Camp Ritchie ~ Monday!

 

Feeling like dreams do come true sometimes! Being invited back up to Camp Ritchie - where I've been camping with the LDS Woodland Stake since 1994 (?!) has definitely been a dream come true this summer. Thank goodness for my rappelling skills because I no doubt got invited back because of that.

Back in my happy place! 

Met up with friends to drive up to camp at 6am on Monday!  Yawn. Made it up safely though and it was a fun ride minus a little car sickness because I wasn't riding in the front of the car until towards the end of the trip. It's all good. Didn't get drastic and I did have car sickness as a kid so...some things just never leave I guess!

Looking out from above the area where the evening campfires happen. While there is not always necessarily a camp fire, there are camp songs, skits, speakers, awards and other shenanigans.

Looking up at the bathrooms. There are toilets, sinks and showers on each side. So grateful this is up at camp as an option because I've been to other camps where it is not quite as nice as this!

Time to take inventory! Rappelling staff counted harnesses, ATC's, lobsters (those red ropes in the middle), gloves, helmets and other equipment.

   

Some training and going over our belaying skills

Feeling excited!

So grateful for the shade covers that have been installed. They didnt have this when I was a youth at camp and it would get so very hot just sitting in the sun!

We didn't have to worry about sun for long though...we ended up getting rain poured on us for a moment! This wasn't in the weather forecast and was totally unexpected. Luckily we had finished up inventory so everything was put away. However, we were all geared up to go out on the rock to do some rescue training and well, the rocks got too slippery after the downpour so we had to do the training after dinner instead, which was actually really nice even though it meant we missed the star gaze.

Tshirts and lanyards laid out by cabin/level for the girls when they come in to camp. Quick stop at the nurses cabin for a temperature check and to grab their swag.

The theme of camp this year (Ye Are the Light of the World) and the sub theme was Shine Bright. At least, I am pretty sure that's how it works. The pic on the right was a candy jar to guess how many, signups for Duck Club (early morning swim) and early morning rappelling and rock climbing, buckets for camp news and other fun activities that happened at the campfire each evening. 

Some orientation for the girls when they got in to camp and after putting their luggage in their assigned cabin. Instruction from Heather, the camp president, Marchane, the head cook and Jill, Chris & Jeannie - in charge of capers! (camp chores). 

A few fun pics to document Millie who helped us push the canopies borrowed for camp underneath this trailer so they didnt get soaked by the rain. She wasn't afraid to get down and dirty!

Dinner is served! First night at camp and we got pasta with red sauce, french bread and salad. Lemonade for the drink and dirt cups for dessert. Mmm!

I didn't take any pictures really in the evening for the rock rescue training. I opted to stay at the top and refresh my skills there while Camille and a couple of the other adults went down to practice along with water staff because it required them as well. I do love love the star gaze that happens at camp each year and I'm super glad they didnt cancel it this year because of the shortened week with the girls, but by the time we finished with the rappelling and putting our gear away and using the bathroom and grabbing a blanket, etc to hike out to flat rock, it was dark. And there was only about 10 min left. So instead, a few of us went up by the cabin where some of rappelling staff was staying and did some star gazing of our own while Millie's phone played some nice music.

Great way to end the first day at Camp Ritchie!