FULL PACKER PRESS RELEASE: The Full Packer Report now has highlight videos! Enjoy our Mt. Adams, NH expedition from Sept. 2006

Another Jambo report:

On July 19, 2007 in Harrisburg,PA, Little Ritchie Hutchins(Jambo) had the good fortune to meet one of his favorite musical heroes, Richie Furay. Furay is legendary as the lead singer of Buffalo Springfield, founding member/lead singer with Jim Messina and Rusty Young of Poco, the seminal country-rock band, founding member of the Souther Furay Hillman Band along with J.D. Souther and Chris Hillman(Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Desert Rose) and as an ordained minister in Boulder,CO. LRH was tongue tied as he watched Furay sign the album cover of the very first Poco record from 1969. Furay performed several selections from each of his musical endeavors, most memorable being his own “Kind Woman” and “Sad Memory” from Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young’s “If Flying On The Ground Is Wrong”. Equally impressive was the opening act, Chris Hillman’s Acoustic Trio which performed several Byrds tunes as well as traditional bluegrass numbers.

A Jambo submission:

Jam would like to thank Cap, the editor in chief of the FPR for photographing and publishing the pictures of Earth Mother’s and Jambo’s new vehicle.

Ever since watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and jeep-driving sidekick Pat Brady on TV in the fifties, Jam has always dreamed of owning a Jeep.

Pictured is the inspiration, Brady’s jeep, “Nellie Belle” a plastic replica of which Jam still has in the family archives. Also pictured above Nellie is a moosehead which may have traumatized Jam as a child and would explain his uncharacteristic behavior during Katahdin 2003.

A Jambo submission:

As Jambo prepares for the upcoming pre-mission meeting, he would like to remind his colleagues that the required dress code is bath house casual.

FULL PACKER PRESS RELEASE: Just a reminder that the 2007 FP Expedition will take place in less than one month. It is highly encouraged that all Full Packer's who plan on taking part in this years kayaking/hiking trip begin to prepare now. The 2007 PreExpedition Meeting will take place at Jambo’s Lean-to on Sunday, September 16; begining precisely at 3pm. Expedition plans and details will be shared at this mandatory meeting. As you were!

FULL PACK3R PRESS RELEASE: Charter Member Jambo and EarthMother show off their new 2007 6-speed 4X4 Jeep Sahara. The Jeep is the latest addition to Jambo's never-ending quest for updated state-of-the-art trail gear.

FULL PACK3R PRESS RELEASE: This Sunday the Full Pack3rs will celebrate 18 years of high adventure! It all started with a simple shared idea during the now famous "Herm-Aid" back on August 26, 1989.

We continue to do what others just talk about; we come together as one unit; climb mountains, paddle lakes and streams and have fun doing so. One day when we hang up our backpacks we will harvest the memories of what we continue to reap today, our adventures.

At this time I would like to thank all of the members of the Full Pack3r Team who have made this organization what it is today:

The Full Packers:
>Jambo*
>Rocketman*
>Capitanious*
>Cosmos
>First Light
>Light Foot
>Outback Aussie
>Blow Dry
>Medicine Man
*Charter Member

Full Packer Offspring and Jr. Full Packer:
>Redwood

And a special thanks to some who have joined us along the way:
>Homeless Eric
>Topless Ali
>Hopscotch
>The Beers Brothers

It has been quite a ride, with more adventures to come. Stay tuned!

A Jambo Posting:

Long Lake, NY—The Full Packers 5th Annual Retreat was recently held at the beautiful Lake Eaton Campground in the Central Adirondacks. Although the attendance was not as was hoped, two of the members, albeit Charter members, continued the time honored tradition with members of the Ladies Auxiliary and assorted friends and admirers. Rocketman enjoyed a championship week as he reclaimed the “one on one” basketball trophy as well as the one mile loop-a-thon. Jambo and Earth Mother came in second respectively, in these events, but the basketball win will be forever accompanied by an asterisk(*) in the record book. In fact, the Jam/EarMo team outpointed the Roc/Juicyfruit team, but why quibble? None the less, Roc was presented with a well deserved trophy---a bottle of outdated Saranac Pumpkin Ale. Jambo continued his research in improving the efficiency of the Perception 14.5 kayak in preparation for the rigorous upcoming expedition later this fall. Several experiments were conducted with a golf umbrella purchased for $5.00 at Mr. 2nd. The persistent stong southwesterly wind provided the optimal environment for such investigations. Going across the wind, Jam was able to traverse the lake from his campsite all the way over to Roc’s without a single stroke and only minimal steering. Going with the wind at his back, Jam made even faster passage, but lost maneuverability and control almost to the point of capsizing. Observations and Conclusions: 1. use a transparent umbrella to better see where you’re going, 2. downwind travel requires use of a rudder to avoid capsizing.
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Bears made their presence known this year. Having never seen a bear in the wild before, Roc has already seen three this yesr alone! Bears visited both Roc’s and Jam’s campsites this year, although Roc actually baited his bear with some strategically place raisins. I guess you can afford to do that if you’re carrying pepper spray. Jam’s site was ransacked without invitation, but after being humiliated by the Katahdin Moose Incident of 2003, he dashed from his tent in the depths of darkness and chased the mother bear and her 3 cubs away, armed with only a flashlight. A 10 mile boat expedition was also made to the northern end of Long Lake in the shadow of the majestic Seward Range which will be scaled soon. It is almost cosmic that the second half of this years journey will be a kayak trip on Lake Lila, named after Seward’s wife. Who knew?! Finally, Bill the Park Ranger at Lake Eaton has graciously offered to store the FP kayaks in his garage as the FP’s climb Seward, thus absolving us of any concern about the security of our vessels while on the mountain. The next assembly of the FPs will be the pre-mission meeting, 9/16 at Earth Mothers Road Kill Café in Outer Fabius. Please do not wear any flammable clothing as the sparks are really going to fly!

Lake Lila Primitive Area Overview
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The 7,215 acre Lake Lila Primitive area is in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton County. A road leading to private lands separates the west side of the primitive area from the adjoining Five Ponds Wilderness. On the south the area connects to the newly acquired William C. Whitney Area. The rest of the primitive area adjoins private lands. The Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor (formerly the Adirondack Railroad) runs roughly north and south, not far from the west shore of Lake Lila. To reach the primitive area, take State Route 30 from the village of Tupper Lake, to the Sabattis Road (Hamilton County Route 10). Turn west and go about seven miles to the Lake Lila Road (an improved gravel road), marked with a DEC sign. Turn left (south) on Lake Lila Road and proceed about six miles to 30-car parking area. Lake Lila Road is bordered on both sides by private land until the parking area is reached. Overnight parking in the parking area is permitted, but the parking of trailers is prohibited. If the parking area is full, visitors must park off Sabattis Road and hike the full distance to the lake. There is no parking on the access road.
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History
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Once called Smith's Lake, Lake Lila was named by William Seward Webb after his wife, the former Lila Vanderbilt. Webb, whose Nahasane Park once covered over 200,000 acres, built the Adirondack Railroad in 1891-1892. The railroad ran from Utica to Montreal and opened the western Adirondacks to tourist and lumbermen. Shortly after the railroad was completed, Webb built his Forest Lodge on the western shore of Lake Lila on the site now occupied by the lean-to. The state acquired most of what remained of Nehasane Park in 1979. Though the lodge was removed, the old Nehasane station building still stands beside the railroad.
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Wilderness Character
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Lake Lila is the primary attraction of this area. Covering more than 1,400 acres, the lake offers superb opportunities for canoeing and camping under essentially wilderness conditions. Visitors will find giant white pines along the shore of the lake, several natural white sand beaches and seven islands. To preserve the wild character of the area, the use of motor boats, motorized equipment and aircraft is prohibited.
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Fish and Wildlife
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Anglers visiting Lake Lila will find brook trout, lake trout, land-locked salmon, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Adirondack wildlife found in the area include white-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, river otter, mink, red fox, raccoon and fisher. Ospreys have been observed nesting near the lake, and occasional sightings of bald eagles have been reported. Hunting and trapping are permitted in the primitive area. Anglers, hunters, and trappers should consult the regulations guides obtained with their licenses.
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Camping
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Visitors to the primitive area are encouraged to camp at the lean-to and numerous primitive tent sites designated with "Camp Here" disks, as shown on the map. Low impact camping can also occur anywhere except within the 1/4 mile of the parking lot and within 150 feet of any stream, pond, lake, road or trail. Groups of 10 or more people, as well as individuals or groups planning to stay at a single campsite for more than three successive nights, must obtain a permit in advance from the forest ranger. Please mail a request to NYSDEC, Lake Lila Primitive Area, HCO 1, Box 2A, Long Lake, NY 12847-9720.
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Trails
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A foot trail proceeds about 0.3 miles from the parking lot area to the nearest point on the shore of Lake Lila. Another marked trail follows the road from the parking area along the north shore of the lake, reaching the site of the former Forest Lodge at 3.1 miles. Public vehicular use of this road is prohibited. Owners of private lands beyond the primitive area Any use motor vehicles to gain access to their property. From the lodge site, a marked trail leads to the summit of Mt. Frederick (formerly Smith Mountain), overlooking Lake Lila. The climb of 500 feet offers an excellent view of the lake and the surrounding forest. Hikers will find remnants of several woods roads in the area as well as roads leading to private lands. There are no trails leading into the adjacent Five Ponds Wilderness.

(Photo Courtesy of Bluemoon)
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FULL PACK3R PRESS RELEASE - August 15, 2007: Capitanious along with Bluemoon headed off to the pristine waters of Eaton Brook for some freshwater kayak sport fishing last evening. Casting from “Big Blue” was as smooth as the belly of the perch the Captain landed 10 minutes after putting in. Capitanious used an ultralight Shakespeare Rod and Reel with a Rapala "DT (Dives-to) Flat Series - Red Crawdad" lure to reel in the cold blooded monster.

#1 FULL PACK3R FAN!!!

FULL PACK3R PRESS RELEASE: Congratulations to "John" for being the August 2007 #1 Full Pack3r Fan of the Month!!! John is a frequent viewer of the Full Pack3r Blog and also served as Head of Security for the 2005 LoveFest at Vickie's Farm.

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John wins a 20% discount at any participating EMS, Dick's or Herb Phillipson's Sporting Goods Store. Besides reading the Full Pack3r Blog; John likes to take long walks on the beach late at night and star gaze into the wee early morning hours. In the autumn, when the leaves are changing from green to red and orange, John enjoys shooting innocent defenceless animals in the forest and then grin from ear to ear while having his picture taken with Gods senselessly-slaughtered creature. Way to go John!

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Congratulations John on your fine kill and for being selected as the August 2007 #1 Fan of the Full Pack3rs!!!

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Editor Note: In keeping with the animal friendly theme of the Full Pack3r Blog, the management and editorial staff of the Full Pack3r Blog, chose to edit-out the bloodied carcass.

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(Please note: All EMS, Dick's and Herb Phillipson's Sporting Goods Stores with locations in the US and Canada chose NOT to participated in this discount promotion)

FULL PACKER PRESS RELEASE: Capitanious will propose at this years pre-expedition meeting a new look to the Full Packer flag. The new flag will sport an inverted "E" or the number 3 to symbolize and represent the three founding charter members of the Full Packers. FULL PACKERS will become FULL PACK3RS. In an early morning interview, Capitanious told this reporter; "I believe in this time of controversy and division, it's important to get back to our roots and remember who we are and all that has happened these past 18 years".

FULL PACKER PRESS RELEASE: Gentlemen, we are 8 weeks out from this year’s expedition. It is time to start planning our pre-expedition meeting. Expedition leaders have to be chosen, along with vehicle and kayak assignments. I would like to suggest a September 16 meeting time (3pm) at Jambo’s Longhouse. Please mark your calendars.