Our Side of the Mountains - Kicking off a summer of fun!
Our first adventure camp of the summer, Our Side of the Mountains, had an awesome week. Read a recap of all their activities below, from Summer Trail Steward Emily Richards.
Wow, we got up to lots of wild adventures this past week!
On Monday we learned to paddle and then practiced our skills as we headed down the Winooski River. Once we got to the mouth of Mad River, we pulled our boats upstream, finding a secluded spot to swim in the clear, cold water. We swam in the rapids, ferrying with all our might upstream and letting ourselves enjoy floating downstream.
Day 1: Canoeing down the Winooski River
On Tuesday, we continued to practice and improve our canoeing skills, paddling from Middlesex to Waterbury. We enjoyed the river’s scenic cliffs and the thrill of the small rapids. There were lots of chances to dip in the water and swim around to stay cool.
Day 2: Cliff jumping
On Wednesday, we headed to Bolton Dome. The kids were brave, climbing up steep rocks and trusting the belayer below them on the way down. Some of the kids had a grasp of climbing knots and belaying by the end, setting them up for future climbing outings! A morning climb at Bolton Dome of course calls for an afternoon adventure to Bolton Potholes. The students had a lot of fun challenging themselves to jump from tall rocks and playing in the waterfall.
Day 3: Rock climbing
We ventured up Mt. Abe on Thursday. We learned how to distinguish different plants from each other, particularly fir and spruce, allowing us to have a greater understanding of the nature’s diversity. At the top, we got an incredible panoramic view all the way from the Adirondacks to the White Mountains, and we had a quick visit to the old plane crash.
Day 4: On the summit of Mount Abe!
Friday’s ice caving adventure took us further afield. We hiked to the cave through a pristine forest, so teeming with energy and life that it would make the perfect backdrop for enchanted forest stories. The students relied on their senses to find the cave entrance, looking for a big enough hole in the rocks and cold air coming up from it. We piled on our winter layers and ventured in, forcing us to embrace our fears and enjoy the beauty of complete silence and darkness.
Day 5: Caving
The week was brought to a close by a student inspired skit of the week’s adventures and performance of a song we had learned throughout the week. It was a great culmination to a fun week!