Camping

Girls Campout At Bryce Canyon National Park
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Girls Campout At Bryce Canyon National Park

On September 10-12 the girl’s school traveled to Bryce Canyon on a camping trip. Bryce Canyon is located in southern Utah and is a major destination for travelers worldwide.

We left Maple Lake at around 9 a.m. on September 10 and traveled several hours. We stopped at “The Big Rock Candy Mountain” just south of Richfield, Utah for lunch.

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Indeed, the area surrounding this resort looks like candy that you could go eat. Lots of minerals and colors. It is a very unique place.

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During the campout, the girls packed their own lunch each day. Lunch consisted of sandwiches, chips, fruit snacks, Gatorade, and other trail mix type snacks.

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Finally, we arrived at our destination and set up camp.

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It was interesting for me to camp with both the girl’s school and with the boy’s school. It is always fun to see how differently the two groups interact and approach simple things like eating and dressing. The girls group was divided into tent groups and each tent group had a different color of tee-shirt. The girls got their shirts early in the camp and decorated them. Of course the colors were bright neon type of colors. But were ever we went, I could tell where our girls were. All I had to do was look for the bright neon colors!

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We had a great dinner that night which consisted of hot barbecue chicken sandwiches, fresh water melon, and other side dishes. For desert, the girls cooked s’mores (marshmallows, gram crackers, and chocolate) over the camp fire.

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After dinner, we had a very special campfire program. Karie had requested that the parents of each girl send them a story about an ancestor who was a pioneer in their family. It was powerful to learn about so many great people, and the sacrifices they made to come to the United States and also the sacrifices that they made for their families. The girls were all touched by the stories about their ancestors and the staff was touched also.

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We spent the next day exploring Bryce Canyon.

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We went on a hike to the bottom of the canyon and then back up to the top. Going down was easy, but coming back up was very difficult.

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After spending the day in the park, we returned to camp and had walking taco’s for dinner. This consisted of fried hamburger with taco seasoning scooped into Fritos corn chips bags. Condiments included hot sauce, guacamole, onions, and other stuff that you might put on a taco. We also had watermelon and cantaloupe.

Karie, the Recreational Therapist, had organized a special program with a native american theme. The purpose of this program, was for each of us to examine and know who we truly are and go forward with strength. Her and several staff members dressed up as native americans to perform this ceremony. Each girl received great strength from this activity.

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After this activity, we finished the night by having a special Dutch Oven cobbler. We  were able to have a chocolate and blueberry cobbler, or a white cake and cherry cobbler.

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The next morning we packed up camp and returned to Maple Lake. This campout will standout as one of our greatest memories of the many things we learn and do at Maple Lake Academy.

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Boys Campout
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Boys Campout

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The Maple Lake Boys School went on a camping trip during the past week. The camp site was located in Lehman caves which are located near Ely, Nevada. It was over a five-hour trip to reach the destination. Along the way, the boys stopped and visited the Topaz War Relocation Center. This site is located near Delta, Utah.

The Topaz Internment Camp near Delta, Utah, housed mainly Japanese-Americans from the San Francisco area. The government forced these individuals to abandon businesses, houses, and most of their possessions with very little notice. During that time, the government considered people of Japanese decent to be a threat to the security of the country. Some groups have called it a concentration camp, and it has been called a detainment camp. The important fact is over 11,000 men, women, and children were housed there over a period of several years.

The boys had lunch in Delta and continued on the journey. Lehman Caves are located in the Great Basin National Park. The closest town is Ely, Nevada. The park is in a very remote area but has a lot of attractions for outdoor enthusiasts.

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The campground that we stayed at was at the top of a mountain at over 10,000 feet elevation. After a full day of travel, we arrived at the campsite around 5 p.m. The teachers and a few boys prepared dinner as the rest boys and staff set up the camp. Dinner was a wonderful stew prepared by the cook at the boy’s home. We enjoyed a nice campfire and then everyone went to bed.

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One of the great experiences of the campout was the access that we had to wildlife in the area. There was a large flock of wild turkeys in the area and they would go through the camp on a regular basis. We also were able to see deer, eagles, owls, and other forms of wildlife.

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The next morning we enjoyed a great breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and juice. Several boys cooked the breakfast with the help of the teachers. The boys also cleaned up after the breakfast and stored all related equipment.

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After breakfast, we traveled to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center which was located a few miles away. At the visitors center, we were able to actually tour the caves. We were guided by a National Parks Ranger. The tour lasted over two hours. We were underground the whole time! The ranger was very well-informed about the history and facts surrounding the caves and we learned a great deal. Pictures below were taken during our tour of the caves.

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We then returned to camp and had sandwiches and chips for lunch. After lunch, we went on a nature hike. We actually roasted a green pine cone that a teacher picked and a few of us were able to sample a pine nut right off the tree.

There were also hours that we just relaxed and enjoyed being in the wilderness. We played several games of “capture the flag,” and other outdoor games. Several of us played an interesting and challenging card game called “the game of Mau.”

For dinner, we had chicken fajitas with all the fixings. Everyone had plenty of food during the campout. Once again, we want to thank our cook for preparing and organizing the food. For breakfast the next morning we again had pancakes, eggs, hash browns and juice.

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On Saturday morning we had breakfast, cleaned up camp, broke down camp, and traveled back to Maple Lake Academy. The campout was a huge success and we can not wait for the next one. Special thanks are given to Tim our Rec Therapist, the staff who attended, and the teachers who attended.

THE GIRLS CAMPOUT WILL BE SEPTEMBER 10-12