Adventure Trips Update

07/01/2014

As I was writing the previous post I felt that I was dragging on. It’s easy for me to get going when I’m talking about something I love. With that, I decided to simply crop the program into two separate posts. Here now is the Adventure Trips update. We will be posting another during the weekend and one final one once the session is nearing closure.

Trips campers arrived safely to camp in a regular rolling fashion. This year special, we set up booths in the lower solarium of the dining hall. Our staff was prepared ahead of time this year and they felt it was only appropriate that we use the extra time to supplement the arrival experience with decorative accouterments. Well done trip leaders.

Once the campers arrived we shuffled the campers to the waterfront, if they were on a trip with water-based activities, to be swim tested, and enacted a duffle shuffle. This is where we double/triple check that everything we packed is good and that we actually packed it. We also check to make sure we didn’t over pack or if something might need to be swapped out, we can do it easily.

Campers found their way to the dining hall for delicious pizza and each table decided it was completely necessary to have pizza in their mouths while I took photos.

I did manage to sneak in one good pre-trip photo before the White Mountain folks left. See below. I’m sure the grit of trail and the experience of companionship will paint deeper smiles on their faces when they return.

West Virginia White Water

The West Virginia folks left first this morning at 5 AM and (ironic to the old saying) they did experience the most difficulties during their travels. The bus’ check engine light came on halfway through Pennsylvania and the bus made an un-expected visit to a local Chevy dealer in Potsville, PA. The folks there were sweet and we were back on the road with minimal time lost. Minimal as it was, it made the already significant trip even longer. Good thing we had music and good company to keep our spirits up! Everything is safe, we simply wanted to be sure. I firmly believe driving is the most dangerous activity we do and I’m not willing to fool around with question-marks. They have safely arrived and we’re primed for an outstanding trip in beautiful beautiful West Virginia!

White Mountain Kayak and Climb

The trip headed out perfectly on time and with overly exaggerated waves as they left the camp parking lot at 6 AM this morning. It’s only appropriate that this super cheerful group of young adults is led by our two leaders Jesse and Cerea. Both wear their extroverted tendencies on their sleeves but complement each other well by staying grounded. The trip arrived to the campsite in North Conway without a problem and I heard that they even had enough time to cook a delicious dinner over the fire! A high functioning group for a high functioning trip!

Note: I mentioned this to a few of the parents, but there is a possibility that if the rivers are undesirable for any reason that we may move the trip to the coast and do ocean Kayaking. We’ve built this into the trip as a possible back-up just in case. Rivers tend to be unpredictable and if the professional guides make the call we’re primed to still keep the quality of the trip at a peak level! The skinny is that there is a very good chance this may happen as the rivers in the White Mountains have recently become a popular spot for early twenties self-exploration. A part of life that is important init’s own right, but not a relevant part of an healthy camp experience. I will post a definite answer to this over the weekend.

Habitat for Humanities Catskills

This trip has been smooth and calm. I believe the campers are collectively still in their shells a bit. Which no doubt has changed once they got to the campground today. With three outstanding leaders who are dedicated to teaching service and making it fun, these kids are going to have an enriching two weeks. The Habitat trip, or as we call it in house “HabiCat” got to sleep in just a little this morning. They leisurely strolled into 8:45 breakfast and slowly made their way to the other side of the Catskills to set up camp. Close as the campsite is and as easy as it may be to get the there, these campers really begin their journey tomorrow morning when they tour the Habitat facility and meet all the co-volunteers (best friends).

There are great things coming this session! If you have any question, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Happy Trails,

Lincoln McLain
845-985-2291 x265
adventure@frostvalley.org

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zach eigenbrodt

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Zach couldn't keep himself out of the woods when growing up. He started working at a Northern Wisconsin YMCA Camp as a wilderness trip leader while in college and fell in love with getting kids into nature. The smiles on kids faces after returning from a once in a life time wilderness experience is why he is here today. Zach brought his talents to Frost Valley YMCA, in 2014, when he started as the Trips Coordinator and soon was promoted to Adventure Director. Zach loves all forms of Wilderness exploration, though some would say his heart lies most with canoeing.