Sherwood boys waking up from camping on Ranch Hill
Session 2 of Camp Westwind has been full of exuberance and new experiences, and a highlight for many is the overnight camp out on Westwind’s 529 acre property.
Sherwood went to a spot called “Ranch Hill.” Near the estuary and up a forested ancient sand dune, Ranch Hill is right at the top of the hill and covered by a luscious green canopy. On their overnight, Sherwooders had a talent show where lots of the campers sang Adele songs. They also found old elk bones and had a nice value session about the meaning of friendship.
Highlands went to the “Fire Break,” an open swath in the dune forest and tucked away near a cove in the estuary. They hiked to it through soft sand when the tide was low and played beach games all night. There was kite flying, sandcastle building and a game of silent football. One of the Unit Assistants, Bagel, lost the game and had to dunk his head in the estuary and munch on a stick throughout the night. Later that night they also had a talent show where a lot of campers sang personal songs that they came up with right on the spot.
Alpine went to a spot called “Fern Gully.” This spot is just off the High Meadow trail (about a half mile outside of main camp past the Highland unit). It’s a bowl-shaped valley that’s blanketed by – you guessed it – ferns, and is nestled high above Crescent Cove. On their overnight the unit hiked to High Meadow and watched the sunset over the ocean. A wild game of ‘predator-prey’ followed.
Teens were on the second leg of their two-day overnight. Teen Adventure stayed at a spot called “Eagle’s Roost,” and it’s a good hike out of camp to a spot on a steep hill overlooking Lost Lake and where an old homesteader lived over a hundred years ago (there are still ruins of the cabin foundation). These teens learned the essential skills needed to survive a night out in the woods, like how to tie knots, build a shelter, and how to build different fires for different climates. They then played games and had a value session about life.
Ladybird cooling marshmallows during Sherwood overnight
Teen Leads camped at “Neverland” the second night. This camp spot was far from camp, and is accessed by an elk trail. During their time, teens planned the campfire for the end of the week and had solos. Solos are an hour where teens are sent off on their own (in sight/earshot of counselors) where they’re asked to reflect on anything they want. Later on they learned about different types of leadership and they mapped out everyone’s different leadership skills. They then had a value session about the life ahead of them.
The rest of the week has been a blast as well, with a beach party, capture the flag, endless rounds of elimination, field games, and an epic dance party. The week finished with a Superheroes-themed All Camp where the campers have to figure out how to defeat the camp villain, the ‘Blob.’