Camp Cheley

Yes its true. I went camping, in the mountains. Don't get too excited though. It was at a summer camp with cabins and running water.

Every year the 5th graders go on an educational camping trip. This year I got to go because we had 3 of our students go and my boss didn't want to be stuck with a certain difficult student the entire trip. So I went along. I was a little nervous after I said yes because I knew nothing of this camp. "Camp Cheley?" I thought. I didn't even know where it was. I found out it was up near Estes Park and its a for real summer camp that houses 400-500 kids ages 9-18 for 2, 4 week sessions.

Day One: We boarded the bus and headed up. We got to camp, hiked up a HUGE hill to get to our cabin, unpacked, and went back down for Orientation. Then we ate our sack lunches and began the activities. Our first class was 2 hrs of Orienteering. After that we hiked up Mt. Cathedral. Yep, I hiked up a mountain pushing one of students the whole way. I literally pushed her up the mountain. But she was so glad she made it to the top.

Day Two: We went to Rocky Mtn. National Park. The weather was great and the park was beautiful! Then we went back to camp, ate lunch and began the rest of our afternoon. We hiked down to a beaver pond. Then the kids got to do a ropes course. Then that night we went out with our students to do a night walk. Each student had to walk back up the trail alone in the dark back to the lodge. We walked with 2 of our 3 students. We were so proud that they each did it. The sky was beautiful and I had never seen so many stars or the Milky Way before.

Day Three: We woke up and packed our bags. We cleaned up the cabins and headed down for breakfast. After breakfast we headed out to our last adventure. McGregor Ranch is a ranch that is now a museum used to teach how people lived during the late 1800's-early 1900's. It was beautiful out there. After the ranch we went back to camp, ate lunch, loaded up the buses again, and headed for home. I couldn't wait to get back home.

It was a wonderful experience. When I reached the top of the mountain I almost cried. It was such an accomplishment for me and all I could think was that I wished Jared was there to do it with me. I was able to see the beauty that Heavenly Father created for us and be a part of it. When I saw hundreds of thousands of stars at night dotting the sky mixed with the Milky Way I thought about returning to live with my Heavenly Father. I thought if being a forever family and being so grateful that I was sealed to my wonderful husband in the temple. My boss will probably never know how wonderful the trip was for but I am so thankful that she asked me to go.

Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Me at the top of Mt. Cathedral.

A view from the top.

Me and Lyla at the top. (my student I pushed)

Rocky Mountain National Park (Alluvial Fan)

Matthew and me at RMNP

The Beaver Pond (Can you see the lodge in the water?)

Pretty trees at the pond

Turkey Rock at McGregor Ranch

I'm still not a big camper but I'm warming up to it.

~Love To All~