A beautiful day for Adventure!

07/02/2013

Dear Adventure Families!

Thanks for your patience. The internet was not cooperating and we got bumped back for our first post. That being said, I’ve attached both posts here below.

June 30

After parents departed and we played some name games and talked about general camper expectations, the Adventure Village (AdVill) campers marched to the dining hall for opening day pizza and popsicles. Directly after dinner our AdVill family began preparations for the opening ceremony. Campers take turns helping a partner with a blindfolded trust walk to a hidden fire ring in the woods where the ceremonies begin! At the ceremony campers learn the song “THREE BLIND JELLYFISH…. SITTING ON A ROCK!!” Which inevitably ends in screaming laughter. Also, traditionally campers will eat warm raccoon poop (chocolate). Campers walked away from the ceremony with smiles and new friends. Spirits were high as they went to bed underneath a crystal clear starry sky.

Meanwhile in the Adventure Trips world campers spent most of the afternoon and evening packing out equipment and checking the equipment they already had. Campers also spent time learning about each other with fun get-to-know-you teambuilding games. Some of the questions that were asked were: “If you could have an infinite amount of anything in your pocket what would it be?” and “If you could have any super power that would only be active on the full moon, what would it be?”

Once the gear and food was packed out and ready to go the Adventure Trips campers hit the sack for a bit of rest before the long day ahead of them. The 2013 Session 1 Adventure Trips Campers are the first to use the fully completed Trips Village on the hillside above Sequoia Village. The lean-to’s looked beautiful under the stars.

July 1

Adventure Village woke on time for an early breakfast in the dining hall. After breakfast campers went into indoor spaces as there was a thunderstorm going by. Adventure Village counselors used this opportunity to institute a Cheeriod (a cheer period). Campers learn cheers to sing at the daily Hoopla after lunch in the dining hall. After the Cheeriod AdVill campers moved to the low ropes elements where the worked as a team to best the challenging low ropes course. Everyone’s involved with this as spotters.

After the morning activities campers headed to lunch and Hoopla! After lunch we had a larger breakout session where campers chose either The Counsel or Surprise Fun! The Counsel is a program where campers follow around one of our senior counselors and enact comedic instillation comedy on the camp directors (i.e. appropriate pranks). Surprise Fun turned out to be theatrical reenactments of Shakespearean productions and archery.

Dinner was delicious! We had cheesy pasta! Which traditionally means at Frost Valley that we don’t eat with our forks or hands. After dinner AdVill campers headed out to the field and played an energetic game of Mortal Noodle! Campers are blindfolded two at a time and instructed by their team mates, who only get to use their voice, to a pool noodle when then in turn they must use to tag out the other blindfolded participant. Super fun!

After a rousing first day at camp AdVill headed to camp for a good night’s rest.

Trips Update: Before Breakfast Trips campers woke up and moved their sleeping gear to the buses. All trips left on time and on pace to arrive at their destinations. Before sundown we had also received word from all the trips that the buses had arrived, campers were fed, and camp was set up. Trips campers had a fun day of bus games and get to know you activities before crashing for another night of rest before their trips really begin!

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.