Where do I meet for the event?

The meeting point is the Playhouse on the Great Camp Sagamore grounds; check arrival instructions on your booking confirmation.

How long is the program and what is the price?

The program runs about 1.25 hours. Pricing is listed as Event: $10.00 or Event & Dinner*: $41.95; dinner requires advance registration and is subject to availability.

Will Jennifer Denny be signing books after the talk?

Yes, the event includes a signing and a Q&A; bring a copy of the book to have signed or purchase on site if available.

Are there age restrictions or accessibility accommodations?

The listing does not specify age limits or accessibility details; contact the host when booking to confirm accommodations.

Is parking available at the camp?

Parking is available nearby on the camp grounds, but spaces can be limited on busy summer weekends—plan to arrive early.

Will I learn practical backcountry skills at the talk?

The reading highlights practical techniques such as map-and-compass navigation, field splinting, and firecraft, framed within the novel’s narrative rather than as a formal workshop.

Calculated Risk Book Talk with Jennifer Denny at Great Camp Sagamore | Events | Hiking

Great Camp Sagamore sits on the western shore of Raquette Lake in the central Adirondacks of New York, where pines meet a broad inland waterway and the skyline is cut by the High Peaks. Here, in the Playhouse, the camp stages an intimate evening: Calculated Risk Book Talk & Signing with Jennifer Denny. Jennifer Denny reads from a backcountry thriller that follows Samantha Wethersfield, an Assistant Forest Ranger who navigates rugged terrain, splints a broken bone, starts a fire in a rainstorm, and ultimately makes life-changing choices. The setting and the story play off one another - the camp’s rustic wooden beams, lakeside Dining Hall, and shoreline spruce make a convincing backdrop for tales of survival and decision-making.

This event is practical and theatrical. Expect a focused 1.25-hour program with a Q&A and a signing; ticketing is listed as Event: $10.00 or Event & Dinner*: $41.95 (advance registration required; dinner subject to availability). The Playhouse’s intimate stage puts you close to the author; outside, Raquette Lake’s still water and the low, rounded domes of the Adirondack massif - ancient gneiss and granite - provide a palpable sense of place that feeds the narrative. You’ll hear specifics: map-and-compass navigation, field splinting, and wet-fire techniques that read like workshop notes and land you at the heart of the Adirondack backcountry.

Beyond the talk, the property itself is part of the attraction. Great Camp Sagamore’s historic Dining Hall faces the lake, and its wooded paths offer short, accessible walks where loons call and white-tailed deer slip through birch and spruce. The High Peaks loom further north; their exposed rock and boreal summits are geological reminders that this is a working wilderness with long human stories - Adirondack Park was set aside in 1892 to protect scenes like this.

Why come? The evening combines storytelling with tangible skills and place-based atmosphere: the protagonist’s hard choices feel immediate when told inside a century-old camp whose shoreline history is visible from the dock. Practical travelers will appreciate the targeted takeaways, while lovers of regional culture will enjoy the architecture and camp traditions. Register early, arrive a little early to walk the shore, and, if you opt for dinner, save time to browse the author’s signed books afterward. This is the kind of small, sharp cultural moment that turns a lakeside weekend in Raquette Lake into a memorable, slightly wild evening.

Plan logistics: the published meeting point is the Playhouse on camp grounds; parking is available nearby but spaces can be limited during summer weekends. There is an optional meal in the lakeside Dining Hall if you book the Event & Dinner option. Bring a notebook, dress in layers for cool evening breezes off the lake, and check the host's booking page for final details online.

About Great Camp Sagamore

Great Camp Sagamore is a historic Adirondack retreat on Raquette Lake, New York, celebrated for its preserved late-19th-century architecture and curated cultural programming. Built in 1897 for the Vanderbilt family, the camp comprises 27 historic buildings set on a lakeside estate within Adirondack Park. Visitors find guided history tours, interpretive hikes, paddles from the 1897 boathouse, and seasonal public events that highlight the camp’s architecture, engineering, and natural setting.

Program offerings include weekend commuter workshops and immersive retreats: a couples’ retreat and Imago-based communication workshop; nature-inspired art workshops led by instructor Terri Fraser; and beginner fly fishing weekends taught by instructor Cari Ray. Educational talks and history lectures are presented by historian Connor Williams, covering topics like presidential elections and the origins of the Great Camps and William West Durant’s architectural legacy.

On-water experiences feature a 1.5-hour guided paddle that interprets the landscape and built environment, while land programs range from full-day engineering history hikes to volunteer work weekends. The camp also hosts a free summer concert series supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, with performances in June through August.

Great Camp Sagamore balances historic preservation with public access, offering family-friendly tours with optional lakeside buffet lunches and commuter pass options for daytime participation. As a registered historic site within the Adirondack Park, the camp provides authentic, well-documented programming led by experienced instructors and historians, making it a reliable destination for history, arts, nature, and outdoor learning.

Public programs emphasize conservation, stewardship, and visitor education today.

Calculated Risk Book Talk with Jennifer Denny at Great Camp Sagamore

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