Leaving camp, we stopped in the nearby town of Westcliffe, CO, where we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the town and a sweet treat before getting on the road. What a charming little town surrounded by beauty.
Hiking pictures will come next. It’s good to be outside in the mountains!
Finishing up the camp posts with some shots of the camp itself, a couple beautiful moments, and some final thoughts.
While it was a treat, there is still the reality that while some youth are enjoying themselves, others are wrestling with some very discouraging and even damaging events in their own lives. There is always some additional drama and injuries. Counselors needing to be encouraged after heavy talks. Due to all of the above, there is really little sleep in the building where we stay. The children manage to sleep through things quite well, thankfully, but Russ and I found ourselves exhausted by the end of the week. Nonetheless, if invited to come back again, I think I’d jump on that opportunity and let God use me as He sees fit there.
Below is the dining hall.
The cabin/lodge we stayed in.
I think it was on the final evening of camp, that this complete double rainbow came out following a brief shower. It was beautiful. The contrasting sun and the stormy skies met over our heads.
Closing bonfires. Camp was big enough that there were a few different sites for the fires. Russ led a time of reflection and devotional at one sight. Sam and Dellen were there for part of it before returning to our cabin for bed. Not too long after I got back to the campfire, one particular young man shared about his new found faith in Christ as a result of coming to camp. He also shared about his hurts that led him to suicidal thoughts, and then followed up all that with an impromptu proposal to his girlfriend. Russ had a lot to react to in a very short time with no warning. This excitement led to much follow-up during the following hours and called upon many people, including myself.
Ministry. It’s never dull when you choose to invest in the lives of people around you.
One afternoon during free time, we loaded up our church van and drove to Bishop's Castle (you can learn more by clicking on that link). It’s the life project of an eccentric and talented man. For some reason, this became a must see for many high schoolers at the camp. It worried me some, as it wasn’t an advertised activity option and seems entirely unsafe; something those in charge will have to address and prepare for next year. Our family has been here before, and at one time this was a possible wedding location for my brother and his fiancé.
It is a most precariously built castle, and with my fear of heights, I hardly manage to go to the second floor. Oh, but there were several that climbed out on that welded bridge and into that welded ball at the top, the love of my life included. Pictures below show Russ and a bunch from our group on the bridge. My kids went up further than I did. However, Sam decided very early on, to be conservative. I think Dellen joined in afterwards. Although, I think they made it up to the third floor before rejoining me and requesting to spend a chunk of time and their money in the gift shop. (Requested pictures also found below).
One of the highlights of our year will be going horseback riding as a family while we were at camp. Two other girls from the youth group were also on this ride, which was a lot of fun. We’ve wanted to do this for so long, but the opportunities are few and Dellen has always been too young. Not this year. It’s not the cheapest activity, so when the boys were begging to go again the next afternoon, it was sad to disappoint.
Our trail guides taught everyone how to brush and saddle their horse, and then we were off for a little over an hour in the mountains. Beautiful views! One of my favorite smells is forest pine, and favorite sounds, the rustling of aspen leaves up above my head.
I used to spend much time in my youth horseback riding. I’ve hardly been on a horse since then, after leaving for college. This trail ride was like nourishment to my soul. I was so thankful also that we weren’t completely lined up nose to rump on auto pilot. It was a satisfying adventure. Perhaps the only down side would be that Sam’s horse knew it was the boss and was determined to eat along the trail, which is a no no. Sam kept being told to get the horse’s head up and not allow that horse to eat. Oh, and Dellen’s saddle was perhaps a little loose. He always looked like he was going to slide right off the horse’s side. We stopped a few times while the guides tried to straighten out his saddle and get him riding back on top.
