LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2017 LOCALadk Magazine 43 LOCALadk event however is the Wine & Cheese / Steal-a-Gift event held Saturday evening. Campers bring a simple selection of crackers, cheese, or an appetizer along with a bottle (or two) of wine for the group table. One regular returning couple brings a custom TearUp cake each year! After some time relaxing and enjoying fine conversation, the evening moves on to the Steal-a-Gift event. The Steal-a-Gift is always a blast as campers come up with some great gifts. Some are homemade, but most are recycled from home, which makes for great fun. There are always several great gifts that get stolen many times over. One year the Steal-a-Gift became a way for a young man to propose to his girlfriend by hiding the ring in a gift. The Saturday night activities have always been popular, so they are a staple of each year's event. Saturday Paddle Usually on Saturday morning, if the weather cooperates, there is an informal paddle. The loop from neighboring Rollins Pond through Follensby Clear Pond and back to Fish Creek is popular, or a trip up into Floodwood from Lower Fish Creek. A paddle out onto Upper Saranac is popular as well. Rain? What Rain? Every year a common conversation subject is rain… or wind… or black flies! Usually one or more of these Adirondack features enhances the TearUp experience. Last year the black flies were reasonable but the cold rain and wind made for a challenging weekend for those along the windy sections of the ponds! Regardless, most campers are pretty resilient and just deal with it, or head into either Tupper or Lake Placid for a break should the weather not be cooperating. We Will Meet Again There is nothing like hanging around the campsite, meeting new people, and reminiscing with old friends. It's a relaxed setting with a lot of like-minded people. TearUp campers have made lifelong friends over the years and have since organized other campouts throughout the year at other destinations beyond Fish Creek. We even have enough people now in our area that we have a TearUp Christmas party each year. This year's TearUp the ADK will once again be held at Fish Creek June 15-18, 2017. Do join us! Visit tearuptheadk.com for more info. Till we meet again fellow campers! Smith's College Visitor's Center (the VIC), White Pine Camp, and The Adirondack Museum, as well as shopping to do in Lake Placid, or a visit to Whiteface Mountain. And, of course, there's hiking options close by, or the more challenging High Peaks near Lake Placid. Every Day is Open House Day One of the most popular activities at the TearUp is wandering around checking out the other guy's (and gal's) trailer. With such a variety of small and customized trailers, it is always fun to walk over and ask "Can I check out your trailer?" "Of course the answer is always, "Sure!" Everyone is checking out how one another's galleys are configured, hatches setup to keep out the rain, or other unique features that they have added to their trailers. Trailer tours are a perfect way to meet new friends. Other people camping in the campground, as well as outside visitors, also come by to check out all the small trailers. The funnest question a teardrop trailer owner hears from those that have never seen this type of trailer before is, "Do you sleep in that?" The Wine & Cheese / Steal-a-Gift Evening There are a few casual (always optional) events at the TearUp, including a Thursday night welcome campfire, the ever-popular Friday night beer tasting evening, and a Sunday night sing-along for those who stay an extra night. The main

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