Summer Camp

Last weekend I got to do the most awesome thing ever: go to summer camp with three of my good friends! The four of us have been friends pretty much since the first day of PreSchool Drills (aka band camp) when we were all clarinet rookies together. The last eleven years have thrown a lot of life at us and when we realized we had the chance to go to camp together, we didn't hesitate. (Unfortunately this was the same weekend as the LSU game so several of our other girlfriends couldn't make it.)

Jenn, Me, Annie, Emily at the end of camp

Camp Sweyolakan is the Campfire summer camp where Annie went as a camper and later worked as staff. Emily is a Roganunda alum (sadly the camp has been sold and is no longer a Campfire camp) and Jenn hails from Camp Sealth. Though I had camp experience it was definitely nothing like a true summer camp so this was a first for me! We went to camp's Women's Retreat, which was about 80 women reliving the good old days of camp.

Dust Devil at a rest stop in Eastern Washington

Camp is in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We road tripped across the state and made it to camp in the early evening. Our 7.5 hour drive flew by since we pretty much didn't stop talking the entire time.

Carbon Copy loading up campers

We got to take a boat from the parking area to camp. The lake was a lot bigger than I imagined and it was gorgeous!

Emily & Me on the way to camp

The dining hall was very iconic. It fits everything you ever imagined summer camp to be. Since I spent some of my summer camps (cough band camps) staying in college dorms, this was especially novel!

Dining Hall Porch

We all enjoyed a weekend of not cooking, doing dishes, or worrying about chores! We also especially enjoyed extra desserts and camp hot chocolate.

Dining Hall 

The first night of camp ended with a campfire, s'mores, and traditional campfire songs. I am now officially on a hunt for lyrics and recordings of camp songs so that I can learn them all.

After starting out in another unit (for all of five minutes) we switched over to staying in Connemara. All of the shelters in camp were open air but these let us stay on the second floor in a nearly empty unit. Awesome does not even begin to describe the shelters. 

Our cabin, Kerry

Cabin roof

Not pictured: the giant tin of candy that we ate while hanging out on our bunks. We may have forgot we were grown ups for a bit.

Emily's bunk

 It really was open air!

Jenn's bunk

The views from our cabin were pretty spectacular. We stole mattresses from empty bunks so we could sleep a bit more comfortably.

Home Sweet Home for the weekend

 Have I mentioned the views? It was so wonderful to spend a weekend in the woods!

On Saturday we conquered the ropes course. As a camp newbie, I was also the only one who had never done a high ropes course. When I say "high" I mean it. I think the course was about 50 feet off the ground!

Me climbing up the rope tube

I'm feeling pretty confident here 

In this picture (above) I haven't realized yet that I won't be able to reach the clip ins and I will have to stand with one leg on a tiny 3 inch peg while I reach precariously out to clip into a wire that is six inches past my reach. I actually came to the conclusion that it just wasn't possible for me to reach but the girls reminded me that if I wanted to do the zipline I had to complete the course. So after some pretty intense strategizing I managed to get clipped in to the next challenge!

Me on the second challenge

It was REALLY high. After I finished the second challenge (the first was the rope tube) the facilitator asked me if it was fun and I very emphatically told him NO. Don't worry, I later changed my mind.

Not zoomed in

After the that challenge I was met with yet another round of trying to figure out how to unclip and clip in to the next challenge. Again I announced that it simply couldn't be done, and again I was reminded that I had to finish the course if I wanted to do the zipline. So I dug deeper and thought smarter and figured out how to reach the dang wire to clip in.

Me waltzing across the steps

Interestingly enough I didn't find the actual challenges all that hard. Probably if I didn't spend a ton of time and effort trying to clip in to them I would have over thought them and freaked out a bit.

Here I am trying to reach the clips. 

Finally, I only had one challenge left before the zipline. Again, I could not figure out how to get those darn clips transfered! The girls (who may know me better than myself at this point in life) told me to just sit there for 10 or 15 minutes while I tried to figure it out. While resting, I was talking with a few more people on the ground and one of them was two inches shorter than me. She helped me strategize reaching the clips and I was really motivated by the fact that someone shorter than me managed to do it.  (read: my competitive edge kicked in)

Video (top) is of me finishing the last challenge. Video (below) is of me finally doing the zipline, which was a bucket list item for me!

After I finished the course the other three girls took their turns.

Jenn taking the leap of faith

Annie on the Tarzan ropes

Emily walking across a log (that happens to be really high in the air!)

Emily way up high

Unfortunately the video I took of Emily's zip line didn't turn out. But she took that thing upside down... as in on her way down she swung her feet up in the air and went flying head down! Crazy camper!

The ropes course was really, really challenging for me. I can honestly say it was a harder mental challenge than running a half marathon. When I ran my half, there was not a single moment that I thought it was impossible. However, on the ropes course, three different times I faced challenges that I genuinely thought I physically could not do. But I did them anyways!! And it was extra special to have such good friends there supporting me and conquering the ropes course for themselves too.

Emily, Jenn, Annie

After the excitement of the ropes course, we did some light hiking and explored the rest of camp. Then, while waiting for our turn in the war canoe, the camp director announced that we were going to get to put one of the refurbished canoes into the water for her maiden voyage!!! All we had to do was help carry her down the hill.

We ended our weekend with another campfire, a relaxed morning, and the long drive back to Seattle (which was of course filled with nonstop chatter.)

Summer Camp for grown ups was really, really fantastic. We can't wait to go again next year, though we might try out a different camp or possibly family camp so the boys can come too. Who's coming with us?