Pathfinder Camping Trip

Special Guest Blog Post
On the Friday of Memorial Day weekend 2010, the South Brooklyn Cougars, Hanson Place Constellations, and Shiloh Chrysolites were on their way to Alpine Scout Camp. South Brooklyn provided twelve Pathfinders and one parent. There was a total of fifty Pathfinders and staff on this outing.

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No one was prepared for the long hike to the camp site with their personal belongings. Fortunately, a ranger assisted with the transportation of our camp equipment: tents, food, stove, tables, etc. Our goal was to make certain that all our tents were pitched before it got dark. To our dismay, we were still setting up when it got dark, but learning to adapt is very important in Pathfindering.
On Sabbath morning, those in the Friends class were indoctrinated to the early morning routine of showers at 5:30AM. It took about fifteen minutes just to get to the showers. This was followed by a delicious breakfast of scrambled tofu, eggs, turkey bacon, and bread. Hanson Place then led out in a wonderful devotion where animated discussions took place among four groups about peer pressure, dating, role models, respect, etc.

After a short break, the Junior Pathfinders worked on the honor worms (this involved finding worms and racing them). Meanwhile, the senior Pathfinders worked on the honor orienteering where they used compasses to locate hidden balloons filled with candy. Later, we all enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of yellow rice, dinner roast, chick peas, and tossed salad.

Each class (Friend through Ranger) worked on their camping skills. They focussed on how to preserve the outdoors so others could enjoy it and how to survive in the outdoors. We then went for a short hike on the Red Dot Trail. When we got back to our campsite we enjoyed a necessary break. At this point, we were honored to have President Jones, Coordinator Burns, and Secretary Phillips join our camp. As President Jones inspected the campsites, he advised South Brooklyn to stake their tents. Sound advice, since it began to rain shortly after. To close the Sabbath, Shiloh led us in a rousing devotion. Afterwards we started bonfire time, which included making s’mores and storytelling with President Jones.

On Sunday morning, Director Charles “mushed” those who were asleep with lotion. Some of the campers were getting the hang of early morning rising for showers, so they escaped a dousing of lotion on their face.

After breakfast, Hanson Place led out in devotion. Then we were off to the day’s activities. We were divided into two groups: one group learned rock climbing and the other group learned archery. The groups switched places after an hour. Both activities were fun. Some of the campers found out that the activities looked easier than they really were, while other campers found that they were a natural and enjoyed every moment.

We spent a few days bonding, enjoying nature, having fun, and developing our skills as Pathfinders. We took tons of pictures to remember our good times by. Unfortunately, our time at Alpine was over before we realized it and we had to head back to regular life. We packed our belongings, hit the trail, and bid Alpine Scout Camp adieu until another year.

Pathfinder Director Simone Charles