“The Giant Stairs” at Alpine Reservation Camp, New Jersey
On a beautiful weekend at the end of September, Boy Scout Troop 10 of Great Neck had an action-packed camping overnight weekend. Thirty-three scouts and several adults camped at Alpine Scout Reservation on the Palisades in New Jersey. The main activity for the day was a fairly strenuous hike. Scouts descended about 500 feet on switchbacks down the Palisades cliffs to the Hudson River.
The troop then traveled north and within a half a mile came upon the Giant Stairs, 0.55 mile long rock fall with treacherous footing. That part of the hike was challenging mentally, and physically, and took about two hours to conquer. The scouts made it through that section and so did the adults.
They continued north and crossed the state line into New York. Continuing north, they reached the Peanut Cascade and ruins of an Italian garden built in the 1900s when the area was privately owned. There, the scouts lunched and rested, sort of, and then begin the ascent. The troop went up about 400 feet and then joined a section of the Long Path and travelled south back to the starting point. Round trip was about 5 miles.
Back at the campsite, the scouts gathered wood for the campfire, and some scouts demonstrated to the older scouts skills regarding knife, ax and saw, and fire building and safety and others were taught those skills by the older scouts. Dinner was cooked by patrol on camp stoves, and after cleanup a nice big campfire and s’mores were enjoyed by all. All were up early the next morning, cooked breakfast, cleaned up, broke camp, and left the site cleaner than we found it.
Troop 10 meets at the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department on 25 Prospect St. on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on school days. If you are interested in joining Troop 10, please contact Dr. Dwight J Rosenstein at djrosenstein@gmail.com.
—Submitted by Dr. Dwight Rosenstein, Scoutmaster
