Each summer some of our oldest camper’s embark on the adventure programs here at Camp known as Rangers. Our traditional Boots and Boats campers navigate the Delaware River and hikes the Appalachian Trail while our newest addition, Rocks & Rafts, will spend a week in Stover State Park whitewater rafting, climbing, and rappelling.
Over the last few weeks the instructors for these programs have participated in a variety of training events. Some spent time with our challenge course staff working on their rope skills while others worked with longtime canoe instructor Art Kleinspehn to perfect their strokes on the water. All recently completed a three day Wilderness First Aid course with Ockanickon alumni and owner of True North Wilderness Survival, Erik Kulick, in which they prepared for the unexpected and refined their own back country knowledge.
All of this training aside, we still strive to give our instructors and campers the safest and most expert experience we can offer as they complete these amazing experiences. One of those resources is the SPOT GPS Messenger Device. Each trip carries this device with it, which has the ability to relay messages back to camp and to signal first responders if necessary, even when out of cell phone range. This device is a redundancy to all of the professional training our instructors complete with the added benefit of allowing us to track their progress back at home. Periodically throughout their journey, parents will be updated back home with emails including the progress made by each trip.
Check out the first SPOT of the summer – right here on the beach of Lake Stockwell.
http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=HTKsw/39.85230N/74.78925W
With close to 100 campers signed up to find adventure and inspire confidence I couldn’t be more excited to witness the amazing journey that they will all take.
Happy Camping!
Dave