Out of the woods…

07/16/2008

…and into the water.

The Wilderness Skill Builder 2 has completed their backpacking experience and left us some notes on the first days of the trip. Their journey took them to the western Catskills where they hiked near Trout Pond. Their day included sessions on fire building, campsite selection, stove use, and navigation. Elizabeth led the group to their first campsite and Mike and Alex took care of the fire as the Fire Managers of the day. It was a nice evening and everyone enjoyed a dinner of chili and hot dogs. After some discussion on the day and planning for the next, everyone got to bed.

On Tuesday, the group was led down the trail by Tyzo after Amanda had provided breakfast for the group in the form of oatmeal and hot chocolate. The trail they were following seemed to be a little different than what was on the map, so the group decided to bushwhack for a bit to reach their desired destination. Everyone enjoyed this immensely and David was right there as a motivator keeping everyone in high spirits. The communication in the group has been astounding which can’t be said for most groups in this age range. All of the kids seem to be open to others’ ideas and willing to compromise.

After getting out of the woods, they headed back to Frost Valley for some afternoon canoe practice. The weather was perfect and everyone is really excited to get to the Delaware tomorrow morning to begin their canoe expedition. Check back on Saturday for another installment of their adventures!

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.