On Sunday, camp became a lot quieter as 47 Senior Lodge campers left for their trips. Some went hiking in the Green Mountains or the Mahoosucs in Maine; others paddled on the Androscoggin River. There was also a rock climbing trip that went to the Adirondacks and two service trips (one went to a Quaker City farm in New Hampshire and the other did trail work nearby and some stream health monitoring). After being gone for five nights, they returned with many stories. Stories of overcoming difficulties, stories of gaining tight small-community connections, stories of intense challenges. As they were performing their trip skits last night, I was hoping that the story of what they personally accomplished will be one they’ll not soon forget.
Adventure Day was held on Tuesday of this week for the smaller camp left behind. All campers packed up a lunch and went on the adventure of their choice. The opportunity for the First and Big Lodgers to challenge themselves was definitely there. We offered a 14-mile hike over Pico, Killington, and Shrewsbury peaks, or a 14.5-mile paddle down the Connecticut River, or a hike up to Calvin Coolidge’s home in Plymouth, a wilderness-skills adventure, (involving finding a box near the Long Trail using orienteering skills and a compass, a hike up Okemo Mountain, or a creative arts project around campus. No matter what age our campers are, our goal is to give them an opportunity to challenge themselves, learn new hard skills and discover new things about themselves along the way. For some, that challenge is simply leaving home; for others it’s going on an epic canoe paddle, making it to the top of a high rock climb or living in very close community with people from different backgrounds.
Challenges come in all shapes and sizes on a daily basis. In our Outdoor Living Skills program area, our campers have been working on starting fires by themselves. Many campers have been improving their climbing skills or paddling skills. Campers have been learning watercolor painting (they painted fabric squares and then sewed them together to make a big watercolor quilt). Our Work Projects crew have completed a shed, which will hold our trash, and they’re continuing the work on our new Big Lodge cabin.
I love being a part of a community where people feel comfortable to try things that are new, whether it’s going off the rope swing for the first time or learning some new guitar chords. I’m inspired daily by the children here. They make me laugh and beam with pride.
Peace,
Amy Bowen, Indian Brook Director
