The Alpine Boys Take a Vacation
Every now and again, it’s necessary to take some time to change up your schedule and scenery. Everyone loves a good vacation, and at Alpine, we love to take a time out of each month term for Trip Day. It’s an exciting day that sees each age group embark on a different adventure. Campers look forward to Trip Day all term, and when it arrives, the excitement can be felt in the air.
Our day began early, with a 7am breakfast of grits, eggs, toast, and OJ. After fueling up, the Scouts, Warriors, Braves, and Chief 1’s loaded buses to head to their respective destinations for the day. Meanwhile, the Hunters and Trappers prepared themselves for a “staycation” here at camp. The boys got to enjoy a morning of climbing around in our Bouldering Barn and taking turns getting to zipline through the trees. They grabbed a snack midway through- crackers, apples, and water- which would come in handy as Trip Days always require extra energy. After the last camper finished his zipline ride, the two age groups began a winding hike to the Uptop- one of the most beautiful places in Camp. It consists of rolling fields of grass, and more blue sky than your eyes can see when you look up. A picnic lunch awaited the boys, and they ate with their counselors on our golf range, affectionately known as Alpine National.
The boys then loaded our camp buses for a lift back to their cabins for rest hour. When the store bell rang, they were met with a surprise. A sign on the store read “Store Closed Today: Head to the Team Sports Field!” When they arrived, almost a dozen large water slides had been inflated, and the Froggy Freeze Snow Cone truck was parked by the gym. It was a dream day for the boys and their counselors as they got to rotate around and enjoy each station together. Head over to the Alpine Instagram for photos of the set up.
The Scouts bus brought them to the Hiwassee River for the day. They ate a quick picnic lunch on arrival, and hopped into rafts to float the river with their cabins. Campers got to hop out periodically to swim, and also learned how to work together and maneuver their vessels through the water. For many boys, it was their first experience with rafting a river, and they had an absolute blast.
Continuing with that theme, the Warriors arrived in Bryson City, NC, to raft the slightly more challenging river, the Nantahala. Upon arrival, the Warriors reunited with another group of Alpine campers as our Chief 2’s had completed their 4 day hike on the Appalachian Trail. The oldest boys in camp were ready to get in the Nantahala for a trip in Duckies (a type of inflatable kayak). The water in the Nantahala is particularly cold and refreshing- perfect for a hot summers day or sore legs from a long hike. The campers stopped on the way home for a traditional Trip Day dinner of Papas Pizza- a perfect meal to cap off a day on the water.
Braves and Chief 1’s took on the powerful Ocoee River in Benton, TN. They loaded into rafts with their counselors and a professional raft guide for a fun ride through rapids and falls. The Ocoee hosted the 1996 Olympic kayaking and canoeing competitions, and winds its way through beautiful terrain and scenery. After the voyage, the Braves and Chief 1’s headed home to meet up with the Hunters, Trappers, and Scouts for Papa Johns pizza on the dining hall lawn. It was a joyous time as campers told their friends how incredible their day was in between slices.
After getting their fill of pizza, campers strolled to the gym where they got to enjoy a feature film at Alpine Cinemas. Campers and staff alike got comfortable and enjoyed Disney’s Robin Hood. The classic film really captured the audience, and everyone got to enjoy cold milk and Moonpies during intermission. It was a long day, but one that left everyone seemingly more energized than we were before it started.
Thanks for reading!
Wayne