Winter Adventure


	Spotlight on Winter Adventure

Although many groups visit Pok-O to kick off or wrap up the school year, fewer take advantage of the stark and sublime beauty of the snow-capped High Peaks. Winter is when we grab our ski poles or ice augurs, strap on our crampons or snow shoes, and head out into the woods for rugged team-building experiences unparalleled in the East. Cold spells are few and far between though, since every activity from skiing to jigging a fishing line keeps the blood moving. Our experienced instructors relish sharing their love of the outdoors with first-timers, veteran outdoorsmen, and everyone in between.

We do our best to offer all of our classes in all weather conditions, but some of them will not run in the snow. Still, our science curriculum is supplemented by a special Winter Ecology class, and we offer the five snowbound adventures below:

Ice-Fishing
Offered as a pre-breakfast “Early Bird” activity, we drill the holes, and supply the bait and equipment and you provide the skills to jig the line and the desire to reel them in. Care to go for a new Long Pond record?


Cross Country Skiing There’s no better way to explore the miles of trails around the Center and Long Pond than on “skinny skis,” and our well stocked Ski Shack can accommodate visitors of all sizes. For experienced skiers, our staff can lead trips on the Adirondacks’ many skier-only trails, and even up the back side of Whiteface Mountain, elev. 4,817'.

	Winter Mountaineering With the help of snowshoes, our students traverse the rugged rocks and roots of the Adirondack trails with relative ease when they are buried under a blanket of powder. Furthermore, approaching a snow -and-ice-encrusted summit requires even greater teamwork and problem-solving skills than a fair-weather ascent.

		Ice-Climbing In some ways, ice-climbing is even easier than rock-climbing, since crampons and ice axes can be placed anywhere. However, climbing a frozen waterfall provides challenges that bring a palpable sense of accomplishment. An activity that few will ever try, Ice-Climbing is guaranteed to be a memorable adventure.

Snow Tubing This “just for fun,” day or evening activity gives students a chance to slide down our snow bowl in pairs or in a large group, then take the rope tow back to the top to try again.