After three months of relative quiet, on the first weekend of 2013, the grounds of 4h Camp Overlook once again filled the woods and waters of Mountain View, NY with peals of laughter and shouting, the smell of hot dogs cooking, and lots and lots of music.  Welcome to the Annual 4h Counselor Reunion.  For the second year in a row, counselors from the past summer and many summers previous have met at the camp to reconnect, catch up, and enjoy all the wonderful opportunities the facility has to offer.  Unlike their summer experience, however, the counselors arrived at Camp Overlook bundled against below freezing temperatures and prepared for the more than two feet of snow currently blanketing the grounds.

Originally organized by staff wishing to see their friends and coworkers between the camping seasons, the reunion has transformed into a means by which individuals (many of whom have spent over ten summers at Camp Overlook) can experience the facility in a completely new way.  Made by possible by the construction of Camp’s “Great Hall,” a fully winterized building with a state of the art kitchen, enormous dining and recreational areas, and sleeping accommodations, the counselor reunion has cemented itself as a new tradition that will likely continue for years to come.  This year’s event was aided largely by the enormous snowfall having settled on the area over the last several weeks as well as some great organization and planning by the camp staff.

Beginning Thursday, January 3^rd, counselors arrived from as near as Malone and far as Connecticut, loaded for bear with sleeping bags, snow gear, food, and board games.  Over the next four days, counselors explored the wintery grounds using the camp’s brand-new snow shoes, which proved to be an absolute necessity with drifts continuing to grow each day.  The lifeguarding crew of the previous summer, especially, enjoyed walking on top of the swim areas they are accustomed to floating in.  When not outside, mattresses, blankets, and pillows were pulled out to hunker in and watch movies theater-style by using a projector on the Great Hall’s expansive walls.  Assigned groups prepared enormous pancake breakfasts, grilled cheese lunches, and spaghetti dinners over the kitchen’s industrial stoves; brand new games abounded as counselors took advantage of the sprawling recreational space; and very little sleep was had as friends swapped stories from their time apart in the bunk areas.  Seeking to preserve the traditions of the summer, the group even held “vespers,” or the nighttime rituals that close each day of camp.

With plans already underway for next year, the 4h Counselor Reunion promises to return in 2014 with new faces and customs, but a guaranteed repeat of enjoyment for all.  If you and your group are looking to get away for a weekend, enjoy the greatness of the Adirondacks in the winter, or, like these counselors, rekindle old connections, consider all Camp Overlook has to offer.  Now operating as a year-round facility, Overlook is a great place for any and all that seek to gain an outdoors experience for a very affordable price and very little hassle.  Located less than 15 minutes from Titus Ski Mountain and just over an hour from Whiteface, it’s an accessible accommodation to relax after a long day of skiing.  Or, if you seek to go off the groomed trail, with snowshoes available and acres upon acres of backcountry to explore, Overlook can be a hub for all your winter escapes.  For more information contact nwc27@cornell.edu.  We look forward to seeing you this winter!

4H Counselors relaxing at the beach.