Planning for Girls Camp

Sophie is going to Girls Camp this year. She isn't quite 12 but they go by grade level here so that girls can get 6 years of camp in before they graduate.  She is so excited! I have been telling her all about my years going up into the Sierras and attending our Church's camp for a week. It was so much fun and some of the girls I met there at camp are still my friends today.

Since Sophie was going I figured I should go too. I arranged for the other kids to have Grandpa camp with my parents and volunteered to help out at camp where ever I was needed. I thought they would put me in the kitchen or something since I volunteered somewhat late in the planning stage.  I recently got word that they needed another 3rd year counselor.  This means I get to hang out with the 14 year old girls and go on an overnight hike. 

Yesterday, the other  3rd year counselor and the men that will be going on this overnight hike with us and the girls decided to hike the trail that we would be following to make sure it was clear and ready for use.  I brought my kids and husband along with me too, since I knew they would have a lot of fun.

The trail was in need a some clearing in places and some of the steeper places needed steps cut into the trail. Ian and Henry were helpful with the shovel building the steps. They also were great with the clippers chopping some of the small branches that were hanging in the path. There was quite a bit of poison oak along the trail too. So I am glad one of the men brought along a sprayer to kill some of that. I really hope we didn't get exposed on our trek. I guess we will find out in the next day or so if any of us develop a rash.

 It certainly is a beautiful part of California we get to hike through.  Henry in particular enjoyed finding a few banana slugs along the trail.

We ended up only doing half the hike. The 2 mile, down hill part to get to the campsite was easy enough that my kids did great. Even Molly walked the entire time. After a short lunch at the campsite we happened to meet up with a group that was down near that site doing work and they gave us a ride back up via a curvy, bumpy, dirt road in a rickety old truck. I am so glad they were there and they had room for our entire group because even through my kids are pretty good hikers I think the uphill climb would have been difficult on Molly especially and I would have had to carry her. 

Now that I know what to expect as far as the hike we are now gathering the gear Sophie and I will need for camp. And of course this builds the excitement. 

I pulled out some of my old camp pictures to show the kids. These pictures are really long and were taken with a special camera that would very slowly move across the group.  4th year girls (we only did four years and not six when I was going to camp) were able to be in the picture twice.  So I have four of these scroll like camp pictures tucked away in a box from my childhood.

Here is the close up of me and some of the girls from my groups for two of the years I was at camp. Wasn't I cute.

 I had a perm in this one. Look at the curls.

I have a feeling camp will be a lot of fun, for both of us!