We all love fun and hot chocolate and there’s nothing that says, “fun and hot chocolate” like a weekend in the Adirondacks. To put it plainly, fall is here and with fall comes the annual Fall Weekend.

While it’s safe to assume that the majority of my audience has no idea what I’m talking about, I’m certain that those of you who do are now either screaming internally (or externally) with excitement, or breaking into tears because you can’t go this year. For the vast majority of you who are unaware, Fall Weekend is, in short, is the best three days of your life. It is the best part of the school year, the reason I look forward to another fall season of classes, a reason to get away from the stress of our insanely busy day-to-day lives, and a reason to look forward to the weather turning cold. Deep in the lovely woods of the Adirondacks, four long hours away from our little Weedsport, is Saranac Village–one of the best places on the planet. Saranac Village is one of over thirty YoungLife camps across the globe. YoungLife is a Christian organization dedicated to changing the lives of teenagers, and anyone has the opportunity to go to Saranac this fall.

Fall Weekend is three days of fun, games, delicious food, inside jokes, singing songs, and wearing flannels by a warm fireplace. It costs $165 to go, which includes transportation, some of the best food you’ve ever had (the kitchen work crew will account for any dietary restrictions), a beautiful place to stay for the weekend, and all the fun that comes with camp. While some of us may flinch at that number, I can say as someone who has been to Saranac eight times–going on nine–that it is well worth the money. However, if anyone is unable to pay, there are fundraisers and scholarships available. Campers should bring some money along for meal stops on the way to camp and for the snack bar, or for the camp store if they plan on buying a souvenir or two.

There are two different camp dates: October 27-29 and November 10-12. The October session is called WyldLife Weekend and is for middle school students and the November session is for high school students. High school students can also volunteer to be on work crew for WyldLife Weekend, which is practically as fun as camp itself, except free. You do not need any previous training to be on work crew, as they are the people who make sure every camper’s experience at Saranac is as fun as possible. They’re the people who do laundry, housekeeping, cook food, serve tables, and more. Anyone who does work crew will form close bonds with the people they work with and spend a lot more time having fun than they will working. Volunteers will also get a ton of community service hours for doing something they will love.

Anyone interested in camp or work crew can go to one of the websites linked at the end of the article or talk to Amanda Brown for more information. Below are interviews with two of our students here at Weedsport who have been to Saranac in the past.

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Brooke Hammersley:

What do you do at camp and why would someone want to go?

We eat amazing food, learn about the Lord and gain lifelong friends. You have the best week of your life. I wouldn’t want to go to any other camp.

What is your favorite thing about being at camp?

I love being surrounded by so many loving people.

Can you share your favorite memory from Saranac?

My favorite memory is when it was my first year at camp, during the summer. I was in the seventh grade and twelve years old. When we got to camp, they told me my paperwork was wrong and that I had to go home, which is a trick they play on the new kids. Instead, they ended up taking me tubing in my clothes.

What impact has camp had on your life?

It makes me a strong Christian and every time I go, I feel more pressure from God to invite someone to camp next year.

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Michael Tracy:

What do you do on work crew and why should someone go?

On work crew, we set the tables for the meals, clean up around camp, do laundry, dishes, housekeeping, and hang out in the cabins. Work crew stays in Loon Lodge, which is separate from the campers. Loon Lodge has the best rooms and it even has a kitchen and weight room in it, so we get a better cabin than the campers. We like to mess with each other after the campers are asleep. We do things like drag people out of bed while they’re sleeping, play hide and seek, and stay up really late.

What was your favorite part of being on work crew?

Hanging out and having fun with all the other people on work crew.

Can you share one of your favorite memories from work crew?

We were in the laundry room taking care of the tablecloths from dinner and we decided to push Mrs. Hammersley down the hill by East Lodge in one of the giant laundry bins. We almost crashed into the center garden in front of the Village Inn, so I started to run alongside the cart, trying to keep it from crashing, and Jaden opened the doors to the Village Inn and we just rode in.

What impact has work crew had on your life?

It’s a lot of fun to volunteer and I was able to make some pretty great memories.

Note: the videos below contain footage of Saranac during the summer. At fall weekend, you can assume it’ll be a little too chilly for some of the things featured like parasailing, tubing, and water sliding. The videos will still give you a pretty good idea of the Saranac vibe, though.

Another Note: the outdoor hot tub will absolutely be open, so don’t fret.

Saranac’s official website:

https://saranac.younglife.org/Pages/default.aspx

Syracuse West’s (our area) YoungLife website:

https://syracusewest.younglife.org/Pages/default.aspx

Camp tour video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4uc6hn2Z7o

Promo video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXj904VEG7A