Greetings!
First things first my apologies for the delay in this post reaching you. Flying Cloud has a way of pulling you in and making it hard to get away, even when you know there are things you need to get to at the end of that rarely trodden logging road.
So what’s been happening at Flying Cloud?
Our long trips returned, and they really had blast. We sent a hiking trip to the Breadloaf Wilderness, a portion of the Green Mountain National Forest. They had great weather and were able to explore some really amazing sections of forest. Our boys also made it to the Raquette River, some amazing canoeing in the Adirondack Mountains. Always a great place forbeautiful rocky landscapes and even some Bald Eagles too! Our third expedition style trip was to the Little Rock Pond section of the Long Trail. This year we added a twist of making this trip all about the imagination, the wild and the fantastical. They were able to spend some great time in the woods, but also get deeply involved in some role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons.
We sent out two other trips that focused on specific skills rather than outright exploration. These two trips we were in similar areas on the Farm & Wilderness property, so they got to engage with each other in some great ways. First was our UBER Scouts trip. This is our trip for the oldest campers, where we press the boundaries of night time and hone our skills in silent movement and camouflage. The second was our Wilderness Survival trip, where our boys were able to test their skills and learn even more about how to live outside with nothing but the basics. Overall, the trips had a blast and everyone made it home safe and sound.
The excitement wasn’t going to end there though! That night we sent our fourth and final group of Questing Brothers out for their 24-hour vigil. It was so great to see all of these wonderful young men off on this experience. After sending out four groups this summer it is always a proud moment for me to have brought them all home safe. I can’t take too much credit though. Our camper leaders this summer have been such amazing young men. The way they have held our ceremonial space has been such a joy to watch and, at times, to be a part of together.
Finally, I know you are all waiting to hear the last set of names though, so here they are:
Maple Marten
Harvest Flight
Sunrise Star
Waterfall Shines
Sun Warms the Circle
Willow Giver
And last but certainly not least, our Ninevah Nurse this summer, Kyla Biegun, now goes by Summer Arrow.
Please join me in welcoming all of these wonderful people to the Flying Cloud community. It is such a joy to have them all join our family.
Be well and talk soon,
~FF~