Director Jud's Blog

SMA Teen Summer Camp 1st Session Memory Book

Posted by Jud Millar on Tue, Sep 2, 2014

 SMA Overnight Teen Summer Camp 2014 1st Session Memory Book is here!

 A group of teen Campers and Staff in camp t-shirts pose for a picture.

A Note from the Camp Directors:

Greetings from camp to everyone in our Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA) family. It is hard to believe that the summer 2014 has come and gone so fast. It seems like only yesterday we were dusting off the canoes and tuning up the mountain bikes and now this incredible summer is in the history books. The remainder of August was great, but we often found ourselves playing “remember that time in 1st Session... that was awesome!” during our down time.

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Campers, we miss each one of you so much, and it’s just not the same without you around. We hope you have recovered from the craziness and had an awesome end to your summer.  How was the first weeks of school?        

Parents, thank you for sending your son or daughter to Stone Mountain Adventures for the summer. Each member of the incredible group that was SMA 1, 2014, possessed fantastic qualities and helped to make the group so special. We had some incredible experiences together that made for a truly memorable 1st Session         

To that end, on the last full day of the session we asked each member of our group to take a few moments and "reflect" about his or her experience at Stone Mountain Adventures. Enclosed you will find these entries that we call "reflections of the summer" that make up our “1st Session Camper and Staff Memory Book.” You also will find a brief description of many of the activities that we did at camp written by our stellar staff. 

We will be uploading the First Session Slide Show to our web site and to Bunk1 in the weeks to come.  As we peruse summer photos we can't help but smile; there were so many silly costumes, ‘go fast’ activities, and quality friendships. What an incredible summer.          

We hope you enjoy this SMA Memory Book and these "reflections" as much as we have!

Best wishes on the school year ahead,

                   Jud, Anne, Wyatt, Molly, Pam, Biff, Comet, Sula, Frisbee, the Cats, the Horses, the Rabbits & other random farm animals!

 

McKenna, Hanover, PA :

First session at SMA Teen Summer Camp went really well. Gator and I did so much stuff we didn’t do last year! I was able to reunite with old friends and make more. Rock climbing was great, even though I still haven’t made it to the top. Waking up to Roy in the Boardroom yelling, “Gooood Morning McKenna” made my day! The late night talks in Mattawanna were great! Even though Cinnamon, my and Hannah’s bunny, was evil, we were able to successfully hold it once for more than two seconds. White water rafting was awesome! I did not fall out at all on any of the rapids. First session was great and I can’t wait for second session and to see my new and old friends.   

 Overnight-Summer-camp-SMA-_(1)

Jin,, Larchmont, NY:

This week that I’ve been at camp has been amazing. Before I came to SMA Adventure Camp I was afraid that I wouldn’t make many friends because I came late, but as soon as I got here I was welcomed with new and old faces. I’m so glad I got to meet so many new people and form different kinds of relationships with them. Even though I missed roller skating and the first overnight, I don’t feel like I missed opportunities to make new friends and memories. Some things I enjoyed were the van rides because I always ended up having a laugh with someone or becoming closer to them. I also enjoyed Horsemasters because while I was working on riding or horsemanship, I was also forming closer bonds with people. I really loved being at camp this session and hope everyone can come back next year.

 

Georgia, State College, PA :

SMA Teenage Summer Camp was amazing. I loved Horsemasters and going rock climbing. I made so many friends and the counselors were really great too.

 Sydney, Huntingdon, Valley, PA:

SMA Overnight Summer Camp was an awesome experience. I have never been away from my parents for more than 4 days, so overnight camp was a nice change. Everyone treated me like family and the minute I arrived I felt welcome. My favorite counselors were Katie, Brenna, and Alyna. Instantly, I became very close with them. I have also become very close with Kaylen, Shifreya, Georgia, Shira, Lili, Noa, Haley, and so many others! I loved being ridiculous and dancing around with the whole camp. I also loved jamming out in the van rides and falling asleep most of the time. Camp has changed me in many ways. I’ve learned that being yourself is very important. You should also not care what others think of you. Always smile! You will have more fun if you do. I will miss everyone very much and I hope everyone has a great rest of summer and school year!

 Noa, Burke, VA:

This camp was so much fun. I really enjoyed white water rafting. I also met so many nice people while I was here at camp. I really enjoyed the van rides. It’s a great place to sleep. I seriously think the friendships I made here I will have forever. At the Amish market, I had so much fun and it was an amazing experience. Overall, I had so much fun at SAM Teen Summer Camp. I love it here.

 Izzy, Greenwich, CT:Overnight-Summer-camp-SMA-_(2)

This was certainly an interesting summer so far. I succeeded in writing several poems. Also, I saw some awesome familiar faces. A lot of the counselors were amazing this year. Hot Sauce (Matt) was personally my favorite because he taught me a couple chords on the guitar and encouraged my poetry. The activities were fun as well, at least when it wasn’t raining. The overnights were truly enjoyable and the volleyball tournament was pretty awesome. I was even the MVP of my team and it was fun spiking the ball. I took some really nice photos of football and played heavy metal in the van ride. White water rafting was fun and interesting because I fell out of the boat twice in less than a foot of water. Roller skating was rather nice as well.              

 “Cherry”, Wilmington, DE:

SMA Co-ed Camp has to be one of my most favorite places on Earth and because of this, there’s so much I love about this place. SMA never runs out of fun activities to do and it never has dull moments. My most favorite activities had to be ones that involved water because we all secretly know that I’m actually a mermaid. I especially loved wakeboarding the most out of all the activities even though I wasn’t a wakemaster. I loved wakeboarding the most because it reminds me of skateboarding and I just love gliding across the water and feeling the cool misty breeze across my face. I also really loved the overnights because I love camping so much and you get to know people better on the overnights. Other things that I enjoyed were the van rides and listening to cool music, spoiling my secret friend, white water rafting, and especially all of the animals. But what I enjoyed the most was bonding with old friends and making new friends because these friendships are what make camp fun and memorable and they’re long-lasting. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this place and the memories established here. Thank you SMA.

 Sam, Berwyn, PA:

I must admit I was nervous to leave my home and family for two weeks. However, my nerves slowly eased as I made new friends and did the activities. Speaking of the activities, even before SMA I knew I would love the concept of picking your own for each day. From canoeing to ultimate Frisbee, I did a lot. Previous to the camping overnight in canoeing, I had done camping once before and hadn’t enjoyed it. The canoeing overnight was awesome though, especially with the counselors (Hot Sauce, Alyna, Brenna). Also, the rock-climbing was cool. Chase, Melissa, and Brenna were there. I had friends I got kind of close with like Izzy, Ben S., and my cabin. Speaking of my cabin…they were pretty crazy, but all diligent, caring, and sympathetic too. Most importantly though, I managed to be in a relationship! It was with Haley, starting at the ice cream shop. We started talking, getting to know each other and it escalated from there. I really do like her and can hopefully see her as a super camper next year! There’s a lot I could say about my experience here at SMA, but no words could begin to accurately describe my experience. I thank the counselors (Roy, James, Matt, Tom, Chase, Josh, Tim, Brenna, Katie, Fish, Lindsay, Melissa, and Alyna) and all the campers for the fun I had and I cannot wait until next year!

 Hannah, Stamford, CT:Overnight-Summer-camp-SMA-_(3)

I had so much fun at SMA Teenage Camp this past session. I made so many new friends that I will keep in contact with for a very long time. I had such a great time in Horsemasters with Pam and Kelsey, and will take what I learned about the horses and use it in my future riding experiences. I loved every activity that I did and had lots of fun while doing them. I can’t wait until next summer when I come back again and experience all these activities again.

Becca, Canton, MA:

This summer at SMA Summer Camp I had so much fun. I loved my first two weeks here. I made many new friends. I really enjoyed the activities here. I had a great time white water rafting. The Amish market was a really cool experience to see. I can’t wait to come back next year.

 Lili, Dubai:

This camp is awesome! I really don’t know what to say but I learned a lot of English words here. Everybody is nice and they always have a big happy face! I really want to thank Pam, she got me in Horsemasters and I learned a lot of new stuff. The horses are so lovely and nice. All the counselors are awesome and so so nice! Thanks to all the staff and Jud that did everything to make me happy and actually it worked perfectly. Thanks so much to everybody!

 Shira, Wyndmoor, PA:

SMA Co Ed Camp is the best camp ever! I made so many new friends and had a lot of fun. Wakeboarding was so much fun, but I wish I was better at it. I made great friends. I seriously love everybody here so much. I’m sad that I’m staying two sessions because some people are leaving this session that I’ve been great friends with! The van rides are so so so much fun! I love my cabin and all the activities. I’m sad that Lili is leaving before me because we got really close and she is so nice. But this camp is so much fun (!) and I can’t wait to come back next year! (Plus all the counselors are super fun and cool).

Kat, Cincinnati, OH:

This was my first year at SMA Tock Climbing Teen Summer Camp and I had many new friends within my first hour of being here. I like how we can choose our own activities instead of a set routine. I made great friends such as: Becca, Shira, Kat F., Mirena, Ally, and Noa. We made our own cabin rules and it was really fun when people would go on overnights and there weren’t many people. It was nice to get to know people outside of my cabin and I even became really close to them. The van rides were even fun! Especially the long one to and from white water rafting with Mirena. I got to try new things that I never would have done before. We had movie night and bunk junk and roller skating. I had a really great summer at SMA. 

Emmeline, Washington, DC:

SMA Overnight Teen Summer Camp has been a fantastic experience for me. When I first arrived, I was pretty nervous for it is very different from anything I have tried before. Yet instantly, the counselors were incredibly welcoming. When I arrived in the cabin, Alex L. instantly befriended us and, being an experienced camper, she showed Camilla and me around. I am so glad I became friends with her! Then, Lindsay convinced me to do Wakemasters. That was easily one of the best decisions I have made. Being close to Lindsay made this camp experience even better. I also became close with James, calling him Dad, which was a lot of fun. Then Melissa slept in our bunk and I also fell in love with her. These counselors are just some of the many things that make this camp great. Whether it was chatting with Josh Love in the van or playing an insane nukem game with Tom, this camp has easily been the highlight of my summer. I love SMA and I also made other amazing friends! 

7 teen Campers pose for a group picture.

Kat, West Chester, PA:

SMA Sleep Away Camp has been my summer home away from home for two summers now and it has become a place for me to be able to have new experiences and share them with amazing friends. I feel so blessed to have been able to come here for the second year and I certainly look forward to years to come. Thank you to everyone just for being yourselves and for being a part of my life. 

Jackson, New York, NY:

I learned to white water raft. My group fell out on a rapid and I got a bruise, but we were all okay and laughed a lot afterwards. I also liked playing pool with Max even though I’m not very good at it. I had a lot of fun playing gaga ball also. Pretty much I had a great time.

Shifreya, Philadelphia, PA:

 I learned how to white water raft, mountain bike, and I even made my first s’more. I became best friends with myself, Jacob, Kaylen, and Shira. I also reflect on how the people here mostly encourage and embrace you. I’ll be back next yea

rKaylen, Gulf Breeze, FL

What I reflect on is…well everybody is different in their own special way. I learned so many skills this summer and met so many lifelong friends. I can’t pick out any activities because they are all my favorite: bunnies with Shifreya, canoeing, all camp days. Overall, I had an awesome summer. Thanks Jud.      :A group of teen Campers pose for a group picture.

 Mirena, Cherry Hill, NJ:

At SMA Teenage Summer Camp, everyone knows each other after only a few days, there is never an awkward silence, and you cannot walk through camp without the sound of laughter reaching your ears. SMA is an amazing place that welcomes anyone and everyone. Coming late this session was a bit of a setback, but after a day or two I felt like I had never left from last year. I’ve had so many great memories from the week I’ve been here. From bonding on the van with Kat A. to learning to wakeboard with Lindsay and James, it’s been a one of a kind experience. I hate that we’re all splitting up, but I hope I’ll see many familiar faces next year. Best wishes to everyone!

 Camilla, Washington, DC:

 I loved my time here at Stone Mountain Adventures. I had so much fun and made so many amazing friends. I learned how to water ski and wakeboard, played volleyball and nukem, and loved going white water rafting. The counselors were really great and Lindsay and James made my camp experience so much fun (thanks mom and dad!) I wish that I could have stayed for more sessions, but the time that I was here was really special. I love this camp and I can’t wait come back next year!

Ally, Arlington, VA:

I had so much fun my second year! I made new friends and saw my old friends from last year. One of my favorite activities from this session was windsurf and sail. I also loved going white water rafting. Getting ice cream as an evening activity was awesome. The van rides were pretty fun when there was music blasting! I am definitely coming back for a third year!

 Jacob, Wyndmoor, PA:

Summers at SMA Summer Camp are always amazing. This was my third year and by far my favorite. I love getting to know all of the campers and counselors and making new friends. This summer, I got to work on getting better at rock climbing and I tried mountain biking for the first time. White water rafting was so much fun and Brenna was the best raft captain ever. This is my last time at SMA and I feel really lucky to have been a part of such a great camp for so long. 

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Haley, State College, PA:

This year at SMA Overnight Camp I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and doing activities. An example of this was when we went to Yough River and white water rafted! Also, I enjoyed having a bunny party in Mattawanna! We found out that one was pregnant! In addition, I liked the van rides the best! I got to sit next to all my awesome friends! I figured out that I have a lot in common with them! I also enjoyed meeting new counselors and counselors from last year. Secondly, as a reflection I very much enjoyed activities. I enjoyed arts and crafts. I made bracelets and I tie-died shirts! Also, this year I went canoeing. I also enjoyed bunk junk! Once I dressed up in a wedding dress and went around, everybody wanted to know who I was marrying. Another time we went disco rollerblading. I wore funny glasses and a shirt that said, “Bow ties are cool!” I also enjoyed “invention convention.” I was a mad scientist. I had crazy pink hair and a long shirt on. At camp, another activity I enjoyed was going windsurfing and sailing. I also broke out of my comfort zone and rode a horse (Jolly) in Horsemasters. In conclusion, this year at camp I’ve enjoyed hanging out with friends and going on some exciting activities!    

Nathan, North Potomac, MD:

I had a great time at SMA Overnight Camp. I tried many new things, made many new friends, and made many great memories. It was a lot of fun. I had so much fun doing activities like climbing, water skiing, mountain biking, and canoeing. I was glad I could get out of my comfort zone and I’m glad I could do so with some great friends. 

Ben Six, Antony, FRANCE:

I really want to thank the staff 2014 (Roy, Hot Sauce, Alyna), Jud (Molly, Wyatt) and Anne, all the animals. This session was my favorite, and this time I have understood everything going on. I’m just a little bit sad because Dave didn’t come but it was still my favorite session. If I regret something, it’s that I didn’t go to mountain biking. Thanks. 

Alex L, Chicago, IL:

SMA Teenage Summer Camp is one of my favorite places on earth! Josh Love was a great secret friend. I had a great time making paper plates and what-they-say, what-they-mean. I’m glad I met Jacob and it’s so ironic that we came the same years but didn’t meet until this year. I was so excited I got to ride a horse for the first time. I was also happy that I died my hair again. I’m glad that I stayed for a 1st session so I could meet “1st sessioners,” like Hannah. She guided my horse when I was learning and she was so much fun to hang out with in the cabin. I’ll never forget Nathan K., Camilla R., and Emmeline L. 

Theo H, Washington, DC:

SMA Summer Camp was a lot of fun. I enjoyed chill time and hanging out with the crew and playing pool. It was fun being Nathan’s secret friend and trying to guess who had me. I also enjoyed hanging out with Lindsay on the boat. For me, it was an epiphany realizing that people who are older than me aren’t 100% bad. Gonna miss the good times.    

A group of teen Campers in a white water rafting session.

Alex S, Bethesda, MD:

The past two weeks have been a lot of fun at SMA Adventure Camp: wakeboarding with Lindsay and James, going to the Amish market, hanging out with new people, trying new activities. It has been an awesome time. 

Max, Cherry Hill, NJ:

I had fun at this Overnight Camp called SMA. All the overnights were so fun! We’d do an activity then cook food over a campfire. Mountain pies were the best! It was like a pizza sandwich cooked over a fire. However, my favorite thing was Secret Friend. This was a week long activity where you would get gifts for your friends, but they wouldn’t know it was you. I’m sure my secret friend Roy loved his Frozen poster. I know I enjoyed getting a bizarre monster hat! 

Anatole, Paris, FRANCE:

Thank you guys for everything. This year was really awesome as I knew it would be. I will miss the “furnace family” and all the cool American staff. All of you take care. Peace out. 

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Ben W, Talala, OK:

At Stone Mountain Rock Climbing Teen Camp, I did some of the best mountain biking I have ever done. The trails were amazing. I met so many people including Jeremy, Lucas, and Anatole. It was a great 2 weeks. 

Theo P, Brooklyn, NY:

I thought camp was so much fun. I really had a blast. I made a lot of good friends and enjoyed the fun activities. 

Lucas, New York, NY:

This session was good. I got to relax a lot, which I definitely needed. 

Jeremy, Verona, NJ:

The friendships I’ve made at SMA will last a lifetime. This session was a lot of fun. I’m going to miss everyone. 

Gaspard, Le Harve, FRANCE:

In session 1, I really loved the bunnies we bought. On the first week, my favorite activity was the Amish market. I really loved to be with my American friends. The American people are so friendly that you find friends in two hours. My favorite activity of the second week was mountain biking. It was cool to be with all the counselors. I am sure to come back next year! 

A group of Campers in a white water session.

Pierre, Paris, FRANCE:

SMA Teen Camp is a great camp with a lot of cool activities. I want to come back next year.

 Katie, Bethesda, MD:

I adjusted to life here at SMA Teen Camp after the first time I laid eyes on it when I arrived on Sunday night. This place is unbelievably cool. It’s so fun. SMA is another home for me, like a summer home. This is my second year at SMA. Last year I signed up for only 2nd session, but I had so much fun I asked my parents if I could stay another session. This year, I’m staying the whole summer. That’s how much I love coming here. I’m gonna miss tons of people and I hope they will come back next year. Overall, session 1 was good.        

Our Start Staff Team of 2014 take time to tell you about the awesome activities of Stone Mountain Adventures!

The camp director in a group picture with some teen Campers and the camp staff.

Rock Climbing

The very first session started out with a bang, we got right into rock climbing and it was awesome. There were so many good climbers who for the first time started climbing here. Watching you guys climb to the top of every climb was so inspiring and made me so happy. We also went on a rock climbing overnight to Bilger’s Rocks which was so cool because the rocks were awesome there. Unfortunately it was raining but that didn’t stop us from doing some sweet caving and climbing around on the moss-covered rocks. Watching people climb taught me more about each climb and helped me teach others the right way to climb up the rocks. Keep climbing and ROCK ON!!! 

The Amish Market

The Amish Market was one activity that I was the most excited about. Having never been exposed to the Amish culture before, as I'm from Australia, it was definitely something I was excited to experience and I wasn't disappointed. It was so easy to get lost in the many stalls offering delicious foods, interesting arts and crafts, and awesome bits and bobs you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. Don't forget the livestock - it wouldn't be the Amish Market if we didn't return with bunnies! But my favourite part of the morning? Trying my first whoopie pie, cheese fried and orangeade. Delicious!  

A group of teen Campers in a white water session.

Hiking

Hiking at Stone Mountain Adventures was amazing this session! We kicked off the session with a great hike up to the peace chapel filled with get to know you games. We also climbed the thousands steps twice this session. Both times we had great weather and got the chance to see some amazing views. We also played a great game of pole barn at the top of the mountain! Thanks for a great session of hiking!

Canoeing

Our canoeing overnight was on the little Juniata river. 12 campers and 3 staff…

The day started out amazing with a 15% to 20% chance of rain and 100% chance of awesomeness. Leading the group was Brenna, Alyna and I; we took the red pickup truck plus a 15 passenger van along with 7 canoes. 1 cooler of food and another with supplies for the evening’s dinner and a wake up breakfast… we set out around 14:30 and put in around 15:00…. The rest is history.

The meal prep was perfect… and things were great. The float was exciting, and relaxing – however campers could have used a bit more time on the water… the float was only about 45 min to the camp site leaving too much time for shenanigans while brenna and I shuttled the vehicles back and forth… before shuttling cars we set up camp and planned for dinner upon return of I and Brenna; Alyna stayed back with the campers and saved our firewood from getting completely soaked.

Upon return we started a fire in the blazing downpour . . . and successfully cooked dinner – about 3 times over. Great night – stars out – no rain!

The float in the morning went well and shuttling the boats and vehicles was no problem.  What a great overnight! 

A group of Campers in a white water rafting session.

Fishing on the Juniata

Our group for fishing was small; only about 5 campers… we brought 4 rods, a tackle box and went to Walmart to get bate. Our fishing spot was recommended by one of the locals so we crossed the bridge that goes off before the point and fished under the bridge.

We also ate raspberries that were growing under the bridge and honey suckle too – we didn’t catch much, only one small mouth bass (I think).

All in all fishing went well and all the campers really enjoyed being able to relax by the water– good day. 

Wakemasters + Wakeboarding!

Wakeboarding + Waterskiing + Kneeboarding + Wakemasters this session was COMPLETE success! I had a great time seeing each camper progress in skiing and wakeboarding every time we hit the water. We worked on the initial getting up, getting air, going in and out of the wake and having a BLAST! Also it is very important to share the importance of taking care of the boat and the equipment used in Wakeboarding.  I am so proud to have had each of them on the boat. My hope is they continue to work at it and remember the great time had on SMA’s Wakemasters and the boat this summer!! 

Teen-Summer-Camp-2014-_(7)

Horse Masters:

Such an incredible, fun-filled session this was for the First Session, 2014 SMA Horse Masters! Two weeks full of laughter, commitment, hard work, and horse-bonding. The average day in the barn would begin with the “Morning Scooping of the Poop”, tack room sweeping, and barn cleaning followed by, of course, hanging out with the horses. The wonderful campers who were in Horse Masters this session would start their horse-human bonding with grooming and tacking their individual horses. Every rider was matched with a horse that would challenge them as horse-women and riders. As riding instructors we worked together with the riders and horses to facilitate an environment where they could strive to reach and accomplish their personal goals as well as enjoying their time in and around the barn! The riders worked on a basic balanced seat, trotting, half seat, vertical far, and jumping technique. Some of the other fun activities that the Horse Masters participated in were riding bareback, lounge lessons, and trail riding. With all the hard work, participation, and positive energy, this session has been one of the most memorable and special in Horse Masters history! 

Art Studio

Arts and crafts first session was a blast! Our studio is packed with supplies for loads of fun activities. The most popular choice is always to work on friendship bracelets. Although, we branched out a bit this session. There were many drawings done, picture frames decorated, dream catchers made, and of course painting with Jud's daughter, Molly, is a crowd favorite. A highlight of this summer in the arts and crafts studio is the mosaic we are working on to hang in the board room. First session had the task of coming up with the design for future sessions to fill in. We can't wait until the end of the summer to see how it turns out! 

Service Projects

At SMA we are grateful for the opportunity we all have to go rock climbing, sailing, and spend time with friends for two weeks. In order to take care of and give back to our community we like to take an afternoon or two out of our activity-packed schedule to take part in service projects. During Session 1 we had groups or campers and counselors working together on SMA's very own bike trail, cleaning trash out of the Little Juniata River, giving out free lemonade for donations to Alex's Lemonade Stand and visiting the elderly at Elmcroft Senior Living Center in close by Ducansville. Service projects are a great way to give a small contribution to our community and grow closer to our camp mates while having a blast!

A group of Campers in a white water rafting session.

 Mountain Biking and Mountain Bike Masters

This was my first experience with the Allegrippis Trails and we had 2 amazing campers in the mountain biking masters program!  I had the best riding of my life riding these trails.  We experienced wipeouts, injuries, broken bikes and many challenges on the trails.  I became very close with the campers and learned to effectively navigate the trails.  I felt at home on the trails with new camper friends having fun every day on the trails.  Unfortunately one of our bike masters got injured roller-skating and we missed him on the trails.  We also had many other campers who challenged themselves on the trails this session and it was great to see some many campers find success!

 Sailing + SUP + Windsurfing + Kayking

Sailing at SMA this summer campers and counselors alike caught the wind and had a radical time out at Raystown Lake. We kayaked and swam, paddled and wind surfed, and rode the sunfish sail boats in the warm afternoon sun. Many campers tried and succeeded at sailing and wind surfing for their first time! Even when the wind didn't cooperate, we made the best of the day and still played hard in the water. We love sailing!

 White Water Rafting

The excitement builds for days for the trip to Ohiopyle PA to raft the lower Yough. For many it was their first time on the Yough and for some their first time to white water raft. The day on the Yough is loved by all and it is easy to understand why. After a fairly long van trip, the excitement starts to really build among the campers as they strap up their life jackets and grab their paddles and helmets. The river guides make everyone feel comfortable and excited with their enthusiasm and witty jokes. The first rapid is a good one to ease us in as it isn’t too difficult. The campers become familiar with their rafts and paddle instructions which become important for the more intense rapids which wait ahead. Between the rapids splash battles rage, kings of boats were crowned and dethroned. There is a high feeling of accomplishment when the rafts make it through the bigger rapids and hydraulics and the camaraderie among the rafts gets better as the day goes on. Ended with a short race everyone makes it out of water safely, and of course more cheesy witty jokes wait from the river guides on the bus journey back to Ohiopyle.

A group of Campers and the camp director all in camp t-shits pose for a group picture.

 Evening Activities

Although whispers and excitement about the day’s evening activity often travelled around throughout the day, nothing compared to the moment each night when Jud announced “Tonight’s evening activity!!!!” With such a wide range of activities that we did, the night was always interesting, and the enthusiasm was always high. From the wacky bunk junk activities like Invention Convention or Disco Roller Skating to the more laid-back ice cream or overnight campfire, all of camp was able to unite to share part of their day together.

 Sports at SMA

1st Session SMA 2014 was presented with many sporting obstacles but overcame them with flying colors and had a great two weeks. It was a slightly smaller session than normal and so, with reduced numbers along with the bugs and intense heat at Greenwood, morale had the potential to be low. However, this was not the case. Campers showed up at camp ready to play and approached games of soccer, softball, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee with enthusiasm and tenacity. Games of "hot potato" were hugely popular and were a great way to cool off in the shade during water breaks and at power hour back at the farm. Overall it was a great session!

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Topics: Reflection packets, Camper and Staff Memory Books, Memory Books

About Director Jud's Blog

This blog will give you the "411" about everything that is Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp!  Everything from "Summer Updates" to useful family and camp resources.  Check it out! 

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