Making Every Minute Count!

July 22, 2011 by Don Gentle

Pictures from July 22, 2011  (password required)

It is the third Friday of 4 Week and camp was frenetic with guys squeezing in the last full activity day before the weekend shenanigans take over. Fresh off a fish fry, our fishermen were feeling soft towards the blue gill and bass today with several hooked, but all returned to the lake for another day. Sailors have their routine so down pat that the boats seemed to materialize out on the lake with none of the usual prep time and rigging challenges. With another hot day in the mountains, the sailors seemed to be unable to stay on their crafts and required frequent pickups by their fellow crewmates, who in turn would then lose their own balance. Canoers were working hard out in the gates course and a steady stream of campers are working their way into boats of choice such as kayaks, C-1s, and edgy whitewater solo canoes. At choice period the lake was swarming with guys practicing skills in new boats, hopping in at free swim to cool down, or making sure the fish really were not hungry. Down at the climbing tower, campers are beginning to have the opportunity to practice lead climbing on the advanced side of the tower and are relishing the new, sometimes scary, challenge. All over camp the guys love using their newfound skills to push themselves further than they may have thought possible three weeks ago. This is the prime time for them to attain some of those long term goals set at the very beginning of camp and maybe even set a few new ones for the last week.

The out of camp program portion remained busy. Another Green River crew headed out armed with some decked boats, sunscreen, and tons of extra water. The hikers took a jaunt to the far edge of camp property to the Cathedral Rocks, a collection of enormous boulders that sit on the trail up to Rich Mountain. Our climbers spent the day on the South Side of Looking Glass and escaped just before a heavy afternoon rainstorm drenched the area. The mountain bikers returned from Tsali where they had ridden the past three days. The group was exhausted but delighted with themselves and arrived justifiably proud of the 32 miles they had accumulated on the trip. They also had stories of some lake swimming, delicious campfire food, and a seven mile night ride!

Tonight we have guys spending their last energies playing some capture the flag, dodgeball, canoe fill-ups, and two groups dressing up for an Old Man Bingo Night. With soft pretzels to wrap up the day, life is good! Enjoy the pictures and prepare yourselves for Pirate Day tomorrow!

Woody