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Campout!

By Green River Preserve on July 27, 2017

“May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart

Session 4 Campout began today, after a late breakfast and a few last minute preparations. We all met in the back field to divvy out food, cookware and other necessary gear for the adventure that lay ahead. Then they were off. Campout is, after all, a backpacking trek into the wilds of the Preserve, where campers get firsthand experience in outdoor survival. Today, eight groups departed, each hiking to different locations, spread out all over GRP. Our youngest campers took the easier trails while the older, more experienced campers trekked a bit further to some of our distant campsites. Each group left with a Mentor and several Counselors to aid them and teach all that they know about the joys and techniques of backpacking into the wilderness.

For some, this might be their first backpacking adventure, for others, well, let’s just say that some of our campers have more experience in the backcountry than many adults I know. These campers get to show off their skills and help their peers have fun in an environment without toilets, electricity or a soft bed to sleep on. Although some things might be missing, there’s plenty to find in the woods that you just can’t find anywhere else. Peace and quiet. The sounds of nature, whether it be a birds soft whistling or the drip of raindrops falling from the canopy—each sound has it’s own beautiful melody. Scents of the earth
mingling with the regional flora. All of this and more combine to
illuminate the mind and sooth the soul.

For three days and two nights, our campers will experience the beauty that backpacking brings all who are willing to adventure. They say it always rains on campout, but here’s to hoping for a dry evening under a starry sky!

Story and Photos by Brandon S. Marshall

Green River Preserve
Green River Preserve

Green River Preserve is a non-competitive, coed summer camp connecting children with nature. Located on a 3,400 acre private wildlife preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, this extraordinary natural setting inspires campers to have a greater understanding of themselves, their environment, and their fellow man. Designed for bright, curious, and creative children, our program nurtures character development and fosters skills like perseverance, curiosity, communication, optimism, creativity, and GRIT.