We had an action-packed Wednesday here at AO Sleep Away camp 2012; we had three different adventure programs happening today! After a hearty breakfast to wake them up and fuel them up, campers headed either to rock climbing, horseback riding, or fly fishing, depending on their choices. The rock climbers headed out first, and reached a great spot just perfect for climbing. Everyone got geared up (harnesses, helmets, and climbing shoes!), and then separated into groups to climb. All of the climbers had the chance to reach the top of their climbs, and several of them actually did so! It was awesome to see campers hit the carabiners at the tops of their climbs. Many campers said that they climbed higher today than they ever have before! All in all, it was a great day of climbing–when campers weren’t on the rock, they enjoyed making hemp jewelry, hanging out with their friends, eating our delicious sack lunches, and cheering on those campers currently climbing.
Meanwhile, the fly fisher-people learned how to cast on the camp green with our fly fishing guide before heading down to the lake to test out their newly-acquired skills. Although no one caught a fish today, almost every camper had a bite; it was pretty exciting! As one camper commented, it’s only a matter of time before she catches one, because she’s got the hang of it now. When they weren’t fishing, campers enjoyed exploring the area around the lake; it was fun to look at all of the different insects and plants growing in and living around the lake!
At the same time, the horseback riders were getting ready to go. As their ride was in the afternoon, they spent the morning making some awesome hair wraps and learning how to slack line (with Counselor Julia’s help, of course!). The horseback riders really enjoyed slacklining–there were several gymnasts in the group, and they had a great time teaching the other campers the best way to balance on the line! After eating lunch, they headed out to the stables for their ride, taking extra water bottles with them. Although the day was hot, no one’s spirits were dragged down, and the riders had a wonderful time! They splashed through creeks, rode through the alpine desert, and even got to ride up on the ridge line for a bit.
Everyone met back at camp in the afternoon, and took a much-desired rest hour before heading to the gym for organized free time. Campers had the chance to order lanyards, create their very own gorp, and put their marbleized paper onto their notebooks. It was great fun, and the notebooks look very cool! Some campers chose to keep their paper and their notebook separate, and spent the rest of free time happily drawing away. After washing our hands, we headed into dinner, where we enjoyed some yummy mac ‘n cheese and lots of fresh vegetables. Campers did a great job drinking water–we had to refill several of the water pitchers multiple times this evening!
After dinner, campers had the chance to go back to their cabins to collect anything they might need and to practice for this evening’s TALENT show! At 7:30, we met at the Opera House, and the campers showed what a talented group they are! There were several super-cool dancing acts, some fantastic improv comedy, some beautiful singing, some awesome speed drawing, and some wonderful piano playing. It was quite impressive to see the multiple and varied skills of these campers in action; everyone enjoyed discovering what other people know how to do!
At the end of the talent show, we all gave ourselves a huge round of applause, and then circled up to conclude our day. We sang “Day Is Done,” and then headed back to our cabins to brush our teeth, check in with our cabin-mates about their day, and go to bed. Tomorrow is our final full day of sleep away camp; we’re going to end with a bang by going rafting, fly fishing, and swimming!