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Friends School Fall Family Camping

October 19th, 2010 Camping,Family Camping Trip,Friends School

Usually, I start blog posts with a photo of participants. But on the Friends School Fall Family Camping Trip, our natural surroundings (as you’ll see in the photos) were truly an extra participant that added joy and laughter to our experience. The fall foliage, the deep blue sky, the waxing moon, the crisp, cool morning, and the balmy sunlight of midday added a sense of paradise to our camping trip.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that our participants were adventurous, interesting, laid-back people. One was a former Eagle Scout, another grew up hiking in the Sierra Nevadas. And the boys took to their first camping experience like fish in water.

The boys’ dad told a co-worker about his upcoming Sure Foot trip and his co-worker replied, “Surely your kids will get bored!” Once in the woods, we adults laughed at this sentiment. From the moment we stepped out of our cars at the trailhead, everything we did became an exciting adventure to these boys. The older immediately offered to carry our lunch (very heavy!) in his backpack. The younger turned his family’s tent into a clubhouse the moment it was erected. And both boys found plenty of dirt, sand, rocks, and sticks to play and build with.

A couple moments stood out to me about this trip:

• The older boy was more reserved and quiet than his younger brother. He kept Dana and I at arm’s length most of the first day – not out of fear or rudeness, but just because he’s a private young man. But by the end of our trip, he spent all of his time helping us with the camping gear. He helped us un-clip the tent poles, stuff the sleeping bags, shake out the tents, and strap gear to the backpacks. Here’s a photo of he and Dana working together to attach a sleeping pad to a backpack.
• Though a camping trip is supposedly “roughing it,” our group spent several hours on Saturday afternoon lounging at the beach! Though the air temperature was only in the low-70s, the sun was intense and we soaked in the rays and waded in the chilly water of the Chattooga River. The boys splashed in the water, built canals in the beach, and got thoroughly sandy. By about three o’clock, Donald (their dad) and I were warm enough to brave the water. We goaded each other on, stripped to our shorts, and dove in. The water was so cold, I immediately got an “ice cream headache” and Donald could only take short breaths. But after a minute to acclimatize, we swam all of the way to South Carolina (across the river) and back. The water was invigorating and by the time we returned to camp, we were mostly dry and had smiles plastered on our faces.
• The sky was so clear that we were able to track the progress of the night by the route of the moon. Donald reported that the window of his tent was positioned perfectly so that each time he awoke during the night, the moon shone in at a different position in its arc across the sky. By the time Dana and I stirred in the early morning, the moon had set, leaving the sky inky black with pin pricks of starlight. Only in the clear skies produced by crisp fall air do we get to experience light like that.

On Sunday morning, we woke up when the sun began to rise. By the time I emerged from my tent, Dana already had a toasty fire crackling and water boiling for drinks. Though the air was chill, the sunlight caught the tops of the trees, promising another warm day. We shivered our way close to the fire, warming our hands and toes before drinking cocoa and warming our bellies.

Though the fire and warm beverages helped, the best way to warm ourselves up is to walk. So we took a 2-mile day hike, led by our fearless 5-year-old leader. He practically bounded down the trail – even the portions he called “bumpy” (rutted trail with lots of rocks and roots). We took a break alongside the Chattooga and watched small fish swimming in the water. By the time we turned to hike back to camp, we had all taken off our sweatshirts and jackets and were comfortably warm and pleasantly tired.

I feel like I’m somewhat of a broken record when it comes to expressing my joy at getting to lead family camping trips. It’s so obvious to me how important it is for families to step outside of their normal routine and have a weekend in the woods.

Does a trip like this change a family? Can a camping trip be transformative? I’m not sure. We had a lot of fun, but I’m not sure if we became different people during this weekend. We did, in this case, help parents who love the outdoors be able to introduce their children to the simple joy of falling asleep to the sound of running water, crickets, and wind in the trees. And the kids reminded their parents of just how adventurous they are.

I hope my family can always remember to, every once in awhile, break our comfortable patterns and revisit the simple things we have always loved!

Friends School Spring Family Camping Trip

May 11th, 2010 Camping,Friends School

One of the ongoing debates at Sure Foot is centered around this question: How young is too young for a kid to come to the woods?

Jonah thinks a kid of any age can enjoy exploring the woods. I’ve never been so sure that would be so enjoyable for the parents. (Babies and toddlers seem hard enough indoors!)  But last year we had a lovely trip with a 4 year old. And this past weekend our Friends School of Atlanta trip with families included a 3 year old, a 6 year old, two 7 year olds and a 9 year old. I’m happy to report that everyone – including the 3 year old and his dad – had a great time. (It didn’t hurt that our youngest hiker was adorable, with the best hiking pajamas ever – see photo at right.)

But this entire group was super-fun: all eager to learn, willing to try new things, and excited for some good trekking. In two days, we meandered through day hikes totaling about seven miles, pausing for long breaks filled with nutella and water play and spectacular views of waterfalls. After Jonah gave a quick demo about edible wild plants, the 9-year-old gleefully plucked the new growth off hemlocks and chewed the tender needles. Back at camp, the 6 and 7-year-olds played “chase” and “karate” and delighted in some outdoor finds: “crystals” (rocks that glittered) and – less shiny – some real, live, snails. Adults took turns carrying the 3-year-old when he got tired, and then cooled off their feet in the creek while drinking wine before a delicious dinner of African Groundnut Stew. What could be happier?

I’m a big fan of family trips in part because it’s so rewarding to watch parents with their children. One family had decided to spend this weekend together because their 9-year-old would soon be going on a big, three-week-long trip with friends. On this camping trip, families spent meaningful time together without the pressures and time crunches that often inundate us all at home. Facilitating outdoor adventures and family time is as rewarding as it gets! Now this is fun for all ages.

Friends School Fall Family Camping

October 8th, 2009 Camping,Family Camping Trip,Friends School

We just returned from an absolutely enjoyable and relaxing weekend in the woods with Friends School families!

I was a bit nervous before the trip when I realized that we would have a 6, 7, and 8 year old. We’ve had younger kids on trips, but usually with older kids, too. I didn’t know if the trip would be a constant struggle of “herding cats” or what. But the moment we were all together, I realized how much fun these families would be. The kids loved the woods. They explored, played, laughed, ran around playing “monster tag,” examined puffball mushrooms, did silly dancing, and even kept their cool as our group watched a snake (non-venomous) slither past the trail.

Though I’m tempted to write that this age is my favorite to take to the woods, I realize that I say that about 10 & 11 year olds and about teenagers and about pre-teens and about adults. So be it. I just love introducing everybody to the wilderness!

The weather was excellent for camping–not too warm, not too cold. Though it was nippy in the morning, we built a fire before bed and again when we woke up.

When we arrived at our campsite, we dropped our packs, grabbed our food bags, and went to the waterfall to eat. The sun was out, the rocks were warm, and we sunned ourselves for hours. The kids played in the waterfall, on the rocks, and climbed halfway up the 60 foot falls (with adults’ help, of course). This was the perfect start to our trip: good food, warm sun, relaxation, and adventure!

One particularly fun and unique thing about this trip was that two of the parents are musicians and decided to bring their instruments along. Whenever we were sitting around the fire, we got to hear tunes from a guitar and clawhammer banjo! I usually don’t think to bring instruments on wilderness trips (though I once carried a harmonica, which is significantly less heavy), but this experience makes me rethink that. The fact that the music was high-quality helped, too.

At one point in the weekend, I looked at our camp and mused about how amazing it is that we can arrive at a semi-cleared area of ground surrounded by a creek and trees and transform it into a bustling home so quickly. One of my favorite things about camping is our ability to recreate the warmth and comfort of home with only things we carry on our backs. To me, that’s a revolutionary aspect of what I do.

But I digress–the real fun of this trip was watching the kids gain more and more confidence in the outdoors. One girl carried a puffball mushroom in her pocket, amazed at how long it kept puffing out spores. One boy watched adults build a fire with rapt attention, repeatedly asking “why won’t it stay lit?” One girl spent hours building castles in the sand by the river bank. And all the kids (while wearing jeans, no less) waded and even sat in the waterfall!

Despite the age of the kids, this was one of the least picky groups of eaters I’ve seen. We wolfed down backcountry shepherd’s pie, s’mores by the dozen, nutella & cheese sandwiches, bacon, eggs, bagels, and GORP (well, mainly just the M&Ms). And I even learned about a new Starbucks product–instant coffee in a small packet. We also learned that each coffee packet makes only a small cup of coffee, and it was helpful to add cocoa. I’m not a coffee-drinker, so I have to rely on trip participants to teach me how to feed that caffeine craving in the woods.

Finally, our trip of music, exploration, food, and relaxation would not have been complete without storytelling. After I told “Jack & the Varmits” on Saturday evening, I was immediately begged to tell more and more stories. So the kids got to hear “Go to sleep, Gecko!” and “Brer Rabbit, Brer Coon, and the Frogs.” They were a superb audience and helped me practice for my performance on on the “Traditional Tales” stage at Winter StoryFest in January.

I’ll end this post with one more short story. On the second day of our trip, the adults decided we should all go for a day hike. We wanted to get out of camp and help the kids feel more adventurous. I was somewhat leery about it–hiking with young kids can be a slow process. Instead, the kids led us the whole way. I took the lead at first, and gave a running commentary about plants that I saw. I saw each of the children staring at trees, leaves, mushrooms and the overall terrain. They asked intriguing questions and seemed to really take in the beauty of the forest. One young man was hoping we’d come to a tree that had fallen over the path that we’d have to climb to get over. Unfortunately, the trail was too well maintained for this adventure to happen. The kids zoomed up and down the hills and we made better time than I have on some hikes with teens or adults.

Cheers to these families and to the Friends School. I can’t wait until our next Family Camping Trip in May!

To view more photos of our trip, visit the Sure Foot Adventures Facebook page.