Expedition Explorers
Our second session of Expedition programs in Cedar Mountain and Stella, North Carolina, has begun with great success. This month, we have three Expedition teams in the field. Our Outer Banks 2 Expeditioners are enjoying exploring coastal North Carolina in sea-kayaks; while our Blue Ridge 2 Expeditioners and Trail Blazers Leadership Expeditioners have challenged themselves to backpacking trips to explore the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Outer Banks Expedition team has had fun learning the ropes of sea-kayaking together. Last week, the team practiced and conquered wet exits and rescues, successfully preparing them for the many great paddling adventures that followed. The Outer Banks team recently got back from a paddling adventure to visit Sharks Tooth Island, and this group of sea-kayakers loved exploring the unique shoreline; looking for fossils, cool bird species, and possibly even shark teeth! The Outer Banks Expeditioners are excited to embark on their next over-night sea-kayaking adventure soon.
The Blue Ridge Expedition team has just returned from their multi-day backpacking trip to explore the beautiful trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After spending some time at Base Camp last week to break in their hiking boots and learn the ropes of rock climbing, the Blue Ridge Expeditioners were excited to seriously conquer some trails. This hearty group of hikers made backpacking look easy and had a blast exploring trails in Pisgah National Forest and the Southern Highlands Conservancy. The Blue Ridge Expeditioners have since embarked on their next journey of white-water canoeing, and they are excited to learn something new.
Lastly, here at Green River Preserve Base Camp, we have been graced by the presence of our Trail Blazers Leadership Expeditioners. The Trail Blazers have spent time learning all about our Summer Camp program, undergoing leadership training, and planning their very own backpacking adventure. The multi-day backpacking trip planned by the Trail Blazers went off without a hitch, and the team really proved their teamwork and hiking abilities. After their backpacking trip, the Trail Blazers have fully joined in on our Session 3 Summer Camp programming. These Expeditioners have enjoyed assisting counselors with Camp Out, afternoon activities, and Group Learning Projects (GLPs). When they are not helping out around camp, the Trail Blazers have made great progress in building and clearing a new trail. We are so excited to see what our Trail Blazers accomplish this summer!
