Camp!

Hello,
So I left you in Syracuse - sorry about that!! Ü

crazy bus we saw in MA

We didn't get to camp until about 6pm we parked and went to attend the BBQ. We ate and then drove the car to our "house" to unload our junk. Our room had two bunk beds but we were the only ones in the room. We shared the house with several other families.

our house

our room

  They left banners for us to make - the families that worked on it did a great job!! We didn't contribute anything but our names and our trail stamp. We were hardly ever at our "house".

Memorial Lodge: el toru rifki shoo per loo marpu sparman war crew banner

In the handmade pouch (which was made at camp!!) is a stamp one of our camp mates carved - while at camp - impressive!! It's the stamp at the bottom of the banner. The first night we grabbed our boxing gear and headed out. Every building had stamps in it - some hiding - some not. We got badges and a booklet of clues - EVERYTHING in it was a clue - the badges had clues that you had to collect from people you met - pictures in the booklets - printed clues - thinks just standing around....

even the m & m's!!!

Since we got there at night we just did the buildings and there were globes all over the main area that had stamps in them.
Next morning we had breakfast and hit the trails...

cafeteria

even the yarn bombing had stamps!!

rained the first night

boxing with the PA girls! See the humidity...

panorama

HUMID!!!

pretty bridge - see the mist - humidity

beaver dam

that goes steeply downhill

beaver dam

yep there is a fishing pole with a box attached

if you look close you will see a pole with water coming out

 The pipe in the picture above.... a work of genius!! The box is in the pipe and there is a milk jug - you have to fill the pipe with lake water to get the box to float up BUT there are holes in the pipe so it takes team work. GREAT BOX!!!
Then there were two planted in the lake - you had to go out to get it. It felt so good on our hot and sore feet!! Great stamps and clues - did I mention we had such a good time?  

why yes, we are standing in the lake in our clothes - why? For a box of course!!

There is a boxer name Wassa - he was unable to make camp due to a family problem - that is the guy's head you follow and then the paper guy standing in the woods - those are his shorts and you look in and it says something funny - but damn it I can't remember!!

follow the heads

hilarious!!

scary bridge

straight UP!!

and then down

I think he's dead

yep - he's dead

We must have hiked 20 miles in two days. It was hot and humid - I never needed lotion - everything was stuck to me all the time!! I told everyone who would listen that by the end of the weekend I would be wearing three pairs of underwear because I couldn't possible peel them off!! Scott said he would need a crew of three, a magic wand, and some Vaseline to get his off. Do you understand how hot and humid it was? My hair was wet the entire time!! BUGS OMG THE BUGS. We used bug spray like crazy and still managed to get nibbled on!!   At one point each day one of us was physically having signs of dehydration - even though we drank tons of water!! Having said all the negative points let me say - we had a fantastic time!! We met fabulous people!! We letterboxed in a pack most of the time. It was an event we will never forget and will always remember fondly!! Every night we would shower (I wont even tell you about that nastiness - camp bathrooms....ick) and drop into bed exhausted!! Get up and hit the trails again!! There was campfires - sing alongs, a talent show, costume party. We even did night boxing - those trails we hiked during the day - we did them at night too!! With a black light flashlight - we had to look for the X's and arrows. There were 14 planted and we got 11!! It goes a little slower at night - and no cooler!! I would do it again in a heartbeat!!
We met some fabulous people - as I said. I group from PA - they are crazy  - we later found out it may have been a sugar high that kept them going!! They were the first we group boxed with. The first people we met at camp were "Four if by sea' - Kristen and "Zigzags through the woods" Becki. They are AWESOME!! We boxed with them - and ate meals with them! They are a riot!! Scott got up and took my plate to clean up and Becki asked him why he didn't clear hers - then he piled all the plates at her spot. The next few days they cleared each others plates regularly (left Kristen and I to fend for ourselves - rude!!) We took to calling them "our girls"  - like "hey, look - it's our girls"  We even texted each other on our way home - I inadvertently told them where we were staying - they got there before us and planted a box just for us - that they carved in the parking lot!!! It says "one last plate" a picture of a plate and fork - and a heart and "your girls" So sweet!! I stole the box and will carry it with us!!  They live far, far away in WV

me, Kristen, Scott, Becki

This was taken at the costume party - Scott and I are mystery boxes (ha ha) Becki has a fish head but she doesn't have it up and Kristen is a diner. (another reason to love her - we love diners)
We would have lost weight but every day we went into town to get a iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts - just to ride in the air conditioned car and have a cold drink!!
I believe they do this event every 5 years so we will do it again - I hope some place less humid - I must start training for it  by working out in a sauna!! yikes!!
We bought a bunch of patches - letterboxing ones to put on our boxing bag. We now have 1080 finds - we found 161 boxes on this trip. That doesn't count all the personal ones and the exchanges. I did manage to get out of camp without any cooties - that is a boxing term because I did end up with a weird rash on my face - don't even want to know from what. Camp went by quickly and we left early Monday morning - that will be tomorrow's post!!