August 22, 2014

We are sad to write that this is the last weekly letter from summer 2014. As Sandy Denny so beautifully sang: “Who knows where the time goes?”

As opposed to giving you a day-by-day update we have decided to summarize Second Session happenings by category. Enjoy.

As always, trips during this session were plentiful and much anticipated. Here are the ones you should ask your boys about when they get home:

• All the Junior Bs (eight-and-nine-year-olds) ventured in cabin groupings to our wilderness campsite on the point of our lake. The boys loved cooking over an open fire, exploring the nearby woods and trails, and sleeping in our handmade log cabin. They also went on a trip to find the infamous “Lost River” and feasted at Fat Bobs – ask them about it!
• The Junior As (ten-year-olds) split into cabin groups for overnights in tents at our Crooked Birch campsite or our wilderness cabin on the lake. They canoed out to the site and enjoyed what for many of them was their first wilderness overnight. They also explored Cascade Park on a day trip and visited famous Fat Bobs.
• All the Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds) ventured in two different groups for canoe camping trips on Cliff Island in Newfound Lake. Both groups loved jumping off the rocks, swimming with and capsizing their canoes, playing Capture the Flag type games, cooking over an open fire, and sleeping under the stars.
• The Inter Bs and As (eleven and twelve-year-olds) and all Seniors (thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen-year-olds) went swimming in the natural pools and slides at the Wentworth Water Hole followed by “gi-normous” ice cream cones at Fat Bob’s.
• All the Inter As (twelve-year-olds) hiked to the top of Mt. Moosilauke–all 4,802 feet of it–before having dinner and a cozy night’s sleep in the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge that sits at the mountain’s base.
• The Inter As also canoed the Connecticut River to Hanover and were happily rewarded with a pizza dinner and a movie after reaching their destination.
• Every camper had the opportunity to go on one of four “open” mountain biking trips during the week, which headed to destinations such as Indian Pond and the Wentworth Waterhole.
• Campers with a “bomb proof wet exit” had the opportunity to spend a day kayaking the class II rapids on the Androscoggin River. The boys started in the river ferrying between progressively larger eddies. Once their confidence and skills were ready they then took a few runs down the ½ mile stretch of whitewater that flows under the Errol Bridge.
• Two groups of Senior Bs (thirteen year-olds) left on a two day backpacking trip that saw the boys summiting four peaks including Mt. Lafayette.
• Senior campers went on a trail maintenance trip on the Cross-Rivendell trail led by Port.
• The Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) started their week with a “fluff” trip to Hanover for pizza and a movie. (It is good to be a Senior A1!)
• The Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) ended on an adventurous note when they left for an overnight camping trip that included white water rafting. The boys spent their first day setting up camp by the Androscoggin River and swimming in the rapids. The next day they were taken by van and then pontoon boat to the top of the Rapid River in Maine, right below the Richardson Dam. The boys had the ride of their life as professional guides rafted them down 3.5 miles of crashing white water that includes some class IV rapids.
• The C.I.T.s ventured out on self-planned and run wilderness overnight that included a hike up Mt. Moosilauke and an overnight at the Pioneer Camp.
• A group of volunteer Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) left for our capstone three day, two night backpacking adventure that we call our Mt. Washington Trip. The first day the groups gained 4,300 feet in elevation via the Lowes and Randolph trails leading to the Perch RMC shelter and camp sites. The second day the group took the Randolph Path, the Gulfside Trail, and the Jefferson Loop Trail to the summit of Mt. Washington (a total of 3 miles). They then hiked another 4 miles to the Hermit Lake shelter where they spent the night. The final day they hiked 2.5 miles down Tuckerman’s Ravine to their pick up at the Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center. A pretty impressive adventure given the amount of hiking, elevation gain, and the weight of their packs!
• The Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) had their own “fluff” trip that included a day at a waterpark and a night at a minor league baseball game.
• Campers also had the opportunity to go on two volunteer rock-climbing trips.

Whew. It is tiring just to write about all the trips let alone get them all safely completed.

Other highlights from the session, on top of our trips and routine morning and afternoon skills classes, included:

• Each of our age group, Juniors, Inters and Seniors, had the opportunity to compete in at least one game against a neighboring camp, primarily in soccer, baseball, and basketball. And, this summer, we organized our first ever intra-camp all-ages Archery tournament.
• A Moose Sensations talent show. Acts included magic tricks, poetry slam reading, a tandem Diablo exhibition, a synchronized dance crew, many songs—and even a murder mystery interspersed between acts.
• A carnival that entailed all the cabins making their own booths down on the playing fields. The most popular booths were a dance party contest, a pushup booth, and a Prez card game challenge. The afternoon was complete with fresh New Hampshire sweet corn and ice cream sundaes.
• Seeing boys complete the totality of an achievement chart at a specific area and then receive the approbation of their peers in the dining hall for their accomplishment.
• A full day’s worth of Olympic contests that culminated in a team fire building contest at night.
• A banquet on the final night that included awards and a slide show followed by a torchlight ceremony led by our oldest campers, the Senior A1s, and a massive bonfire.

That’s all for now. We have had an incredible summer and the key ingredient is your wonderful boys. Thanks so much for sharing them.

Happy Summer!

Bill, Sabina, Ken, Ingrid, Port, and Heide