Making the Adventure
July 29, 2015 by Don Gentle
It sure was fun to see these boys head out to begin their own journey today. After a couple of days of activity introduction the boys were off to blaze their own trail today. They have picked the destiny that awaits them. Schedules in hand, backpacks loaded, they all met their cabin counselors outside on the patio for a quick check-in. After a few fist bumps and a couple high-fives the boys were off!
Mountain biking was a big hit today. Most all of our boys come from a flatland pavement environment. As with all of our activities, it is a whole lot more than just a bunch of wee-ha. Anyone program can buy some bikes, but it’s the staff and the program that make it. We spend the first few days in the grass learning about the bike, safety checks, uphill and downhill technique, braking, shifting, and all that needs to happen for a safe experience. It is a whole lot more than just jumping on a trail. These boys will have the skills they need to ride in control. When we do hit the trail, we are fortunate enough to have 15 miles of our own trails, but we also take advantage of nearby DuPont State Forest that is just 15 minutes down the road and some of the best beginner to advanced trails in the country! It was a great start in this activity today! I look forward to seeing their progress.
Speaking of trailblazers, the first of the cabin overnights headed out tonight to spend the night out at one of our five open air shelter areas. Each group will enjoy some time on our beautiful property, cook up some pita pizzas, make some s’mores, and settle around the fire for an evening of laughs and games. They will wake up just before breakfast to head back to camp.
After dinner, another age group headed down to Pisgah for our first Chill Night of the season! They spent the night cruising down Sliding Rock, and then cooled off a little more at Dolly’s for some ice cream! The rest of the age groups spent their time in camp. I enjoyed catching the youngest guys heading off of the water slide! What a blast!
The boys in camp wrapped up with snack on the lawn before heading back to cabins for the evening. It sure was an incredible day. Thanks to you and these awesome boys, we will get to do it again tomorrow!
Don