It is a well rehearsed routine by session 3 for accomplishing a very important mission: breaking the ice. A number of camp-wide name games such as sharks and minnows in the lake and dodge ball where in order to tag someone you must know their name help make it easy and fun to get to know one another. We'll also have a rendezvous at the fire circle, one of the most scenic outlooks on the peninsula, to have a hearty grilled feast.
Beyond this, it simply takes a little time to get settled into the program. Campers will work on their camping skills and get used to how we do things here. There's a lot packed into a day, with a morning, afternoon and evening activity period. Campers get to decide what they want to do, and we've got plenty to do! Archery, sailing, windsurfing, tennis, basketball, Frisbee, shelter building, music making and the list goes on...
A number of older and more experienced campers will refine their tripping skills and prepare for the Isle Royale hiking trip. The island is some 55 miles long in the middle of Lake Superior and usually cannot be seen from shore. They'll have to take a ferry to get there. Because of the difficult terrain they'll encounter, they'll be trained these next few days on how to properly balance a pack, take care of their feet, and shift weight on their back as they hike up and down steep inclines to maintain their balance.
Expect blogs to be posted regularly in the weeks to come, with posts about every other day. You can also look forward to the "Trip Stories" blogs, where we will publish the hand-written accounts of campers on the trail.
See photos of the first few days of camp at the photo gallery.
