Yesterday Erica and I spend the day at Girls Camp at Heber Valley Camp (It's actually in the mountains above Heber Valley). We got up early so we could be there at 7 AM, and we stayed 'till 7 that night.
I'll tell you that the only thing that's "camping" about it is the forest and the wildlife. The "cabins" are more like large dorm rooms that look like a cabin on the outside. Just outside of that, they have a building with a stove, showers, a fridge, and the other amenities you typically don't have while camping. And that's just for the sub-campsite. If you walk 100 yards, there's the main building, with a restaurant sized kitchen, fully supplied.
The girls have to "help" prepare a meal once in a while, which mainly consists of setting the food (that the gourmet chef in our stake has already prepared) out on the table, and sometimes (our ward did) help in preparing something for the next meal. The chef went to each ward prior to camp and had the girls select out what they wanted. Each ward got to choose at least one meal. So, while we were there, we had French Toast for breakfast, Orange Chicken for lunch, and Manicotti / other pasta for Dinner. Note that each of these meals were made pretty much from scratch, and had numerous homemade side dishes.
We went on a little hike to a "challenge course". There's lots of challenge courses, but the one we went to had a high beam (20 feet high) that people could walk across (they're in repelling gear, being supported in case they fall), then a 200 yard zipline at the other end. Surrounding that are a lot of little areas to play group cooperation games. Anyway, on the hike there, we came across a port-a-potty that one of our group needed to use. She came out and told us to come smell it. Reluctantly we did, and found that it was cinnamon scented. You couldn't really smell any foul smells. This is not camping.
For our stake's girls, it's more like visiting a luxury resort than going to camp. Wake up, shell some peas for the lunch meal, eat gourmet breakfast, go do a "challenge course", eat gourmet lunch, have some free time, eat gourmet dinner...
I'll tell you that the only thing that's "camping" about it is the forest and the wildlife. The "cabins" are more like large dorm rooms that look like a cabin on the outside. Just outside of that, they have a building with a stove, showers, a fridge, and the other amenities you typically don't have while camping. And that's just for the sub-campsite. If you walk 100 yards, there's the main building, with a restaurant sized kitchen, fully supplied.
The girls have to "help" prepare a meal once in a while, which mainly consists of setting the food (that the gourmet chef in our stake has already prepared) out on the table, and sometimes (our ward did) help in preparing something for the next meal. The chef went to each ward prior to camp and had the girls select out what they wanted. Each ward got to choose at least one meal. So, while we were there, we had French Toast for breakfast, Orange Chicken for lunch, and Manicotti / other pasta for Dinner. Note that each of these meals were made pretty much from scratch, and had numerous homemade side dishes.
We went on a little hike to a "challenge course". There's lots of challenge courses, but the one we went to had a high beam (20 feet high) that people could walk across (they're in repelling gear, being supported in case they fall), then a 200 yard zipline at the other end. Surrounding that are a lot of little areas to play group cooperation games. Anyway, on the hike there, we came across a port-a-potty that one of our group needed to use. She came out and told us to come smell it. Reluctantly we did, and found that it was cinnamon scented. You couldn't really smell any foul smells. This is not camping.
For our stake's girls, it's more like visiting a luxury resort than going to camp. Wake up, shell some peas for the lunch meal, eat gourmet breakfast, go do a "challenge course", eat gourmet lunch, have some free time, eat gourmet dinner...
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The thing that blew me over the top was when they said the ward YW Camp shirts were being washed. I said, "Where are you getting them washed?" "Oh, there's a washer and dryer in the leaders' cabin." Holy cow!!!