We left around 8 am on Monday, July 15th. We had 10 boys and four leaders go up. We met at our scout master's house and then carpooled up. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to make the trip up to Bartlett.
The first thing they had us do, when we arrived, was to go to the lake, Lake Fife, and perform a swim test. The water is warm. The lake is only 14 ft deep at its deepest point.
The boys had to wait for nearly an hour to do the test. Crazy wait.
Once they were in the water Kanyon out swam all those ahead of him. He's a great little swimmer.
After the swim test we walked clear back out to the outer parking lot and started bringing stuff in by wheelbarrow. They don't let you drive into camp so you have to cat everything in to your campsite.
You can see the blue tent in the background. That's mine. I got the best spot in the entire campground. I was in the shade all day long.
After camp was set up we had a quick snack and then the boys went to their first merit badge classes.
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| Noah by our campsite sign. |
We stayed in Seneca. There weren't many trees in our campsite.
The kybo. Unfortunately it was right in our camp so if the wind blew the wrong way we were stunk out.
ANother shot of our camp.
The boys at the campfire on Monday night. It was the welcome fire.
Kanyon setting up his tent.
Noah and Kanyon both took Small-Boat Sailing. It was fun to watch them learn how to control the boats.
Kanyon chose to perform the mile swim. He finished in a little over an hour. I was very proud of him. the number on his neck is how they kept track of the swimmers. We had three boys and one leader finish the mile.
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| Kanyon swimming the mile. |
At the swim area they flew a pirate flag. Kind of fun for the boys.
They had 77 people start the mile and only about 20 finish. Not very good odds.
I had to come home Tuesday for a meeting and a golf tournament on Wednesday so I took a birthday cake back up with me Wednesday night. Noah's birthday was on Thursday so week sang to him and all the boys enjoyed the cake.
The boys' favorite class was Pioneering. They really enjoyed tying lashings and designing a project to build.
Happy birthday Noah!!!
Noah and Kanyon did Wilderness Survival, so for Noah's birthday he went on an overnighter with nothing but a tarp, his camelback and a sleeping bag.
The boys leaving for their overnighter. They got back at 6 am the next morning.
The staff put on an "Honor Trail" presentation. It was awesome. Afterwards we had a fireside meeting with the boys. It was really good. I felt the Spirit really strong during both the Honor Trail and the Fireside.
Friday morning we had a moose right in our camp. He was a big boy.
This is a shot of the boys walking off their own Orienteering course. They had to create a course that was over a mile long. They did a great job.
During free time we played poison log. We had to switch the log out for a box so people didn't get hurt. You hold hands in a circle and push and pull people and try to get them to touch the poisoned log (box). It was fun.
The boys playing posison log.
On Friday afternoon, at the camp games, the boys competed in a pirate adventure where they were out trying to sink other boys in their canoes. After a few minutes the camp staff jumped in and started swamping all those still alive.
After the pirate fight.
Kanyon walking on one of the Pioneering projects. This monkey bridge was fun to walk on.
On of the other games we played was a tug-o-war. They had boys stand on milk crates and try to pull each other off. Kanyon did really well. I, and two other leaders, challenged nine of our boys to a tug-o-war. The boys eventually beat us down.
This rope swing was another pioneering project.
We set up a food tent because the squirrels and chipmunks were so bad. It was the only way to keep things safe.
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| This bridge and two platforms is the pioneering project that Kanyon and Noahs class designed and built. |
