The camp began their day early today with a hearty breakfast. Then they
were off to take on their outdoor challenges. Old Rag Mountain was the
challenge of choice for the majority of camp. The remaining campers hiked
around Woodberry's 1500 acres on The Perimeter Trail.
Old Rag Mountain is part of the Blue Ridge
Mountains and is situated in the Shenandoah National Park. The drive is just
under an hour away from Woodberry. The group departed on buses promptly at 8am.
Old Rag is a very challenging 8.8 mile hike and rock scramble with spectacular
views. At the summit it sits at 3,291 feet. We were fortunate to have Mr. Jim Reid the head of the Woodberry Science Department lead us on our Old Rag hike today. Mr. Reid has done this hike a million times! He knows the mountain, it's wildlife and natural surroundings like the "back of his hand". He also took some amazing pictures today. Thank you Mr. Reid!
After the exhausting hike, they boarded the buses
to head back to the Forest. The buses remained silent on the way home as the
campers and counselors couldn't help but doze after conquering OLD RAG.
Meanwhile, back at the Forest, the guys played hard! In addition to
their hike of the perimeter trail, they organized into groups and challenged
each other to handball, floor hockey, softball and basketball. Eventually they
made their way to the pool. Our trail is a total of 8
miles in length and was completed and dedicated just a few years ago. It
continues to be kept up (cleared and trimmed) by the students of Woodberry. Today's
perimeter trail group encountered
snake skins, turtles, small wildlife and a fabulous view of the Rapidan River
and rock formations.
After a long rest period the campers were ready to go again. They all headed over to dinner and then met on the steps of the Dick Gym to find out their game schedule for the evening. It was a beautiful evening. The games were quite competitive. The days activities had no affect on these guys. They are so incredibly full of energy!
