BSA Henderson Scout Reservation

Twenty-​five Boy Scouts and a few fathers drove to Upstate New York to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York this weekend. We arranged to camp at the Henderson Scout Reserve about 17 miles from the HOF in Maryland, New York.
The fresh snow on the ground and subfreezing temperatures made for a perfect location for our experience. We were provided with a large heated cabin/​mess hall, overlooking a pristine ice covered lake, with packed dirt roads and mountains to gambol. Beautiful spot. The local BSA organization does a great job maintaining the facilities and the natural surroundings. We cooked outside, but ate and slept in the warmth. (Why is our entire menu deep fried? Turkey, burgers, oreos… Boy, do we need a creative nutritionist.)
The time spent in Cooperstown was very nice, and our primary purpose, but as with most things in life, the unintended consequence of coming for a visit, was the quality of the experience had at Henderson, and our bonding as a result.
Bottom Line — Scouts come here from all over the East Coast for Cooperstown, but plainly leave knowing that Henderson was as important as visiting the Hall of Fame for what we attained through roughing it and working together. The ceiling is covered with wooden handmade plaques from each group visiting over the years. Great touch!