Rock Climbing, Mud Fights, Craziness

08/16/2013

Today Advill woke up to a bright sky and crisp, cool mountain air. The day began with the Advill just hanging out around the village, playing games, goofing around, and beginning to put together personal gear for their upcoming Mini-Trips. An easygoing morning, enjoying the weather and the company of now-close friends.

Later in the morning, once the young men and women in the village became restless enough, they decided to have a bit of fun with Lakota Village. Heading over to Big Tree field, they found that there had been placed in several locations trash bins. Advill and Lakota wandered to the nearest of these bins and peered inside, discovering the dark, wet contents. MUD!!!! I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what happened next. By the time lunch was drawing near, the campers of both villages were completely covered in mud, some of it rubbed on, some of it in big impact-splotches, and some the secondary splatter of near-misses. Luckily, there was just enough time to clean up and shower before heading into the dining hall.

After a hearty lunch of tater tots and grilled cheese, Advill broke into three groups. The first braved the infamous Y-Tower, scaling the vertical walls of the tower above the gazing eyes of their peers. Forearms and legs felt the sting of lactic acid, followed after completing their personal bests by some oh-so-good stretching back on the ground. The second group decided to engage in some side-splitting improvisation games. Hilarity ensued during the inhibition-shattering zaniness, and the afternoon passed quickly with the laughter. The third group headed into the woods to gain some practical knowledge in an Outdoor Living Skills class. From fire-building to tarp construction to backcountry cooking, these campers are going to be heading home eager to plunge right back into the forest with the skills they have learned about living in the woods.

In the late afternoon, the Village came back together to engage in some chaotic fun. They played a free-for-all reminiscent of The Hunger Games. Pool noodles and dodge balls were placed in the middle of the room, and all the campers were given 5 seconds of “grace period” to grab either item, and then it was all-out battle. The last camper standing, or, the only person not hit with a ball or noodle, was the champion of the round. Laughter and chaos ensued.

Tonight, Advill will head up into the woods once again, but this time for a relaxing night of storytelling and s’more making by the fireside. The sounds of the night and the enveloping darkness will eventually weigh on their eyelids, and our campers will return to the village for another peaceful – and heavy – night of sleep in proximity to the melodious flow of the creek.

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.