Greetings from Flying Cloud!
Another week has passed and the campers and staff have come stumbling back in from adventures beyond the Clearing. They looked ragged and tired, but there were smiles on every face and excited chatter in camp, which tells another story.
Here is a quick snapshot of the great adventures we just experienced on trips:
White Mountain Hiking – The White Mountains of New Hampshire offer steep ascents and incredible views — even above the clouds sometimes. I was impressed to hear that the staff members turned over the map to the campers on the first day, and that was the last time they saw the map for the duration of the trip. Kudos to the young navigators.
Breadloaf Hiking – Only an hour or so north of Flying Cloud is the Breadloaf Wilderness Area. Breadloaf, an expansive forested landscape of high peaks and deep valleys, is the largest wilderness area in Vermont. The group definitely met its match on this hike, with vistas that motivated them to keep on putting one foot in front of the other. They made their way just fine, even though they ended up eating dinner in the dark on many evenings.
Raquette River Canoe – To the west of the Green Mountains, the Adirondacks create an incredible landscape of lakes and rivers surround by large rocky mountains. On this mellow trip, campers and staff were able to spend their time catching fish and jumping off some sizable (but safe) cliffs into the water.
Survival Skills – A base-camping trip for those excited to hone their skills. We had a number of campers get their first friction fire coals, continued to expand our debris shelter at the survival village, took a day hike to White Rocks National Park, and feasted upon wild edibles, including an abundance of ripening berries!
Flagstaff Hike & Canoe – Far away in Maine, we sent our oldest campers for a grand adventure. Longer than the rest of our trips, our group canoed across Flagstaff Lake and hiked the Bigelow Mountain Range. This trip was truly a capstone experience that built on all the expedition skills gained through the years.
Until next time, may you find yourself in the forest?
~FF~
