2011 Summer Camp - Muskingum

I gave my camera to some of the boys to get some shots that perhaps I would not be able to get.  Most I had to ditch because ... well ... they are not in the best of taste.  However, here are some of their better shots.

Here I am with Nate Hartung, one of the leaders from Butler, waiting in the chow line.

Dan Merrill, Kyle Carter and Patrick Hughes, semi working on merit badges.

Okay, give me my camera back.  I have had enough of this.

One of the boys lost Tyler's dragon fly lure so I tied him a new one.

This is Caleb trying to catch a few.  Alex caught the most for the week getting 78 fish.  Everything is catch and release in the lake at camp.

As part of the week the boys did a service project for the camp.  Here the older youth are digging a ditch to prevent the road from eroding further.

Lake Games are always fun at the end of the week.  Here they have to either jump or duck.

Alex is trying to throw something wet into another row boat.

Renting the Golf Cart was the best idea ever - now if only I could get the youth out of the cart.

2011 Tennesee Trip - Friday

Friday we had big plans.  We were going to hike to Mount LeCont, an 11 mile round trip hike.  The youth, however, talked us into cutting the day short so they could go on the water slide and go swimming back at camp.  We caved to pressure and they only hiked to Alum Cave, about halfway up the mountain.  The scenery was spectacular as usual.

The first mile or so you are hiking near this stream coming down out of the mountains.

This is either Rhoda Dendren or Mountain Laurel.  The blossoms were pretty.

The trail offered many vistas as we neared Alum Cave.

There were many views from the trail - too many to post here.

This is Alum Cave.  Not really a cave, but an overhang.

The are is very steep.  LR: Zach, Anthony, Justin, Tyler, Quintin, Brett, Connor, Bryan.

Once you find a flat spot you can relax a little more.

You can even act goofy on the flat areas.

 

Some of the trail is tricky with stair cut into the rock.

Back at camp, the pool was a popular activity.  The boys swam almost every night.  The young girls who were also in the campground with their families had to check out the guys - and being guys, they completely ignored the girls.

The water slide brought smiles to their faces.

I had to sneak in some fly fishing.  Tyler and Connor came along.

This is the Little Pigeon Creek, coming out of the Greenbriar area of the park, a little west of Gatlinburg.

Tyler and Connor were working an area below some rapids.

Fish weren't the only thing in the creek that day.

All and all it was a very good week.

For Quint, this is his final trip as a youth - maybe in the future we will use him as a leader.  Thanks for the memories Quintin.

2011 Smokies Trip - Thursday

Thursday was our rest day - to a certain extent.  We got up late and went rafting.  Later on we went to Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg.

Justin, Quintin and Tyler visit prior to the rafting trip.  I think they were trying to scare Justin.

Here is boat 1: Steve, Quint (looking scared), Kerry, Tyler, Connor, and Justin.

Justin! are you worried?  Close your mouth.

I think Justin was screaming the whole time.

This is boat 2 - Brett looks happy for now.

L-R: Zach, Bryan, Brett, Dan, Anthony and me.  Maybe Brett's happiness is fading away.

Brett is not so happy here.  Why the eyes shut?

Again the crew in the Aquarium.

Front: Anthony, Justin, Zach

Back: Bryan, Tyler, Quint, Brett, Connor

In the aquarium there were lots of things to see and do.  Quint - pull up your pants.

There were a lot of weird exhibits that you could crawl inside of.  Here Connor is in the midst of one.

Tyler and Quintin squeezed into the penguin exhibit to get a close up view.

I had to get into the act also.

The tanks were colossal with large sharks swimming by all the time.

Steve and his son Justin pose for a moment.

I got Tyler and his father Kerry to pose also.  I cannot thank enough the fathers for their help on the trip.  They had fun too.  Both said they would return with their families.