Week 1 Adventure Trip Highlights

Outdoor Adventure Trips (So Far!)

We’re one week into Main Camp already, and today on the blog, we’re highlighting some of the trips that went out this past week! We’ve been able to go backpacking, mountain biking, paddling, and rock climbing in some of the most beautiful places in western North Carolina and beyond. Here’s where we’ve been adventuring so far:

Backpacking

The backpackers enjoyed two separate 3-Day trips this past week! One was the “Turkey Pen Trot” and the other was the “Shining Rock Sockhop.” The Shining Rock Wilderness is the largest wilderness area in North Carolina, and is part of the larger Pisgah National Forest. Turkey Pen is also in Pisgah, with plenty of fun creek crossings and the opportunity to cool off in the refreshing mountain streams post-hike.

Both 3-Day trips took place on Wednesday-Friday, but on Monday and Tuesday there were also day hikes. Monday’s hike was a fun jaunt down to the Green River Flats here on camp property, and Tuesday’s was a day trip to Dupont State Forest.

Mountain Biking

A crew of mountain bikers headed to the Tsali Recreation Area in Nantahala National Forest for 2 days of biking bliss! Tsali boasts miles of fun and flowy trails that wind around scenic Lake Fontana.

Back at camp, day trips were taken to Dupont State Forest every day this week from Tuesday through Friday. There were also two evenings where boys could go to Jackson Park in downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina, to enjoy a “sunset shred session” at the pump track there after dinner.

Paddling

The paddlers took day trips to nearby rivers every day this week. They spent lots of time at the Green River, taking trips to the lower sections of the river for beginners, and to the upper sections for more advanced paddlers. There were also multiple day trips to section 9 of the French Broad River.

The highlights of the week were the multi-day trips though! There was a group that paddled the Pigeon River for two days, and another that spent two days on the French Broad and Tuckasegee Rivers.

For those seeing a more relaxed pace by boat, there was also a 3-day canoe trip to Lake Tugalo. The boys enjoyed exploring the lake by canoe, swimming, admiring waterfalls, and hanging out around the campfire.

Rock Climbing

A group of climbers spent three days scaling rock faces in Pisgah National Forest. They worked on improving their skills in climbing, belaying, bouldering, and also learned how to use spring-loaded camming devices (SLCD or cams).

There were also day trips to Gilbert’s Rock every day this week, and a Tuesday day trip to Pisgah, called the “hard man mountain mission.”