As of today, all of our Big Trips have returned to Camp! Campers from our four oldest units – Islanders, Wayfarers, Mountaineers, and Troubadours – have now completed their four day/three night trips, and we’re so excited to hear about their wonderful experiences.
Campers loaded their bikes and gear onto camp boats as they prepared to set off on their trip.
So what are Big Trips? For four days each during the first two weeks of the session, our oldest campers set out on a grand adventure. As a unit, campers embark with staff leaders on trips that are at once challenging and magical. There’s a sailing trip, a kayaking trip, a canoeing trip, a biking trip, and a backpacking trip. Due to this year’s COVID-19 prevention protocols, all of our trips have been based in the San Juan Islands, and no mainland trips were offered. Campers arrived at their sites via camp boats or their own paddling, and they stayed at overnight spots that are either privately-owned or sparsely populated.
All aboard and all smiles!
By sharing the difficulties and victories of a strenuous four-day trip, during which everyone faces a variety of physical and mental challenges, a group of tripmates undergoes a transformation. Campers who barely knew each other return united by strong bonds of comradery. It’s not an overstatement to note that lifelong friendships are often created in the crucible of these trips.
Big Trips offer campers the opportunity to practice their planning, packing, and outdoor food prep skills in addition to technical skills like kayaking or biking.
But that’s not to say that Big Trips are made up entirely of exertion and obstacles to overcome. That’s a part of the experience, but there are so many opportunities for joy and beauty and relaxation and laughter, too. It’s the mixture of all these things that makes the moments so special. While the physical and mental challenges of the Big Trips are real, so are the incredible relationships and irreplaceable memories that our campers bring back with them.
While they may return to Camp tired and dusty, Big Trippers always return with great stories to tell!
For all of these reasons, the Big Trip program is one of the most beloved and highly-anticipated elements of going to camp at Nor’wester. Many younger campers dream about what their Big Trip experience will be like and count down the summers until their Big Trip year. Our middle units, the Foresters and Voyageurs, also have their own extended trips, Little Big Trips. These similar but slightly shorter expeditions will head out from Camp next week. Look for updates on those trips later on!