West Virginia – Caving Day!!

07/04/2010

Everyone made it through the Birth Canal! The birth canal is the infamous final leg of the caving journey in West Virginia. A smaller squeeze (we typically have some great pictures that come out of this part of the trip!), this really tests a lot of the skills the group works on while in the cave. Besides being filthy and muddy at the end, and a little damp, the great lunch provided by Lost World Caverns was the perfect thing for the tired group.

The mountain biking yesterday was a lot of fun. It was great to bike, play in the lake, take a bit of a nap, and then play in the lake again. Of course, just as the group got to the visitor’s center for mountain biking, the power and water went out! The group had to make some alternative plans for filling up their water bottles and the last-minute bathroom breaks before jumping back on their bikes! Their guides made the experience even better, as one person knew the history about EVERYTHING they were passing, and the other person had a lot of new biking knowledge to share with interested group members.

Rafting was a blast. The best part? Swimming in a human chain (on purpose!) down one smaller rapid (just for fun!!) and navigating around a rock as a group (don’t worry mom’s and dad’s – the current wasn’t very strong where they were swimming – everyone was safe!!). The group bonding that happened during that one experience has made a huge impact on everything else they are doing as a team.

The perfect weather and great guides, leaders and group dynamics are making this trip rock!

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.