Yellowstone Adventures:  Twelve Campers Bravely Head West

by Scott and Emma

The campers headed west, leaving C’ville on the morning of August 8. In Denver there was a 3 hour layover so we decided to rent a van and tour Denver. We got back to the airport only to realize that the plane had been delayed another 45 minutes. We fooled around in the Denver airport for a little while and were finally allowed to board the plane which flew us from Denver to Bozeman, Montana.

We picked up the luggage and rented a Ford Excursion and a Ford Econoline 15 passenger van, and headed to the hotel (if you could call it a hotel). It supplied soap and towels, but you had to buy shampoo from the vending machine downstairs. It also had no clocks. The next morning we woke up, went out for breakfast, and started driving. We drove the majority of the day. There were many sites to see. We drove to Mammoth Hot Springs and hiked a little ways. We took in the gorgeous sites and continued driving. We then headed to West Yellowstone for lunch.

Before going back into Yellowstone we decided to drive to Idaho just to say that we went to Idaho. We then drove to Old Faithful. We arrived there just in time to see it go off. It was really cool. The water blew towards us and then it hit us in the face. The water was quite cold but tasted of sulfur. We then drove to our camp site. We set up camp and went swimming in Yellowstone Lake, which was about 40 degrees. We then went to sleep.

Little did the campers know then that the counselors woke up in the middle of the night to coyote screeches. The next morning we got up and found a BUFFALO less than 200 feet from our tents. We ate breakfast and went hiking to Riddle lake. The hike was about 1.75 miles each way. When we arrived at the lake we went swimming. Some of the campers were able to walk out 200 yards before they could not stand. We swam a little longer and then hiked back to the van.

We started driving again. This time we went to the Grand Teton National Park. We went hiking at Jenny Lake, it was about 5 miles round trip. In the middle of the hike, we went across a waterfall and down to a clear part of the lake. We were able to walk out 20 feet before the sand bar dropped off into a deep area of the lake. It was a great swimming hole. Although quite cold, we enjoyed it very much.

When we arrived at the campground that night Peggy discovered a new sign on the bathroom door that said “Beware! Mountain Lion!” It basically said to only go around in groups, and if a mountain lion attacks you, FIGHT BACK. But none of us were attacked, and we were all alive in the morning.

The next day we headed out early to Cody. It was about a 3 hour drive. When we arrived at Cody we checked into our hotel, and after lunch all of the campers went swimming in the hotel’s outdoor swimming pool, which was really fun. Then some of us went shopping in Cody. We met everyone back at the hotel, and got ready to go to the Rodeo, and the Buffalo Bill Museum. We learned the Buffalo Bill was the guy who thought of the idea of Rodeos. We saw a huge collection of guns, and some of us saw exhibits on Native Americans.

We ate dinner, then headed to the RODEO. The Rodeo was really fun. Todd even got the announcer to announce “Field Camp from Charlottesville, Virginia.” We screamed and cheered. In the Rodeo we saw steer wrestling, bronco riding, bareback riding, calf roping, and barrel racing. They also had a game for kids 12 and under, where you had to pull a bow off a calf’s tail. Beth, Emily, Ellie, Will and Cam all tried it. Will won! Cam cornered the calf, while Will pulled the bow of the tail. The Rodeo finished around 9:00, and we headed back to the hotel. We stayed up late that night.

The next day we woke up around 9:30, ate a breakfast of sandwiches, then packed all of our stuff. Before we left the hotel a lot of the campers went swimming. We swam for awhile, then left. We drove to Cody again. We were planning to look in the Sierra Outlet store, but since it was Sunday the store wasn’t open until 12:00, and it was only 11:20.

To pass the time, we played capture the flag in a huge garden area opposite the store. Peggy divided everyone up into “Bumbles” and “Bees.” I think both groups won, but I’m not sure. Anyway, it was really fun. We looked around the outlet store, then we drove to DQ for lunch.

On our way to Madison Campground, we stopped at a small town to look around. Then we stopped at a river bank. Some campers swam, and went down the rapids. Some just climbed around on the rocks. Only two counselors went in the river. We got back in the car, and started driving again. We stopped at a “scenic view” and then for a short hike to a waterfall, which was really cool. Then we drove to a shopping area, where we ate dinner and looked around.

When we finally arrived at the campsite, it was dark. We somehow got the 3 tents up, and cooked s’mores over a campfire. Todd and Mere got their guitars out, and we sung a few camp songs, talked about the trip, and went to bed.

The next morning we got up, took the tents down, ate breakfast, packed the van, and drove to a hike. The hike was only about 4 miles roundtrip. We hiked to a really cool waterfall, but it was too cold to swim. It was also raining. For lunch we roasted hotdogs over a fire, then made s’mores for desert. We played around at a riverbank after lunch, but no one swam. Cam pushed Meredith in the water, and she got soaked. We then drove to Mammoth Hot Springs again, and just looked around. We then drove to the Gran Tree Best Western Hotel, where we spent the night.

That afternoon we swam in the hotel’s indoor heated pool. After swimming we headed back to our rooms and got ready for dinner, which was at Mac Kenzie’s Pizza place, where we ate pizza and nachos. We walked around Bozeman and some counselors walked down to a University, while the others stayed behind.

The next day we woke up at 5:30 AM, and drove to Bozeman airport. We got there around 6:15, to discover our flight to Denver was delayed. Some of us saw Air Force One land in Denver about the same time we did. Once we got in the airport we discovered our flight to Washington was delayed. So we hung around Denver airport for awhile. Peggy took some campers to see if we could find Air Force One, but we didn’t have any luck. We left Emily and Michael at Denver with their parents. On the three hour flight to Dulles airport we were in a HUGE air plane with 5 seats in the middle, two on the outside. The plane also had movie screens on the back of every seat, and radios. When we arrived in Dulles we only had an hour-and-a -half-long layover. Todd and Meredith got their guitars out again, and we sang some camp songs in the airport. We also played cards, and talked about the trip.

Finally, we boarded the plane to Charlottesville. Our families were waiting at Charlottesville Airport. The trip was over. It was a great trip. We learned a lot, and had a lot of fun.

Snakes at Sugar Hollow

by Henry

Slip Slidin' Away:  Slides We've Gone on at Camp

by Drew

Last week we went on a slip and slide at Jays farm and Camp Albemarle. The places really made a difference about how fast you went and if you turned or not. Like at Jays Farm there was a little bump which turned you a little bit to the left which caused you to almost hit the fence at the end of the slip and slide. At the farm we made a little pool at the end of the slip and slide so you slid right into it when you came down.

Most of the campers who went got cuts or burns on their stomachs or legs, they hurt but it was worth it.

Another slide we went down last week was the water slide at Charlottesville’s Washington pool.

We went down the big yellow water slide and came out pretty fast. Scotty and Jay went on the slide at break time and went pretty fast. The more you weigh the faster you go. Another way to go fast is try to be as aero dynamic as possible a way you can do that is put your arms over your chest and tuck in your chin. If you do this you might flip in the slide or go farther when you come out.

Those are all the fun slides that the Field Camp went on last week.

Field Camp Flag

by Zoe

Some people at Field camp have been making patches to put on our field camp flag. They draw pictures and make a patch. They’re supposed to draw something about the things they have seen on the hikes. The patches come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. It should be done by Friday.

Why There is So Much Grass

by Dori

Back in the old days, when the earth was young, there were only a few grasses and many other big things. The big things always bullied the grass, eating it and picking it and trampling it. The grass was very nice and didn’t fight back, and soon there wasn’t any grass left except for one tiny piece. It was smart and had hidden under the other grass, but one day a deer came and decided to eat it. Thinking fast, the grass made a deal with the deer. If the deer let the grass multiply until there was nothing as great as it, the grass would let the animals bully it. The deer accepted and now there is more grass than anything else.

All About Arrowheads

by Robert

When Joey came on Tuesday, he taught us about arrowheads. He taught us how old they were, how they were made, and what they were made of. The arrowheads were between 3 thousand and 1 thousand years old. They were made out of quartz, calcedny, and flint. They were made by chipping away flakes from a core rock using a hammerstone. The flakes were pried from the core using a tooth bound to a stick.

On our hikes during the rest of the week, we found many flakes and even a spearhead. We hiked at the North Fork of Sugar Hollow. We also searched for flakes at Jay’s farm.

On Tuesday morning, we rode the bus to Graves Mill Trail along the Rapidan River, where we hiked about 2.5 miles.

On the hike, we swam in two swimming holes. We ate lunch near one of the swimming holes, and campers had fun sending various items down the waterfall. Although the water was cold, some of the hardier members of our group enjoyed it.

We also met and spoke to some forest scientists about the invasive species they were helping to eliminate. Invasive species, as we learned in Nature period, are plants or animals not native to an area, which can cause harm to other organisms already living there. Usually, these plants or animals are transported and introduced to another place by people. In this case, the scientists were injecting herbicide in small capsules into the two types of trees they were after (the Tree of Heaven and the Princess Tree, or Empress Tree). These trees’ populations were out of control and they were harming other plants.

As we hiked back, the last few minutes were walked in silence (almost!) and we were able to listen to and watch the incredible views and the tranquil sounds of the forest with appreciation.

We had companions on our hike as well; Jay’s dogs, Babette and Mick came along to eagerly sniff out the trail. I believe Babette must think she’s a counselor, because I could have sworn she was counting the campers at one point.

Our hike was tiring, yet fun, and if there is any doubt in your mind as to whether or not we sang on the bus, rest assured. Several rounds of the watermelon song and a few others were happily sung as the bus rolled down the road.

On Monday morning, the day after Carling’s birthday, there was a light rain.

We had nature with Jessica where we learned about habitats. We also played the habitat game. In art we made sculptures which we cooked and painted. In outdoors, with Todd, the shorties did charades and trivia games and the middies and the oldies did the spider web challenge. At lunch, Todd brought out a huge birthday cake for Carling. Todd and Carling ended up in a huge cake fight, with cake all over their faces and in their ears and hair. After the excitement died down, our counselors read us stories. The shorties read the Owl in the Shower. The middies read myths and the oldies read Walk Two Moons. In the afternoon we had choices. The choices were photo developing, newspaper, river with Todd, skit, relay races, and trivia.

This Tuesday, we went to Rip-Rap Run in Waynesboro. When we got out there we started a hike about one and a half miles long. When we reached our destination, there was a freezing cold swimming hole that we could swim in. We ate lunch, and then swam. On the other side of the hole there was a limestone hill covered in moss that was part of the run. We spotted 3 northern water snakes on the side of the hole, who made the decision for some about swimming! After about an hour of swimming some campers went on a hike up the trail about five minutes where they saw waterfalls that fell 10 feet into pools of water.

On the hike back to the bus, we tried the silent method for hiking. This is so you can observe everything better. Everyone cooperated and the hike was pleasant for us and the wildlife.

Last week at the camp out, the counselors challenged the campers to a game of capture the flag. The campers won four times and the counselors won once. We played the new improved game of capture the flag. Each team had two bean bags, a bandana, a wicket, and a flag. Each team had to hide the bean bags and bandana. Then the other team had to find the bean bags and the bandana and put it under the wicket. Then they could get the flag.

The counselors strategy was to get the campers in jail and guard it well. The kids didn’t have a strategy.

by Scott

As we walked back to the bus on Tuesday evening, to head over to the campsite, we waved goodbye to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. Little did we know, we weren’t going anywhere. Jay tried to start the bus, but after a few times, he decided that the engine was flooded. Everyone went over to the playground, while he continued to try and start the engine. After a while, we decided to go over to a field and play around to pass the time.

After two hours, we walked back to the bus. Jay, covered in grease, had gotten nowhere! The bus would not start. Jay got on the phone and called a taxi, a tow truck, and then reserved a van at the rental car place. Then he walked back to the bus to try to start it one more time. He started it and it worked! We called the people back and happily told them we no longer needed their services.

by Todd Barnett

Q: How do you play capture the flag?

A: We play a lot of capture the flag at Field Camp. And we have our own set of rules, which, for the most part, remain the same from week to week. First, everybody gathers in the field, whether it’s in front of Camp Albemarle, in Jay’s mom’s back yard, or at the school. Then we choose teams, perhaps based on day of birth (odd or even), place of residence (city v. county), or color of tennis shoes. Each team puts a flag on its side, and the counselors establish the boundaries. Then, the object of the game is to go to the other side, grab the flag, and return it to your own side without getting tagged. If you should get tagged, you must go to jail, at least until you are freed by someone from your own side. Those are the basic rules.

At times, we vary the rules. Lately, ever since George brought out his fancy capture-the-flag kit, we’ve been having many flags on each side. And while they were in West Virginia, the kids

there had roaming flags. The flag was a hat on Scotty’s head, and he wandered about on one side.  In the past two weeks, we have played 6 games of counselors v. campers games. The campers hold the edge on us counselors 4-2. These have been classic games, ones marked by moments of sheer triumph for many of the campers, particularly those who have either freed those in jail or those who have capture the flag.

Q: Why all the talk about possums and watermelons?

A: Years ago, when many of us worked at another camp in town, we learned a camp song from Emma Rodewald—the Watermelon Song. We’ve since learned it’s an old bluegrass song by a hardly known group called the Skillet Lickers. Emma taught us all she knew, which was the chorus and a verse.

Every once in a while, we’d go to the Blue Ridge Pig and get BBQ for lunch for the counselors only. In order to dissuade the kids from asking for it, we’d tell them it was possum. “Hey, look, I’m eating its tail,” we’d call out. That was about all it took to keep the kids at bay. We subsequently talked about possums all the time, sang songs about them, and adopted the possum as our mascot.

A: Yes. Almost everyday I thought about you all - but I was pretty busy myself.

by Taylor

On Tuesday July 3, we went to Mint Springs, a lake in Crozet. We went swimming, played volleyball, took a civics lesson, and ate lunch . At the civics lesson we learned about the government and the United States . Then we tried to answer the questions on the test for new citizens . There were 2 shelters. In one shelter there were country timers. The other shelter was ours. There was a field and a volleyball court beside the lake. When we went swimming, there were snails at bottom of the lake! After we ate lunch, some people played on a fort in front of the lake. My favorite part was the swimming and diving off the dock in the deep end .

by Emma and Emily

On Wednesday July 4th, Field Camp attended the naturalization ceremony at Monticello. Although it was very hot it was still interesting to hear the speeches and watch the man doing the sign language.

There were a lot of people being naturalized from all different countries around the world. The oath was really neat, because the words that they said were about how they were no longer part of their former country and they were now citizens of America. It was also about their new responsibilities.

Ben, Sam, and Riley (some of our campers) knew a little girl who was being naturalized. But this little girl was too young to say the oath so Ben went up on stage and said it in her place. Give a cheer for Ben! A man from China who was being naturalized made a speech. In his speech he said that it was the best day of his life. At the end, everyone stood and said the pledge of allegiance. When it was over the band played a few songs. It was an interesting and fun trip.

by Scott 

This year’s Washington D.C. trip was lots of fun. On Tuesday, the campers went to the Newseum, which shows the history of news. It had hands-on activities for all ages to see what they might look like as a live anchorman. Some of the activities allowed people to see things through the eyes of a photographer and take pictures like photographer would. After the Newseum, they went to the Lincoln Memorial, then the Korean War Memorial, and finally the Vietnam War Memorial. As we left we passed the Women’s Vietnam War Memorial. Then we headed over to the Landon High School.

After we had settled in, we changed into our swimsuits and went for a swim at the Landon pool. Then we ordered pizza for dinner and went out to a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shop for dessert. Then we came home and played a big game of sardines before going to bed. In the morning, we had to be off the campus by 8:00 a.m. sharp. That was when the other camp at Landon began.

Later that morning after eating breakfast, we went to the Capitol. There we visited the House of Representatives and the Senate. Then we headed to the Hard Rock Café for lunch. We were seated almost immediately. We ordered as soon as we were seated. The service was great at first, but then when our food came, it seemed as though it had been cooked earlier that day. It was not fresh. It was only luke-warm rather than being hot. During lunch, one of Todd’s students met us for lunch and stayed with us the rest of the day.

As we walked back to the Folk Life Festival, which we had passed on our way to lunch, we passed the FBI building. Then we went to the Folk Life Festival and spent some time there seeing the sites. Then we returned to Landon and got ready for the DC United soccer game. They were playing the New York-New Jersey Stallions. DC won 9-0! In the stadium, they had a designated area for Mexican fans. They were extremely loud and definitely loved their soccer. Every time DC scored they would start singing and beating their drums. When the game was almost over, we left to avoid traffic. We headed home and departed with our friend Will, Todd’s student that we had met a few hours earlier at the Hard Rock Café.

On Thursday before heading home, we cleaned the dorms and went to the zoo. The zoo was fun, but none of the animals were out of their cages yet. We were not permitted to see many of them as a result. Afterwards, we came home Charlottesville and met up with the rest of the camp at Jay’s farm, just in time to go swimming. It was a perfect ending to a perfect trip.

We are happy to announce that Jessica’s sister had a baby. The little girl, Tulai Raine, was born Wednesday morning at 8:54. She weighed 8 pounds and 4 oz, with dark blue eyes, and auburn hair. She has lots of hair. Her parents are excited and happy because this is their first child.

We were sad to hear that the Todd’s wife’s horse named Rhino died Saturday of colic. Colic is a disease where a horses gut is twisted. Rhino was a tall, bay, retired horse with no markings.

Q: What made you want to be a camp counselor here at field camp?

A: “I choose to work here because I like to hike and be outside.”

Q: What did you expect to learn or gain here?

A: “I am hoping to be more outgoing and enthusiastic. I also want to learn things from different kids.

Q: So far, do you think you will be coming back here next summer?

A: “I am not yet sure weather I am going to return, although I am having lots of fun!

Q: So I hear you are attending UVA? What are you studying and why?

A:“I am studying to become a teacher. I am planning to be a teacher in an elementary school because I enjoy being around children.”

Q: What made you want to be a camp counselor here at Field Camp?

A: “I chose to work here because I enjoy being outside and sharing my favorite places with new friends.”

Q: What do you expect to learn or gain from your summer here at Field Camp?

A: “I expect to gain the knowledge of what kids enjoy for trips and help plan big trips. I also would like to learn what other people enjoy in their spare time outside.

Q: So far, do you think you will be coming back next summer?

A: I hope that I will be coming back, but right now I am undecided.

Q: What is one special characteristic/trait about yourself?

A: “ I like running.”

Q: What is one thing that you like about kids and or being a counselor?

A: “Being around all the kids makes me feel like one again.”

I nteresting

E xciting

L earning

D ependable