No more than a day ago, the last group of Voyageurs arrived in camp. They came in from everywhere: Grand Portage on Lake Superior, the Quetico-Provincial Park in Canada, and from all over the Boundary Waters (BWCAW). No trip was shorter than 8 days long, a fact that pretty much ensured wilderness adventure for every group.
Here at camp, we refer to the next few days as the pinnacle of the Voyageur experience. After spending almost two weeks in the wilderness, campers have really changed. They've found new friends in one another, they've braved the wilderness and a world without electronics for almost a month (a real feat in this day and age), and they've challenged themselves both physically and mentally. At meals, lively conversations can be heard at every table. Outbursts of laughter seem to echo across the camp peninsula. The "Big Games" up at Pine Stadium sound with team chants.
We seize this moment in the session to channel the outrageous energy here at camp into several big events: the CV Olympics, where all of camp will divide into two teams and face off in a variety of sports and camp-related activities; the Wandering ELK Radio Show, an extensive evening program featuring every camper live on stage; and of course, the closing ceremonies of camp at the Fire Circle, a perfect note to end the session on.
Trip stories have already been shared at camp, but we will publish the hand-written accounts of campers on the blog in the weeks to come, so stay tuned! Follow the "Trip Stories" series.
Looking for photos? Check out the new photo gallery to view them!
The photo gallery is a work in progress, and you can expect to see more images of Session 2 as I continue to upload. Please be patient!
