Settling In

There is a sense of settling in on the first full day of camp. Opening Day is so hectic for newcomers and returners alike, full of new faces, maybe a new cabin or table at dinner. But when the bell rings on the second day, even our first-time campers awaken feeling more at home, ready to take on all that GRP has to offer. After a delicious breakfast this morning, cabin groups headed back for cabin clean up and got ready for their Mentor hikes. Then, hiking groups set out in one of our colorfully painted busses for some of GRP’s classic landmarks; campers fed goats and pigs at the Farm, climbed up a rock face to sit on Lower Bald, Polar Beared at Uncle’s Falls, and sat in darkness in the Indian Cave.

They returned to camp for a yummy lunch and took an hour to write postcards home and relax during Rest hour before beginning activities–canoeing, climbing, pioneer cabin crafts, outdoor skills, and fly fishing are a few classics. After Free Time and dinner, we regrouped for a classic GRP Evening Program: Predator Prey. In this hour or so of pure fun, each cabin takes on the identity of an insect, frog, snake, or hawk, and uses the entirety of Base Camp to search for resources and “attack” groups lower on the food chain. Then, we headed back to the cabins to wash off our camouflage face paint and share our Rose, Bud, and Thorn for the day before heading to bed. Most of our days at camp will follow this same schedule, and often by bedtime our newcomers feel completely at home–it helps to feel like you know your way back to your cabin! As lights flick out across camp, campers fall asleep excited and ready for another day at GRP.

Story by Lillie Wright with photos by Samantha Keebler & Brandon S. Marshall