Keeping It Campy

Summer Wrap Up!

2010-08-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's been an amazing summer up here at camp. New activities were created and new opportunities for kids to succeeds were made. New friendships were formed while old ones reunited. Our counselors have gone above and beyond to make sure this summer was one your camper will always remember!

We had over 1700 kids come through this summer and our goal was that each camper felt like each session was designed and aimed at pleasing them. The energy remained high; meal times were booming with yells, cheers and dancing. Evening Program brought tears from laughter and the games and challenges always tired the kids out before bed.

We had so many campers reach their summer goals for our daily activities. We caught the most fish ever in a summer, had new masters of archery, masters of the ropes course elements and trained sailors, wakeboarders and skiers in each session. Each session added more character to camp and each camper made it a more unique and special experience for us all.

We are positive your campers have glorious stories and tales to share and are just as eager as we are for the next session to commence. Thank you for following and until next summer, keep it campy!

Session 7 Wrap Up

2010-08-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! It's been another fabulous week and a great way to close out the summer. Olympiad Night was a huge success as age groups raced and competed around camp. Golden pine cones were distributed at breakfast to start the last day of camp off with a bolt! We continued the day with free choice morning and age group activities!

Tonight will be our closing and final campfire! Filled with camp's favorite songs, skits and farewells, this will be one to remember. Afterward the counselors will do one last special treat for the campers. Each cabin will select a tune from the songbook and the counselors will serenade them before they drift off into their last Mountain Camp slumber. Of course they'll all be looking forward to the pancake breakfast before heading down the mountain!

Session 7 was a great send to this wonderful, exciting summer. We're looking forward to seeing all our campers next year!

Below is a photo from our Olympiad Night!

Session 7 Update!

2010-08-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings from another beautiful day on the mountain! It's already been a great session filled with hilarious skits, new Evening Programs, kids succeeding in their activities and weather we have simply dreamed about all summer.

Today was our final Free Choice Day of this summer and we went out with a bang. New activities were invented and classic ones returned. Kids did everything from chalking the basketball court in the morning in 'Camp Graffiti", water aerobics at Old Beach, scootered down on the Ridge Run, paddled to cliffjumping, made a band and performed at Rock Band and even made ice cream at a special Science and Discovery lesson!

Tonight is Mountain Camp's traditional Song/Skit/Talent Night! Each cabin will make a debut to our amphitheater and shine with their talent. With this creative and outgoing group, we are sure to see many Mountain Camp Idols!

Tomorrow will be start another round of 2 day sign ups for age group activities. Of course we will kick the morning off with Free Choice just in case there were any activities kids missed today. Tomorrow's evening program will be a patriotic and thrilling Olympiad Night! Each cabin will create a team name, uniform, flag and cheer as they tackle challenges placed throughout camp. Age groups will compete in things such as human knot contest, archery, basketball and bean bag toss, word puzzles and more as they hope to earn a golden pine cone!

Stay tuned for results and more updates on this dreamteam Session 7

Below is a photo from our Free Choice Lady Bikes trip!

Session 7 Start Up!

2010-08-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! As we head into our last session of the summer, we are full of countless opportunities to make Session 7 one of the best. The weather is back to constant sunshine and fulfilling August heat. With a little over 180 kids, we are a smaller community just booming with energy.

Camp kicked off yesterday with Opening Campfire and a remix song, "I Know A Camp" so that the rules and camper expectations were spelt out in a creative and entertaining way. Next campers got a preview of all the adventures and activities coming their way this week. After our traditional Sunday night dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread and delicious brownies, campfire continued with skits, songs and a trip to the lake! Cabins did post evening program games/activities to get to know each other better before settling in for their first night here at camp.

Today we started off with free choice where campers have a wide range to start off their morning. Ninja training, outdoor cooking, radio and tubing are just a few of these special free choices. By 10:30, our first day of age group activities started with the Blazers at the lake, Trackers at the lodge and Alpiners exploring the outdoors. Campers will stay in their desired choice for 2 days as they challenge and excel in their activity.

Tonight's evening program will be the hit "Let's Make A Deal" night! Campers and counselors will dress up in as many accessories as possible before heading to campfire. Categories will be called onto stage and the chosen campers will have unusual yet hilarious trivia questions to answer. For example, all campers who wear a toothbrush in their hair will have the chance to get on stage for a turn at the trivia!

Tomorrow will continue with free choice morning and age group activity rotations. Evening Program will be the always loved Beach Party! Camp will set up at the waterfront in a carnival like scene. Whether it's facepainting, canoe rides, cake walks, human slot machines or water balloon tosses, campers will be raving about their time at Beach Night!

It's going to be an amazing week up here at camp and we look forward to all the updates and exciting tales!

Below is a photo from our welcome line yesterday during check in!

Session 6 Kick Off!

2010-08-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! Session 6 is already starting off with a boom and filled with energetic, fun loving kids just waiting to take advantage of all we have to offer here at camp. We began last night with opening campfire that included not only rules and how camp runs but a sneak peek at all the activities available for this upcoming week! As it graciously set into dusk, we headed to the waterfront for skits, songs and a golden, blazing fire to kick off this session.

Today was the first day of sign ups. We began with our always loved Free Choice activities that includes everything from mountain scooters, ninja training, outdoor cooking and of course tubing. Afterward our outdoor, lodge and waterfront rotations began where kids were able to sign up for a variety of either 45 minute or 1hr 1/2 activities that they'd choose for 2 days.

Tonight's Evening Program will be based off the hit TV show "Minute To Win It!" Each cabin will select one representative to face an outrageous yet hilarious challenge on stage. The challenges range from anything like Oreo stacking to pulling tissues out of a box or even moving cotton balls into bowls by just using your nose that is dipped in Vaseline! The camper will have just one minute to complete the challenge and the crowd is guaranteed to be laughing and cheering along!

Tomorrow will be the 2nd day of activities as campers get more involved with their chosen activity. Our Evening Program will take us to the waterfront for Beach Party! Campers will visit stations set up like a carnival where games and excitement are all around. They can take boat trips, canoe trips, play human slot machines, dizzy bat races, get their face painted and more!

It's just the beginning but we are already loving this session! With nearly all cabins full and the meals just blaring with camp songs and laughter, we're sure this will be a session to remember!

Below is a shot from yesterday and the welcoming line to camp!

Session 5 Wrap Up!

2010-08-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's been an amazing Session 5 filled with new friends, memories and experiences! It's hard to believe these 2 weeks have already flown and we are saying goodbye. Yesterday we wrapped up activities and had an awesome game of Predator. Our youngest Blazer girl cabin, Olympus, ended up winning with the most finds- they were clever enough to search high in the trees for those sneaky counselors blending in with their surroundings!

Today was the always loved Free Choice Day. We had 4 periods of everything from ropes to sandcastle building to a pirate brigade in the afternoon on kayaks! Tonight we will kick off closing campfire with a special dinner of personal pizza and ice cream sandwiches, a camp tradition always looked forward to. Then actual campfire will be all the skits and songs that campers have requested. For the past 2 days, campers have had the opportunity to put requests in the "You Pick It Box" so that any final desires are met here at campfire. We will head to the beach for final reflections, watch the fun-filled slide show and before campers head off to sleep, each cabin will be serenaded by counselors with a song a their choice!

This session was filled with such a variety of kids and energy that there simply was never a dull moment. After having the first week be our biggest session yet, it was nice to have a more connected group for this last week. We've had blends of cultures and were able to learn more about our cabin mates from all over the globe. As our last designated 2 week session of this summer, we sure went out with a bang and a superb group of kids! We're sure you'll be able to tell the joy and fun they had when you see their shining smiles tomorrow!

Session 5 Update!

2010-08-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

It has been another magnificent couple of days up at camp. The weather has been predictably perfect and the energy is surprisingly running high. Adventure Day was a complete success along with Sweet 16 and today being another full day of activities. Tonight we will break up into age groups as the Alpiners have Trivia night, Tracker Dance, Blazer girl overnight and Blazer Boy "Men's Night Out".

Tomorrow will be the last day of daily activities as we close out this session! Evening Program will be Predator Night- selected counselors will hide throughout camp as cabins race to see who can find each hidden individual. Some counselors will even squeeze into lockers or trash bins- anything to last the longest in the game!

This session we've had many campers fly in from all around the world! Something special at Mountain Camp is the great diversity that exists in both our campers and staff. We have kids from France, Venezuela and China who have made the long flight and fully launched themselves into our American camp life!

Our Big Sis/Lil Sis and Big Bro/Lil Bro program has been another huge success this session. Our youngest girl and boy cabins pair up with the oldest girl and boy cabins to be their siblings. We simply have them start with hot chocolate and games in the lodge and these kids have taken it upon themselves to do activities together and get to kids from other age groups. The girls will have a sleepover tomorrow night out on Miwok (the oldest Alpiners) deck and get one last chance to hang out with their big sisters!

Below is a photo from the CIT campfire. We've been so fortunate to have this amazing, huge group of 24 CITS!

Session 5: Week 2

2010-08-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! As the weather has so graciously cooled off, we've been enjoying ourselves in this cool summer breeze. The past two days have been the first half of 4 day sign ups. With a smaller session, kids were able to get their first choice and have nearly all activities during free choice without lines!

Tonight's evening program, Olympiad Night, will be put on by our CITs (counselors in training). Each cabin will compete in games and relays staged throughout main camp. Decked out in a team uniform and waving a creatively designed flag, the teams will strive for a golden pine cone given to each winning cabin!

Tomorrow will start off with another deeply longed for sleep in! Free choice will start at 10am for 2 hours of anything from dodgeball to knitting to tubing! After rest time, each camper will go to his or her chosen activity for Adventure Day! Kids have the opportunity to pick between a variety of afternoon options including sailing, fishing, wakeboarding, skiing, knee boarding or even a spa/arts and crafts trip to Strawberry Point. The afternoon will allow extended time to try out a new activity or spend the day doing something they already love.

Tomorrow's evening program will be Sweet 16! What starts off as a MTV sponsored event with a diva bday girl, VIP friend, parents, jewel maker and even car dealer turns into a night of mystery and clue! When the birthday girl goes missing, campers will have to search high and low for who took her and how they did it!

Below is a picture from the Water Carnival!

Session 5: End of Week 1

2010-07-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! It was a fun-filled and adventure packed week here at camp. We can't believe the first round is already over and we are heading into week 2.

Evening programs were exciting and booming with energy which was always a great way to end the day. Last night was Create-a-Creature Night where each cabin assembled a creative art project to be entered in the Mountain Camp Hall of Fame. Tomorrow during lunch each cabin will go around the basketball court voting on other creatures. Winners of most creative, most crazy, most inventive and more will be announced at dinner!

Today was the wild and fun Water Carnival! First we started off with a late sleep in- much needed and much appreciated! After breakfast, we had nearly 100 campers leave as they were just attending for session 5A. The rest of the kids had a free choice morning and got settled in to a much small community that now exists. After lunch, we broke into color teams of Verde, Rojo and Azul and began the Water Carnival! Decked out in paint and spirit, the teams gathered at the waterfront for various competitions. There was the usual greasy watermelon relay, canoe race, aqua launch, swamp ball and more. This session we added a canoe sink that got every splashing and cheering while staying cool in the summer sun. The competition was fierce and every team did a wonderful job of not only cheering on their own teammates but making sure everyone was pumped up. In the closest Water Carnival scores we've ever had, Verde came out on top followed by Azul and last but definitely not least was Rojo!

Tonight will be a split evening program with Blazer game night, Tracker trivia and Alpiner movie night. The fun never stops and the energy will remain high as we break off with our age groups.

Tomorrow starts a 4 day sign up for activities. Campers will choose activities that they want to grow and develop in as they have more time to master each skill. In ropes course, the lobster claws will be open and many other activities will offer specific choices for just 4 day sign ups. We're looking forward to seeing new masters of the elements, archery and more as camper challenge themselves!

Tomorrow's evening program will again be split into different age groups as the Tracker boys head off on their overnight, Tracker girls will have girls game night, Blazer's will head to the waterfront for Capture the Flag and Alpiners will head to their highly anticipated dance!

We can't wait for this second week to get started! As we head into August, we are booming with new opportunity to make sure camp is something your camper will never forget!

(Below is a photo from the waterfront! More to come!)

Session 5 Kick Off!

2010-07-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! We are so excited and ready for another wonderful two weeks! Session 5 happens to be our biggest group in history so we are filled with energy and ready to get started.

Camp officially kicked off Sunday night with opening campfire! As kids learned the rules and logistics of camp, they also got an overview of all the activities just waiting to get started. Monday morning campers were early risers as they were eager to start with free choice. Free choice is every morning and offers unique activities that include all age groups. Whether it's ninja training, outdoor cooking or radio, campers have a wide range to choose from. Age group activities had their first round of 2 day sign ups as campers rushed to find their first choice. We have nearly 8-9 different choices in each rotation at the outdoors, lodge and of course waterfront.

Monday night's evening program was the always enjoyable "Minute To Win It!" Each cabin elects one member to represent their team as they compete in odd, sometimes nearly impossible events. Challenges include moving an Oreo from your forehead to your mouth using only face muscles, moving cotton balls with your nose and Vaseline or keeping a balloon afloat with just a spray bottle. Cheers and laughter filled the campfire as we settled in for our second night.

Today was round two of activities where campers were able to get more involved in their choices. Some campers mastered the lower elements at ropes course while others completed a routine created in dance. Tonight's evening program will take us jiving back into the 50's at Sock Hop! Campers will cruise around stations that offer dance lessons, relays and even a milkshake stand! We're looking forward to the slicked back hair, poodle skirts and white tees that will take over camp's image!

Tomorrow will be the always beloved Free Choice Day! All day long campers have the opportunity to try a new activity and some that are only offered on this particular day. Campers can choose to swim to Strawberry Point, build rafts and float around the lake, experience the Ridge Run or even make ice cream as the temperatures rise in the afternoon. We have over 50 activities to choose from so we're sure there won't be a moment without an exciting adventure!

Tomorrow night the Alpiner girls will venture on the first overnight of this session. After dinner, all Alpiner girl cabins will kayak across the lake and have an evening of rock jumping, swimming, smores and sleeping out under the glorious stars. Meanwhile, the rest of camp will hang out at the waterfront for Beach Night! With face painting, canoe rides, dizzy bat and more, this evening program is always looked forward to!

It's only the beginning but this session is kicking off strong! We can't wait to share the exciting stories that await!

Session 4 Final Notes

2010-07-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

As session 4 comes to a close, we are wondering how time went by so fast! It's been a wonderful 2 weeks filled with outstanding activities, outrageously entertaining evening programs and a hilarious, outgoing, fun group of kids!

Today wrapped up our final set of activities as we enjoyed the California sunshine. Tonight we will enjoy our last full evening program of Olympiad Night! Each cabin will create a team, uniform, flag and cheer as they rotate throughout stations set up on camp. We will have the human knot, pictionary, archery, potato sack races and more before heading to campfire.

Tomorrow is the as always highly anticipated Free Choice Day! Whether it's spa, geocatching or cliffjumping, kids will have endless options for their last day at camp. Tomorrow night will be closing campfire where we do some of our favorite skits, head to the waterfront for camp reflection and watch the slideshow! Before bedtime, counselors will serenade the cabins with a song of their choice before tucking into their sleeping bags.

One special thing we started this session was a Big/Lil Sister program. The oldest Alpiner girl cabin, Miwok, and youngest, Olympus, drew names out of a hat to pick their sisters and spent post evening program getting to know one another. Throughout the week, the sisters met whether it be a meal or hangtime and made friends with girls they typically wouldn't have activity periods with. Tonight, as a special treat, they will have a sleep out on the Miwok deck!

Other special treats throughout this session have been Polar Bear Swim and Mountaineers!

It's been an awesome session and we know your kids will come home with fond memories and exciting tales from their stay at Mountain Camp!

Session 4: Week 2 Continued

2010-07-20T17:33:00.001-07:00

It was another beautiful day here at Mountain Camp. We had our Adventure Day where campers were given multiple opportunities to do a wide range of activities. First we had a late sleep in which was deeply appreciated by all. 2 hours of free choice led many kids to the waterfront while others stayed on main camp for biking, arts and crafts and a special creative writing lesson. Below you can read a poem from one of the campers!

Adventure Day officially started after lunch. Campers signed up for their preferred activity that would last 3 hours in the afternoon. Some highlights were a large group of sailors heading around the lake, bikers going nearly 6 miles in total and a fishing trip bringing back 2 trout! The sun was graciously shining and Adventure Day was a for sure hit!

Tonight our Blazer boys will continue the fun at their overnight, the Blazer girls will have a special girl's night out, Trackers will head to the waterfront for capture the flag and the Alpiners will get groovy at the dance!

Tomorrow will kick off our 3rd activity day and we will have our Sweet 16 evening program. What first seems like a MTV Sweet 16 episode will turn into Clue Night where the birthday princess has gone missing and campers must trek through camp to find out who did it. Mystery and excitement will be flowing throughout the atmosphere!

(Here is the Creative Writing tribute by a Blazer)

Mountain Camp is oh so cool!
It's so nice to take a break from school.
Everyday tubing with friends
the joyful fun never ends.
The playful songs that we all head
set us in a scream and a cheer!
We all gather around the fire
we dream of tomorrow in our tire
To wake to a new day of adventures
This is our Mountain Camp!

Session 4: Week 2

2010-07-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

It's the start of another fabulous week here at camp. Yesterday the water carnival was a huge success. Azul came out on top but rojo and verde didn't go down without a fight. After a long day in the sun, campers were eagerly awaiting our split Evening Program. Alpiners relaxed at Kimball Field while watching Up!, Trackers didn't miss a beat at their dance and the Blazers had an intense game night at Arts & Crafts.

Today was the first day of our second round of sign ups. Campers will learn and challenge themselves in these activities for the next 4 days. As temperatures began to rise, we're sure most campers were looking forward to their waterfront period!

Tonight is the highly anticipated Song & Skit talent show that was briefly mentioned before. Now that cabins are closer and have had plenty of time to rehearse, we're positive the kids will shine on stage.

Tomorrow will be day 2 of activities as kids continue to excel in their choices. At night, our Counselors In Training (CITs) will take over Evening Program! First we will play Predator or Hide-and-Go-CIT Night- the CITs will hide throughout camp whether it's in trash bins or under cabins and the rest of camp will search! Afterwards the CITs will hit the stage to perform and entertain. We're looking forward to all that they have to bring and for another amazing day here at camp!

(Below is a shot from the water carnival- Team Rojo was heading out for the Peace Canoe Race!)

Session 4: Week 1 Wrap Up

2010-07-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon from Mountain Camp! As we finish up this first week of activities, we are filled with new memories, friends and confidence. Kids finished their 4th day of signups and tackled their fears and goals in popular activities. Whether it was sailing by themselves or rounding the entire ropes course, our kids were excelling in every way!

Last night's evening program had a split night rather than Song & Skit. The Blazers took over the lodge for their dance, Tracker boys ventured on the overnight while the Tracker girls had spa night and watched a movie on Kimball Field. The Alpiners were challenged in trivia night where they racked their brains to answer anything from song lyrics to high school biology. Although the groups were separated, everyone had an awesome night!

Tonight will be "Create A Creature Night." Each cabin will work together to build some type of object or person to place in our Mountain Camp Show Case. Tomorrow during lunch each cabin will rotate voting on creatures and highlighting everything from most creative to best use of materials. With these kids creative minds, anything is possible!

Tomorrow will be our Fun Fluvial Fiesta! The morning will start with a late sleep in, highly enjoyed by the entire camp community, and 2 hours of free choice. After lunch, cabins will break into 3 teams: azul, verde and rojo. Teams will deck themselves out in gear and paint before heading to the waterfront for our fiesta! Competitions such as greasy watermelon race, swamp ball and aqua launching are just some of the anticipated highlights. With fun in the sun, this fiesta will be hopping all afternoon!

Below: A great moment from Jurassic Park Beach Night!

Session 4: Week 1

2010-07-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the camp on a mountain! The week is speeding on but already we are filled with great memories and laughing tales. Tuesday wrapped up another day of activities and the Sock Hop evening program was a complete hit. Slicked back hair, dark shades, white tees and peddle pushers were just some of the nifty costumes created by both staff and campers. Throughout the night, we learned a 50's jive, attended "Nick's Malt Parlor" for delicious milkshakes and relayed raced to classic records. Campfire was rocking around the clock with hits, sing-a-longs and of course Grease! Check out our photo below!

Today was our first full Free Choice Day. With 4 periods to try a range of activities, no camper was left without a smile. The morning highlights of geocatching, olympic archery and lady bikes started the day off right. By the afternoon, most campers found themselves at the lake soaking in the golden summer rays or making ice cream in science and discovery.

Tonight the Alpiner girls will venture on their overnight. After dinner, each Alpiner girl cabin will kayak down the lake, have the option to cliffjump, roast marshmellows and play games around their own campfire before resting under the breathtaking stars. They will return bright and early for breakfast and ready for another day of fun filled activities.

The rest of camp will be going back in time to Jurassic Park Beach Party Night. Canoe rides, slot machines, face painting and more will be safari and dinosaur themed as we dance to the hit movie song and spend the evening at the waterfront.

Tomorrow will be the third day of activity signups and our evening program will give our campers a chance to shine at our Skit and Song Night. Each cabin will create some type of hilarious act that will turn Mountain Camp into a talent booming zone! We're looking forward to seeing everyone on stage and letting the campers take over for evening program!

Session 4 Kick Off

2010-07-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! Yesterday kicked off the beginning of Session 4 and another round of ecstatic campers. With 155 kids, cabins are smaller and given more one on one time with not only their new friends but their counselors. The night started off with our weekly spaghetti dinner and opening program that gave the campers a taste of our wild and fun evenings. The Blazer cabins created roll calls that showed the rest of camp how creative and outgoing they are.

Today were the first day of activity signups. Campers signed on for a 4 day schedule so that they can excel in their desired activity. Popular spots such as ropes and sailing had many kids eager to try the new sport and ready for the 4 day challenge. Tonight's evening program will be "Minute To Win It", based off the NBC hit show. One member from each cabin will perform on stage a crazy yet possible task in under a minute. Whether it's moving an oreo from your forehead to mouth with only face muscles or keeping a balloon afloat in the air with a spray bottle, we are in for a night of impressive entertainment!

Tomorrow will continue with daily sign ups as campers take advantage of these amazing adventures. Evening program will take us bopping back to the 50's for Sock Hop Night. Counselors and campers can slick their hair, create poodles in arts and crafts for dresses and dance across black and white squares as we take camp back in time!

The weather has been perfect and the lake has never been more refreshing. It's only just begun but we know this session will filled with endless fun and enthusiasm!

Session 3: Week 2 Continued

2010-07-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Camp continues to shine as we head into this fun-packed week! After our first two days of sign ups, campers are already progressing in activities and attempting new challenges. With this smaller group, kids are getting more one on one time and exceeding their goals faster than imagined. During Alpiner Outdoors at the Ropes Course, we had a camper nearly break the record for staking milk crates. While fully harnessed, the object is to stack as many crates as possible while still balancing them on the ground. The current camper record is 19 but our Alpiner came extremely close with 18!

Tonight's Evening Program will be put on by our session 3 CITs (Counselors in training). Hide-And-Go-CIT night will give each cabin the chance to find the CITs as they are secretly hiding throughout main camp. The songs and skits will also be put on the CITs to give them an opportunity to shine on stage! Our Blazer Girls will be having their own adventure tonight as they kayak across the lake for their overnight!

Tomorrow will be our first Adventure Day of 2010. We'll have a late breakfast and a morning of Free Choice. After lunch, campers will join in an all afternoon action packed adventure of their choice. Activities range from sailing to cliffjumping to extreme bike rides. Evening Program will give the Tracker boys a chance for their overnight while Tracker girls have a slumber party, Blazers have trivia night and Alpiners get their groove on at the dance!

Things are heating up around camp- whether it's the perfect summer temperatures or the sizzling evening programs, we're all happily enjoying this second week!

Session 3: Week 2

2010-07-03T17:01:00.002-07:00

Our second week of Session 3 is in full swing. With nearly 100 campers leaving this morning, Session 3B is a smaller crowd but is still booming with energy. This morning started off with Free Choice activities such as spa, tubing and our weekly Ridge Run. By noon, the camp was set up in full celebration mode as we started off our Fluvial Fun Fiesta, formerly the Water Carnival.

The camp broke into 3 teams: Verde, Rojo and Azul. Campers and counselors painted their entire bodies and decked themselves out in team spirit before heading to the waterfront for the afternoon. The event was filled with greasy watermelon races, peace canoe races, aqua launches, sand castle building, synchronized swimming, a team rap and of course chips and salsa. With sombreros and team pride taking over the beach, it was a close match between all contestants. The Red team took first after a soaring high win for aqua launching while Blue and Green followed close behind in total points. This wild and fun day is no where near ending. Tonight we have the Blazer dance, Tracker trivia and the Alpiners will sit back and relax with popcorn at Alpiner Cinema.

Tomorrow will start our first round of 4 day sign ups. Campers will have the opportunity of more extensive training on some of our most popular activities. Specifically designed for 2 week sessions, this gives our campers a chance to use the Lobster Claws at the Ropes Course or even learn to sail by themselves at the lake. Our Evening Program for tomorrow will be the first ever National Lampoon American Staycation. As mentioned before, our staff is from all over the world and now our campers will have the opportunity to dip their toes in these fabulous cultures whether it's deep in the south of Georgia or in the land down under Australia!

Session 3: Week 1 Continued

2010-07-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings again Mountain Camp! As we enter into July, camp is booming with energy and excitement. Free Choice Day was, as always, a hit. Between tie-dye, ninja training and character drawing, there was not a dull moment. By the afternoon, most campers found themselves at the waterfront wakeboarding, tubing, sailing and soaking in the sun.

The night was filled with creativity and endless humor as each cabin performed a song or skit for Evening Program. Olympus, our youngest Blazer girl cabin, sung "Old Don Whipple Had a Camp" to the tune of Old MacDonald as laughter swarmed throughout the crowd. Tracker boys perfectly mocked fellow counselors in "If I Weren't A Counselor" and a group of Alpiner girls voluntarily covered themselves in whipped cream while pretending to be a beauty saloon. Needless to say, the night was nonstop entertainment.

The Alpiner boy cabins went on the first overnight of 2010. Kayaking across the lake they roasted marshmellows, jumped off rocks and had a real outdoors experience as they slept under the stars. When they returned in the morning, our Session 3 Polar Bear swim was in full motion. 35 polar bear campers swam to the dock and back to get not only hot chocolate back at the lodge but a piece of the action in this amazing camp tradition.

Thursday brought a new chance for activity sign ups and the day is no where near over. After dinner, the Alpiner girls will venture on their overnight, the Alpiner boys have "Man's Night Out", the Trackers have their highly anticipated dance and the Blazers head to the waterfront for Capture the Flag.

Session 3 continues to unravel into one of our greatest weeks. One highlight of this particular group is the international diversity that it brings. We currently have campers from not only the United States but representing Puerto Rico, Switzerland, France, Spain and Taiwan. These campers have been graciously sharing their cultural backgrounds and even teaching others their native language. Something as simple as a Tracker Roll Call, done at Evening Program, used Spanish phrases to introduce their cabin. The rich diversity within our camp does not stop there. Our staff is currently representing 7 countries including USA, Australia, England, France, New Zealand, Mexico and Scotland. Whether it's a new accent or new insight to a culture, we are constantly growing in this thriving community!

Session 3: Week 1

2010-06-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mountain Camp! We're already off to a great session filled with beaming sunshine and a vivacious group of kids.

Camp opened up Sunday with a fun-filled campfire where campers not only learned the basics of our camp but were given a preview of the wonderful and adventurous activities they would soon try.

Monday began sign ups for the first 2 days and we gathered at night for our Evening Program. Based off the hit NBC show "Minute To Win It," campers selected one representative from each cabin to participate in a hilarious, nearly impossible challenge in which they have one minute to accomplish the task. From moving M&Ms across stage to flipping water bottles on tables, we saw it all! The night concluded with our signature Tents and Cabins melody and the kids enjoyed a full night of much needed sleep.

Tuesday continued daily activities. The waterfront allowed kids to jump on a new trampoline which was rather refreshing in the summer heat. Tonight we will return to the lake for "Pirate Beach Party" where kids will have a chance to play dizzy bat, water balloon toss, get their face painted, go on boat and canoe rides and other exciting activities. The staff will of course be dressed head to peg in pirate gear!

Wednesday will be our first Free Choice Day (highly anticipated by both staff and kids) where campers will choose from a variety of special activities such as scooters, paddleboarding across the lake or simply relaxing at the spa. With new options offered throughout the day, campers have endless possibilities to either continue with an activity they love or challenge themselves on something new.

We're looking forward to more amazing days up here at Mountain Camp. With evening programs, overnights, dances and more coming our way, this session promises for memories our campers will cherish for a lifetime!