(Advanced) Wilderness Skills! June 1-4, 2015

“Focus, Patience and Practice,” this was our mantra as we learned some of the skills our ancestors used to survive 75,000 years ago. These “Ancient Lifeways” were taught to us by Matt Brummett, a skilled expert in the field. All of the older campers made their own hand drill, a tool used to make fire. We practiced a lot, some campers getting close to making a coal–a very difficult skill! We also made gourd canteens, a container our ancestors carried water in before the age of Nalgene and stainless steel! Our youngest campers each made a gourd bowl to eat out of, as our ancestors did. Everyone had the chance to learn how to make cordage (rope) out of cattails. We talked about how to make shelters to keep you warm and dry and then made shelters to sleep in on our campout. It was awesome to witness the TEAMWORK of the group as they made a coal together with a hand drill for our campfire (see photos below). We talked about the 5 Ws of preparing for a hike, and what to do if you get lost. We found some edible and medicinal plants on our hikes (Mmmm… dandelions!), and played lots of games to get us up close and personal with nature (Eagle Eye, Sardines, Capture the Flag and Meet-a-Tree, to name a few). We asked the Eagles how this week changed them. Here are a few responses: “I learned survival skills, and I am more confident in my ability to survive.” – Keifer “I got AWESOME!” – Joaquin “I got more creative.” – Jack J. “I got more peaceful.” – Merrick “I feel sorry for ancient people, and I am happy and thankful to have a house. I had fun!” -Jack D. All of the campers concurred with this last thought shared by Keifer, and agreed that PERSEVERANCE was needed for many of the skills and activities this week. Great life lessons! Thank you to all of the campers for all of your focus, patience, practice and fun this week! Photos of Eagles and Owls (See Hummingbirds below!):

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Hummingbird Adventures!

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Photo Safari! June 8-11, 2015—Owls (7-8 Year Olds)

On their photo safari, the Owls fearlessly captured many pictures of their natural surroundings. Among the birds chirping and the wind rustling the trees, the cameras shuttered harmoniously. The Owls played with light and dark, macro and micro shots, and portraits, taking photos of rivers, flowers, trees, moss, and campers. Choosing one original photo, they also created photo transfers, which required diligent work. The memories of playing and observing are held within the owls’ photos.

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Backpacking the Sangres! May 26-29

This was Mountain Kids first ever backpacking trip and an amazing start to the summer! On Day One we checked and learned how to pack our gear – going light is the key! We made survival bracelets and survival kits so we would be ready for anything on our adventure. The very next day, a small group of (mountain) kids and adults backpacked along the Rio en Medio Trail for a fun-filled overnight in the forest. We worked together to get there, wading through the watery trail and navigating new stretches of trail due to the high water. We were happy to arrive and then worked to set up our camp. We played capture the flag and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire. We learned how to purify our own water and how good food tastes on a backpacking trip! A small group went on an adventurous night hike with Jim, while the rest of us sung camp songs by the fire before tucking in and sleeping like logs for the night. The next day we hiked to waterfalls #2- #4 on the Rio en Medio for a change of scenery.

We were all exhausted, dirty and happy by the end. Everyone left with new friends and newfound confidence in their strength and abilities! Thanks to a great group of kids for an amazing, adventurous and fun first week of Mountain Kids 2015! Many thanks also to our wonderful staff: Magnificent Max, Fearless (French Fry) Fran, Crunchy Katie, and Jumping Jim for keeping everyone safe and happy!

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This says it all: A journal entry by a camper!

Week 9 – July 28-31, 2014: Dirt, Rocks and Clay!

On Monday’s hike in the Galisteo Basin we had a lot of fun following drainage meanders. We picked up cool rocks after reading Everyone Needs A Rock, and messed around with found clay. Monsoons kept us in low terrain all week.

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On Tuesday we were at Tsankawi where we waited out a drizzle in cavates in the welded tuff, then donned rain gear and continued exploring. We spotted a horny toad along the trail.

Bred in captivity, a rare hybrid Gyrfalcon/Peregrine falcon.

Wednesday we all quite easily made it up to the first pool in Deer Creek – got to love the cooler weather! We had a lesson at the sandstone outcrop with the nice tilted bedding planes of rock and looked at the fossils of decayers – crinoid stems in the limestone. We worked on learning the sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic rock song.

The elusive Mexican Spotted Owl.

Thursday Ziggy led us up the wash behind St. John’s College where we played in the damp sand and made pictures with a red sand from the decaying granite bank on the white sand of the wash. We also gained a high point on the shoulder of Sun Mountain and drew maps of our route from the van.

Spotted a tiny horny toad along the way.

Owls and Eagles stayed together all week. Eagles cooled their jets a little and the Owls stepped up. Super pleasant weather all week and a great group of campers!

Week 8 – July 21-24, 2014: Wilderness Skills!

Berries! Raspberries, strawberries, and lemony squawbush berries. We started the week up at the Norski trails where the Eagles hiked the Windsor trail to a pretty meadow on upper Rio en Medio. We played in the water and made toy rafts from sticks tied with strips of skunk cabbage.

Tuesday we again visited Rio en Medio but from the bottom up. The raspberries about half way to the waterfall were sooo good – especially after the pucker power of the squawbush berries. Wednesday found us foraging for strawberries above Carl’s meadow in the clearing near the top of the Quad ski lift. We also worked on orienting maps using compasses and plotted our route up from Aspen Vista trail head. Thursday we took a break from berries and built an awesome shelter from downed aspen logs. We learned that while campers have been elsewhere, chipmunks have moved into some of the shelters from July’s camp-out.

July 7-10, 2014: Tremendous Trees and Biomimicry!

We had a teeny, tiny group this week with some big energy! We played games, did intros and talked about Biomimicry (big word!) at Fort Marcy before we headed off to the Big T for our adventure. We hiked, ate, played capture the flag and enjoyed the Tremendous Trees all around us. We played a lot of Frog Detective and got a little wet – lovely!

Tuesday took us to Tsankawi where we stayed dry, despite the downpour in Santa Fe! We found pottery shards, arrow heads and obsidian. We read a Native American story about how humans came to be on earth. We hiked, imagined life here, and explored caves – enjoying a little escape from the heat!

Wednesday: Rio en Medio. We talked about more examples of Biomimicry at circle. On trail we played Meet-a-Tree and A-Mia, made leaf boats and fairy homes (Owls).

The Eagles did a big hike to the waterfall and even had time for games along the way. It was a splendid day to put your head under ice cold water, if you dared!

Thursday: The Beaver Ponds brought us a new and unexpected friend – we found “Muffin” a sweet, sweet dog wandering on the road. We called the owner to no avail, and called Animal Control. The Owls played at the trailhead while waiting for Muffin to be rescued. The owner finally came after lunch! Meanwhile, the Eagles hiked around the pond and played Camouflage and Capture the Flag. Afterward, we scooped up the (recently freed!) Owls and headed to a new waterfall across the road. FUN!

Wilderness Skills Campout! June 27, 2014

The first Mountain Kids family camp out was a great success! I am so proud of the campers for making and sleeping in their own shelters! It was an adventure in sleep, just trying to keep caterpillars out of any exposed orifices, and dodge the tree debris that seemed to fall all night long. We had one camper who had never camped before, and did so in her own shelter, 200 yards or more away from Dad! Awesome.

We ate like kings and queens (great potluck everyone!) and topped it off with a campfire and s’mores, of course! Thanks to everyone who came and made it a success!

Wilderness Skills! June 23-27, 2014

The week began with some basic safety tips and ended with the Eagles (7-10 year olds) sleeping in shelters they built themselves!! For at least one camper, this was her first EVER campout – SO COOL!!

Below is a rundown of our daily adventures. There is a separate blog post for the campout.

Monday Adventure: Norski Trails: Preparing for a Hike, Shelter Building, Stop and Stay Put (what to do if you get lost in the woods), Buddies, staying together and Sit Spots! A busy and fun day!

Tuesday Adventure: Rio en Medio: Identifying hazards (including poison ivy in real life!:), Bats Eat Bugs (song), Fire Keeper, watercolors, Yucca Rope making, and a huge waterfall to cool us off. Great hike, fun day!

Wednesday: Ski Basin (Owls) – Maps and Orienteering, How to use a Compass, Magnetic North versus True North, Landmarks, Mapping your Hike, How to use a Topo Map! The Eagles went to Carl’s Meadow, but the visual memories are only in our minds. 🙂

Thursday Adventure: Norski/Winsor Trail: More Shelter Building, Nature as a Resource, Ropes, Knots and how to tie them, and the many uses for (your very own!) Bandana! 🙂