WINDHAM, N.Y. – The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) will host its first fully-outdoor Warriors in Motion (WIM) program since 2021 when it will host its backpacking event next week from June 20-22.
U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Campagnone will be one of the warriors attending this event, and he’s looking forward to the experience. “It’ll be very cool being out in true nature,” he explained. “Usually with these warrior events we spend a piece of the day in nature but spending over 24 hours outside will allow us to enjoy all of nature and its sequences. Listening to the wildlife at night, in my opinion, is therapeutic.”
Campagnone and four other U.S. military veterans are scheduled to meet at the ASF’s Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center on Tuesday afternoon for lunch and to learn how to pack a backpack properly and effectively for a long camping trip. After everyone is packed and ready to go, the group will get dropped off at the Batavia Kill Trailhead by Maplecrest’s CD Lane Park. The participants will then start their 1.75-mile hike to the Batavia Kill lean-to where they will spend the night.
The next morning, the day of the summer solstice, the warriors will trek 6.5 miles up and over Blackhead and Arizona Mountains, which will include fantastic views of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson Valley. From there, the group will continue their hike to the Colgate Lake Primitive Campsites via Dutcher Notch. The longest day of the year is the perfect time for an extensive hike up and down mountains and camping at a lakeside location.
On the final day of the three-day event, the WIM group will relax and, depending on the weather, spend some time at Colgate Lake. The participants will then clean up their campsite, pack up and get picked up by the ASF shuttle bus. They will return to the ASF lodge for lunch and goodbyes.
“All the different ASF programs have uniqueness to them,” Campagnone said. “You have different participants who sign up for biking for example, and because of that their community of biking have certain traditions or knowledge that I’m willing to learn. I’m looking forward to seeing what that culture is like and I’m excited to learn more about backpacking and camping.”
The ASF’s Warriors in Motion program is funded by donations that were generously given to the organization. Thanks to these donations, the Adaptive Sports Foundation will be able to provide backpacks, camping supplies, water bottles, all meals, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if necessary) and trail maps for this upcoming event.
If you’d like to donate to the Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion program, or any of the other programs the ASF has to offer, click here.