Mini trips rolled in late this afternoon. Each trip went out to a late lunch before heading back to camp, as is tradition. As the campers filed off the buses they were overflowing with stories and adventures.

The backpackers spent the last night at Merrell Pavilion where they could look out over the entire span of the Catskills as the sun rose and set. Rumor has it Merrell is the best place to catch the sun rise in the Catskills.

The canoers spent their last day of canoeing on the reservoir well. They woke up early and hit the water as the steam was lifting from the lake and the water was like glass. The sound of the paddles lapping the water with each perfect j stroke is some thing these campers will never forget.

The climbers put in a half day on the rocks before heading back to camp. Today they set up slightly more difficult climbs. The campers had gotten used to the rock and were able to focus on form and technique which allowed them to dyno the routes.

Once the campers got back into camp they unloaded and checked back in their gear. It’s important to make sure our gear gets returned with the same care as it got checked out. Ownership penetrates all aspects of Frost Valley adventures.

As a reunited village campers will rest well in their bunks and whisper they’re experiences to each other as counselors calmly suggest a good nights rest.

More adventures to come tomorrow!

It’s been a really busy week for folks in West Virginia! Tuesday was spent doing a mud race! Tuesday and Wednesday were spent on the New River rafting with ACE! Friday was also spent with ACE doing a scenic river tour also on the new river. Saturday campers left ACE and drove to Lost Caverns for a little spelunking (caving)! Sunday campers had the day to rest up. Today campers went climbing again with ACE in the New River Gorge a fantastic climbing area!

It’s been a great week for campers on MTB! Camps on MTB are getting a long very well its sounds like everyone has bonded into a highly functioning team! MTB spent Tuesday to Thursday helping Acadia National Park maintain their trails. On Friday MTB had the day off of trail work. They picked up bikes from our friends at Acadia Bike Rentals and than they explored the carriage roads of Acadia National Park! Saturday was spent resupplying in Bar Harbor and swimming at the local Y. Yesterday MTB went climbing at Otter Cliffs with Acadia Mountain Guides. Tomorrow it’s back to trail building! And I’m told that tomorrow is lobster night!

Well the mini trips are in full swing and everyone is having a great time!

Here at Frost Valley we have six thousand acres of land and it is rarely used to it’s full potential and it has a lot of out of the way corners. Well this session our hiking mini trip is certainly making an attempt to make very good use of all of our out of the way corners of Frost Valley. Currently they in the east valley near Frost Valley’s farm. To see their exact location follow the link! http://fms.ws/9GJIy/41.9373N/74.50793W

Campers on our climbing mini trip woke up this morning at camp Slime. After rolling out of their sleeping bags and breakfast they walk across the bridge that connects them to the world famous Gunks for a full day of climbing!

Canoers woke up this morning repacked their dry bags (water proof bags) and packed their canoes for their first day on the Pepacton Reservoir! Today they paddled from the boat put-in at the Shavertown Bridge about 2 miles to their first campsite.

Adventure Village got to sleep in this morning. We all got up around 9:30 and dashed to breakfast at 10. After a night at the camp dance it was nice to rest up, especially because Adventure Village headed out on their mini trips today.

Breakfast was nontraditional to say the least. We had waffles with ice cream sundays. We made sure the Adventure folks ate something else too. After just ice cream for breakfast kids run out of fuel for the day quickly.

Each trip (backpacking, climbing, and canoeing) set up and tested all their camping gear before loading up the buses and heading out. The canoers got a quick master class on how to paddle the basic strokes, while the climbers sized their shoes/harnesses, and the backpackers fitted their packs.

All the campers headed out on time with smiles on their faces and adventures on their schedules.

It was a fairly special morning for their Village. After breakfast they went back to the Village for a morning sweat lodge. In the lodge they sang songs and continued to build bonds with one another.

Advill spent the rest of the morning cleaning the village. Just before lunch they went to rest hour. Then it was time for lunch.

The afternoon was spent preparing for the up coming mini trips! The day flew by with hangout just before diner.

Tonight’s evening activity was the all camp dance in the dining hall. Advill went to bed excited for tomorrow’s mini trips!

This morning started out with tent time around the village. Each cabin spent time together exploring and bonding. Some groups even dove into some team building games. Later in the morning MAC (Mainstreaming At Camp) joined us and we built shelters. Points were allotted for the most ascetically pleasing as well as the most likely to withstand a hurricane.

In the afternoon cabin groups split up and enacted the Counsel. This is where campers come up with crazy skits and situations they can act out and make look almost real-life around directors, staff, and the rest of camp. The administrative staff have come to expect shenanigans.

This evening instead of dinner we set up a trick. The head counselor and the Adventure Director plotted together to buy pizza for the campers. We snuck the pizza into the communal yert, then with stern faces we asked the village to assemble. For about five minuets we explained to them with stern faces that we were all going into the yert to talk about something very serious that had happened and that we had all already notified their parents about it. The Adventure Director said he was very disappointed in the campers. When we finally made out way into the yert all the counselors screamed “PIZZA PARTY” and the campers all laughed and ate pizza. It was a high point in the day and everyone had big smiles on their faces.

The Adventure Director and the Village Chief welcomed the campers to week two and thanked them for being awesome.

Tomorrow we pack out for mini trips. We’re all super excited about that!

On this whole day hike the adventure campers had a choice. Half the group hiked up the neversink river, which is shallow enough these days, even with the storms, for creekin’! Eventually as the group hiked up the river they found the Frost Valley Petroglyph.

The other group headed over Wildcat Mountain to the Frost Valley’s Farm Camp. They learned about the farm animals and played with the lama’s. Apparently they do spit! With fresh veggies and extreme-catch-a-chicken the farm never disappointing.

Adventure Village Try-it campers came in from their mini trips today. The hikers followed Biscuit Brook from it’s sources near the Lean-to all the way back in to camp. Nothing beats the entrance when you walk out of the woods into camp with all your gear and a smile on your face. The climbers made their way back to camp just a little later. They bused in from the Gunks after spending a full day on the rocks.

With closing ceremonies for the Try-it and an awesome game of hide and seek in the castle it’s fair to say that there will be tired-happy campers in their bunks tonight.

It’s the start of a special Advill day, overnight at Project X. This morning campers ate breakfast and then went right to tent time. Campers played basketball and some socialized in the yurt.

Advillians split up into multiple groups for the morning period Advillians had the option of going to some of our high ropes course or arts and craft.

When the morning periods were over Advillians went to rest hour and then lunch where they enjoyed pizza and salad.

For the afternoon periods camps again split into groups. Some campers went to our leap of faith! Others went to a presentation on hawks with one of our rescued red tailed hawks. And our final group of campers went to our archery range.

After dinner Advill slipped quietly away to their secret overnight spot Project X

Advill Try-it campers got out this morning for their mini trips. One group is climbing in the world famous Gunks. Our second group of Try-it campers are hiking a little closer to home.

This morning both AdVill Try-it and regular Adventure Village started the day with tent time. Each cabin group got to spend time with each other while doing some low-key activities (i.e. dodgeball, team building, low ropes, soccer).

During the period before lunch Adventure Village split into multiple groups. The try-it group got to choose between pond ecology/exploration and the Leap of Faith high element. Two weekers got to choose between bush-wacking, Leap of Faith, and Creeking.

After sloppy joes for lunch, with an optional spring greens salad, all of Adventure Village came together to learn adventure cheers. There’s a lot of history in some of the cheers we chant in AdVill; some of them date back 40 years when we were called Woodwise Village.

Before Dinner two weekers went to the waterfront for orientation and a quick dip while try-it campers headed up to Devil’s Hole then hiked back to camp in the stream bed. Another awesome day for creekin’!

This evening all of AdVill joined together with PAC, another village at camp, for an awesome game of French Revolution in the woods.

All campers went to bed with plenty of new memories and wonderful images to enlighten dreams. Rest up! Almost time for another wonderful day of Adventure!