Second session at SAM Camp has started with a flourish! We began the August session with a pleasant and relaxed afternoon taking swim tests, going on tours of camp, reconnecting with old friends, and welcoming new faces to our community. Our first dinner circle included a rousing round of the Spinaker contest, a whacky game where everyone who wants to runs into the middle of circle and spins however they please. The winner of the Spinaker Contests decides how the entire camp will descend down the hill for our meal.
Our wonderful cooks, Sam and Alex, prepared a delicious meal of spaghetti, tomato sauce, salad, and homemade bread for our first dinner, and everyone ate with zeal. At the end of dinner, we cleaned up, sang a few songs, and then headed out to the soccer field to play a few rousing rounds of Banana Tag. After getting out our first-day jitters, we settled into quiet conversations in our cabins about our hopes and expectations for the next few weeks of camp.
The next day was full to the brim as we prepared for Cabin Trips! We spent Monday packing our bags, checking gear, learning how to set up tents, light stoves, throw a bear bag rope, and have fun in the woods! Campers had the opportunity to tip themselves over in our canoes in preparation for canoeing adventures that await them on long trips. We ended the day with relays in the soccer field. It was such a joy to see our campers being silly and getting to know one another through play.
On Tuesday morning, we checked our bags one final time and then headed out on Cabin Trips. During Cabin Trips, campers have the opportunity to explore the area right around camp. Two cabin groups are in canoes, paddling around the shores of beautiful Lake Ninevah. Another group is hiking along the Catamount Trail from SAM Camp to the Woodward Reservoir camps. The other two cabin groups are exploring Tiny Pond, Tiny Mountain and Buttermilk Falls.
Everyone will return this afternoon to SAM Camp for pack-in, showers, and, most importantly, MAIL! We’re so excited to see everyone back at camp for these next few days. We have lots of fun in-camp activities planned before we start packing up for Long Trips! It’s going to be a wild few days!