as someone who is drawn to vast landscape in portraits as well as photo, I can't wait to hear him talk about his craft. Join us- it will be Thursday at 7, it's free and it'll be near the wood stove. Can it get any better? Until next week...

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!

Many wheels are constantly in motion at PMOEC and, although last week the bulk of our attention was on the French Canadian clients at PMOEC, we simultaneously got a lot of advertising out in the surrounding communities for some upcoming events. And while this forum is usually reserved for updates on the inner-happenings of our little corner of the Adirondacks, I would be remiss if I didn't give a little attention to all of the events on the horizon. First off, the Third Annual Cabin Fever Lecture Series is only a couple of weeks away from kicking off. The stellar list of presenters this year is a testament to many of the people who turned me down last year, but promised to present this year, living up to their promises. I am unsure if it will ever get better than having a world renowned photographer, children's author and farmer/writer, amongst others. Seriously, I may have set the bar a bit too high for 2013. In late February we will be hosting another Break Camp. It is amazing that, in a few short years, how much of a cornerstone of our programming these 2 weeks (Winter Break Camp and Spring Break Camp) of the year have become. It is a different experience for us as instructors, since we get to see the same kids year in and year out, we get to see them grow, form long term relationships and experience our classes in a different way. If thats not enough, we also have the a snow tubing evening on the Thursday night of Winter Break Camp. Wow. Its a full February and early March. I hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are.

St. Marc

Every school is an important client in the continued success of Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center. No client is less important than another. But some clients have become endeared to us as they have been long standing. And a few of those long standing groups have had fortunate staffing that has allowed the same teacher to come each year. One of those schools is at PMOEC right now and Rosemary Reader, who has come with St. Marc School on every of its bi-annual trips over the past 10+ years, still comes every time. Rosemary still has the drive to make her trip better every year and we are happy to oblige. She feels quite at home with our staff each year and is a welcome face for all of our employees, old and new. What better school and teacher to have kick off our overnight-educational groups for 2012?
The snow seems to have finally arrived today, although my early season optimism that turned into slight pessimism still lingers. It will take a few trips down the tubing hill and glacading down a Pok-O-Patch mountain before I'll turn my frown upside down. Stay tuned.
Next week the winter Pok-O-Press comes out, we start publicity for our Annual Winter Break Camp and we will let you know more about the Cabin fever Lecture Series Until then...

Ski Week

A great week of skiing and hiking is behind us. The annual Pok-O Ski Week, a collaborative effort between Pok-O-MacCready Camps and Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center, was a lot of fun. Little snow has fallen in the North Country so far this winter, save the early season foot that fell before Thanksgiving that had promptly melted before the beginning of the next work week, but no bother. The kids adapted, as Pok-O summer camp kids do, so rather than snow-tubing we did some alternate night activities; a night hike one evening and a smor-extravaganza another. Of course, there were some trips to the Crux, but most memorable were the trips to the High Peaks for hiking and skiing. Two days of winter mountaineering trips went out, one to Tabletop and one to Wright, and they were both a huge success. The days at Whiteface were fantastic with staff and kids enjoying the development of their skiing skills and friendships that are often limited to the summer months. This week, our focus turns to winter training and snow dances as we anticipate the arrival of our first winter group next Tuesday. A little tease about next weeks blog- more info about our Cabin Fever Lecture Series and the Pok-O-Press that will be coming out in a couple of weeks. Pray for snow!