Dear Families and Friends,
We have had an excellent start to camp at Saltash Mountain. On Sunday, 22 campers and 4 Questers arrived at SAM (our affectionate name for our camp) by car, bus and plane. We are a geographically diverse group, for sure, with campers coming to Mt. Holly from Vermont, the Boston area, Philadelphia, and New York, as well as North Carolina, Florida, Missouri and California.
About a third of the campers this half have some previous F&W experience. These young people delighted at visiting their old bunks, singing graces and songs they remembered, playing tetherball, slack-‘em and ping-pong once again, and reuniting with friends from other summers. New friendships quickly began forming and the traditions that make a summer at SAM so special were carefully passed on through group games, wacky (and informative) skits, trip meetings and cabin time. Campers have “taken” a Magical Mystery Tour to many of the important places around camp; participated in creating “Full Value Contracts” (rules that cabin groups develop and commit to in order to have safe and fun summers together); and sat, listening to the birds, trees, silence and each other in our first Meetings for Worship together.
Much of Monday was spent preparing campers for their first camping trips. They looked at maps of where their group was headed, created menus of what they wanted to eat on the trail, and went over what personal and group gear was needed and how to pack it. Campers tested cooking stoves, packed cheese and gorp and tortillas for their journey, learned how to hang tents and tarps, and took canoe “tippy tests”.
Then, Tuesday morning, each group headed out of camp. This week, the trips are two nights and three days and campers travel with their cabin groups. Campers and counselors in Pico have canoed to a camping site on our lake which they will explore the first day, before hiking to a mountain and shelter on the other side of the lake the next. The Shrewsbury group traveled by van to a part of the Long Trail (a hiking trail that runs north and south the length of Vermont). Among the places they will visit on their trek is Little Rock Pond. The girls and counselors in Okemo cabin were also headed to the Long Trail, a section just a little south of SAM, where they will be hiking and get to visit the beautiful (and fun to swim in) Clarendon Gorge. The final cabin group includes the Questers. This program is for 15 and 16 years olds who have some previous experience with camping, hiking and perhaps canoeing and rock-climbing. The four campers and two trip leaders in this program left today for three weeks of non-stop outdoor adventure and wilderness leadership instruction in the Adirondacks.
With all of this activity, I do want to prepare you for the possibility that it might be several days before you hear from your camper. Some kids found time to write during their Monday rest hour. Many were too tired, or opted to read a book or engage in a quiet activity on their bunk, instead. We will be sure to encourage everyone to put something in the mail when they return from their trips. But, that won’t go out until Friday at the earliest and mail service to and from this part of Vermont can be incredibly slow. If you don’t hear, and/or are feeling concerned or anxious, please feel free to give me a call at SAM (802-259-2415). However, I do want to assure all of you that when campers packed up and got in the vans or canoed out of camp today, they were a happy and excited bunch!
Jeff