The 11th Annual Young Members
JOHNS BROOK JAMBOREE
August 4 – 6, 2023
(Friday – Sunday)
Join a group of young members for a late-summer weekend in the only backcountry lodge in the Adirondacks. Enjoy a wilderness experience… with a bed and full-service meals!
The Johns Brook Lodge (JBL) is nestled in the heart of the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks, providing you with a backcountry experience without the backcountry load. JBL provides the food and shelter, freeing you to pack light and get the most out of your time in the mountains. Johns Brook Lodge — the ONLY wilderness lodge in the Adirondacks — can be reached only by foot, but provides day-hike access to over a half-dozen peaks including the ADK’s highest, Mt. Marcy.
While it isn’t the Hilton, JBL provides you with a welcoming bunk, three meals a day (a breakfast and dinner, as well as a trail-lunch you can take with you on your adventures), and a roof overhead in case of wet weather. Beyond that, you get the chance to enjoy the woods in August, hear the birds sing, wade into frosty streams, and see the summer sun come up over the mountains (…and you get to share it with others who enjoy the same).
Newcomers are encouraged to attend. If your only experience camping has been car-camping, but you’re interested in experiencing backcountry wilderness, come on out and join us. It’ll be a great introduction to the mountains.
Getting There
Johns Brook Lodge is a backcountry lodge located in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks outside of Keene Valley, NY. To reach JBL you have to hike 3.5 miles into the mountains from the Garden Parking Area in Keene Valley.
The garden parking lot is open. The town has not posted their 2023 shuttle schedule yet. Parking at the Garden is $10 per day. Check the following link to the Town’s website for updated shuttle information https://www.townofkeeneny.com/hiker-shuttle-information/
Anyone that would like to get a jump on the weekend can drive-up Thursday night or early Friday morning. There are places to camp in the area, as well as affordable hostels, if you drive up Thursday.
The plan is to arrange it so that smaller groups form at the trailhead (depending on when people plan on arriving), so that folks have company when hiking in to the lodge. We’ll figure out the groups closer to the event date.
Meals
Six meals are included. Breakfasts (2) and dinners (2) are served family-style. Bagged trail lunches (2) include hearty sandwiches, snack and dessert.
Bunks
For 2023 we have reserved 20 spots. The lodge provides a pillow and wool blanket. In the summer a set of sheets is often sufficient to keep you warm.
What to Bring
We’ll provide a list closer to the event date.
Safety & Liability
All participants are required to be vaccinated for Covid-19. Additionally, when social distancing is not possible in common areas around John’s Brook Lodge when not eating it’s suggested that masks be worn.
Each participant MUST bring a map of the Adirondack High Peaks, a compass, and know how to use them!
While this event is organized for ADK younger members, it is not a ‘led’ trip which means that neither the ADK nor the trip’s organizers are responsible for your well-being during whatever activities you choose to participate in during the outing. Please be aware of the risks inherent in your chosen activity(s) and pick something that coincides with your level of skill.
If you are unfamiliar with the area, there will be others on the trip to offer suggestions, as well as numerous guidebooks. Additionally, the staff at Johns Brook Lodge can guide you towards appropriate trails. However their suggestions are no guarantee of safety.
By participating in this outing, you commit to conducting yourself in a mature, respectful and responsible manner.