Check out our hiking page for details: https://noany.org/hikes/
Welcome to Our New Camp Chair
The Board has appointed Dave Hayes as the new Camp Chair for the Nawakwa Outdoor Association and Camp Nawakwa.
Our new Camp Chair, David Hayes Cohen, discovered Nawakwa on a kayak trip. He spent his free time in the pandemic fulfilling his membership requirements and has enjoyed being around Nawakwa for two years now.
Dave is passionate about camp life, enjoys hiking, kayaking, and camping in his free time. He lives in Mountainville, NY, with his wife Jess Scirbona (also a Nawakwan) and a very cute 3-legged pitbull mix, Petal.
As Camp Chair, he is looking forward to creating an inclusive environment where members of all ages can enjoy the outdoors together and continue the Nawakwan traditions of being stewards of this amazing place passed down to us.
Dave and Jess
Report on Historic Hike to Camp Bluebird
In the summer of 1924, the recently organized Adirondack Mountain Club [i.e., the New York Chapter, now the Nawakwa Outdoor Association] rented a two-story farmhouse on Upper Twin Lake. They named it Camp Bluebird (UT-10). To get to the camp, those members who didn’t have cars had to walk four miles up from Central Valley. The camp was an old 2-story farmhouse with a fireplace and sleeping accommodations for 23. Connected to the house on the west side was an open, covered pavilion about the size of Nawakwa’s main building and slightly removed and to the north another similar pavilion. These buildings were on the east side of Upper Twin Lake and near its north end and were about 50 feet above lake level.” The camp was used for two years until the spring of 1926 when Camp Nawakwa on Lake Sebago opened. [Note: Harriman State Park no longer lists a camp UT-10]
We crossed the outflow of Lake Nawahunta on large rock steps (there was no outflow due to the drought) and started our gradual climb up Stockbridge Mountain.
We stopped to look at a rock formation which formed a Cave Shelter just off the Long Path. Then we on to the Baileytown Road, making our way down to Upper Twin Lake.
Camp numbers UT 7/8 are the first camps encountered as one approaches the area. We next made our way down to the very picturesque Upper Twin Lake. We were on the east side of the lake (where Camp Bluebird once existed).
It was a beautiful and sunny day. We took pictures to record the event, had lunch at some picnic tables, and then started our return by way of the Baileytown Road.
This is a fairly easy hike to a very pretty area of Harriman Park, one which holds special significance for our club.
The location and trails are found on the Trail Conference map #119 (Northern Trail Map).
–Ray Kozma
Fall Work Weekend and Wood Day
All hands on deck! Healthy, tasty meals to nourish the body and Nawakwa spirit and plenty of chores to go around! The Fall Work Weekend is here!
The closing of the camp season is always an exciting time for Nawakwans. It’s important to prepare the campgrounds, waterfront, main cabin and sleeping cabins for the winter season, as well as re-stock our firewood. Lunch on Saturday will be provided to those participating in the work weekend at no cost. There will be no day fees for those participating in the chores.
Camp Chair Dave Hayes is coordinating the work chores for this work weekend, Eve Mancuso is hosting for the overnight, and Co-host Janet Sibarium is taking care of the Saturday lunch. (For any of the meals, please note if you are vegetarian or omnivore.)
Around Cape Horn – Saturday – November 5, 2022
Elevation gains about 500 feet, gentle to moderate uphills, 5-6 miles.
Join in an easy hike to the Pine Swamp Mountain area (site of the Pine Swamp Mine) and Times Square.
Starting at the parking area at Lake Kanawauke (former Route 106), we take a short road walk and then enter the forest, following a woods road as it climbs to meet the Dunning Trail.
We will hike over to Pine Swamp (and can explore the area to find the mine entrance), take the A-SB to Times Square (so called because it is where the Arden-Surebridge (A-SB) trail, the Long Path (LP), and the Ramapo-Dunderberg trail(R-D) all come together), then ‘round Cape Horn on the Long Path and back to the parking area. We will look for a hidden cave behind Cape Horn.
It will probably be possible to arrange a ride from Sloatsburg for those without a car. Please call leader to check. Bring lunch, rain gear, water, extra layers, and appropriate hiking shoes. If there is snow/ice, traction devices are recommended. Meet at the Parking area at 10AM. Qualifying. Please register by 9PM Thursday, November 3, 2022.
Leader: Ray Kozma (Raymondkozma@gmail.com) or 917-406-3782.
Founded in 1923, the Nawakwa Outdoor Association of New York, Inc. is a membership organization dedicated to the enjoyment of the outdoors through hiking, walking, camping, swimming, skiing, sailing, canoeing, and kayaking, and to the conservation and preservation of our wilderness, particularly the mountains, lakes, trails, and camping areas of the metropolitan New York region.