Day One!
Youth Odyssey began the trip on Sunday, July 10th. Everyone arrived at the office and we loaded up the van to start our short 3-hour drive to Pedernales Falls State Park. We made one stop along the way for everyone to get snacks and drinks or use the restroom before finishing the drive. Once we arrived at our campsite, everyone set up their tents and changed into their swimming clothes. Conveniently, our campsite was right next to a trail that led to a swimming hole. We walked down and cooled off in the water for about an hour. After swimming, we returned to camp and made a delicious spaghetti dinner. Soon after dinner, it was time for everyone to retire to their tents to get a good night’s sleep for rock climbing the next day.
Day Two
We woke up early Monday morning, had breakfast, and got ready for a fun day of climbing. Around 8 am we loaded everyone in the van and headed to Reimer’s Ranch. Once we arrived, we stopped at the pavilion in the area for restroom breaks and to fill up our water bottles. We then took a trail to our first climbing destination where Kristen, our lead climber, safely set up the ropes for the kids to start climbing. We taught everyone how to belay and soon enough they were all pros at climbing and belaying. A lot of campers had the initial fear of climbing and falling, but they overcame their fears and trusted each other with belaying. After everyone climbed as much as they wanted, we headed back to the pavilion for lunch.
We planned to go swimming at the river near the climbing walls, but mother nature had a different plan. As we were finishing up lunch it started to drizzle a little bit. Within the next few minutes it started to pour on us. Luckily, we were beneath the pavilion, but that didn’t stop the campers and facilitators from playing in the cold rain. After a long hot day of climbing, the cold rain felt amazing. It rained for about an hour and we had fun solving riddles and playing games while we waited for it to stop. Once it stopped, we loaded up the van and headed back to camp.
Unfortunately for us, the rain had gone over our camp too. A lot of the tents and a few personal belongings were wet, so we problem solved and made a clothesline to let everything dry out. We made personal pizzas for dinner and finished off the night with showers, a few games, and a check-in circle later in the night
Day Three
Tuesday morning was very similar to the day before. We woke up, had breakfast, and got ready for another climbing day. We loaded up the van and headed to Reimer’s Ranch. Once we arrived we stopped at the same pavilion as before and took a small break before heading on the trail to a new climbing wall. The paths we set up to climb were a little more challenging than the previous day. One path was easier than the other. The campers had fun finishing the first route and trying to climb the second. The second wall was a challenge to all but a few, but everyone seemed to enjoy trying to figure out how to overcome the wall. After climbing we headed back to the pavilion for lunch.
There was no rain, so after lunch we headed down to the river for some swimming. We stayed swimming for a few hours and headed back to camp once we finished. Since we got back to camp a little later than usual, we had ramen noodles for dinner. This simple meal was a favorite for the campers. After dinner, we did our usual games and headed to bed.
Day Four
On Wednesday we slept in a little because it was our rest day. We woke up and had an amazing pancake and bacon breakfast. We took our time eating and getting ready for a relaxing swim day. On our way out of the park we stopped at the camp store for everyone to look around and get a few souvenirs if they wanted any. We then stopped at a gas station for everyone to get their own snacks and drinks if they wanted something other than what we brought. After a short drive, we arrived at Krause Springs where we spent the day swimming in a natural cold spring. The water felt awesome in the hot sun and there was even a rope swing that everyone enjoyed. We stayed in the water for about an hour before we walked to our outdoor table to make hotdogs. After lunch, we walked back to the water for more swimming.
The rope swing was an absolute hit and the campers spent most of their time playing on it. Campers took turns rating each other’s tricks and silly poses as they splashed into the cool waters of the spring-fed pool. Facilitators were impressed by the leadership our youth displayed at the rope swing as well. Campers formed a human chain to return the rope swing to the bank for everyone at the swimming hole. They also gave support and encouragement to other swimmers who were a little nervous about swinging on the rope swing. The drive back to camp was very quiet because the campers had worn themselves out from swimming.
Once we were back at camp we had delicious quesadillas for dinner, then headed to the showers. After showers, we came back to camp, did a check-in circle, and played a few games before heading to sleep.
Day Five
On Thursday morning we woke up, had breakfast, and prepared for our last day of rock climbing. We drove to Reimer’s Ranch and took a quick stop at the pavilion before driving to a new trail nearby to head to the rock wall. The rock wall we set routes on were the most challenging of the whole trip. The kids struggled on both, but one was a real pain for most campers. The first path many tried and problem solved, but only a few completed. The second wall was still difficult, but the campers had a much easier time completing it. It was awesome to see how much everyone had improved from the first day of climbing. Two of our campers even successfully completed their first lead climbs on that wall.
Once we finished climbing, we headed back to the van where we drove to the pavilion for lunch. After lunch, we headed back to the campsite to swim for the last time on the trip. We had a blast playing in the water and building cairns before heading back to camp for dinner. The day finished with a bang and had a chicken fajita dinner with tortillas that everyone loved. We relaxed and played the favorite game of the trip, mafia. After a few games, everyone went to sleep.
Day Six
On Friday morning we woke up, had breakfast, and immediately started to pack up camp. Everyone was excited to go home to their families, but sad to be leaving the good friends they made on the trip. We loaded up the van and started on our journey home. The kids jammed out to a playlist they created to listen to on the way home. About halfway back we stopped at a gas station for snacks and bathroom breaks. In the blink of an eye we were back at the Youth Odyssey office. Everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Written by Tony Minter and Lauren Sahadi
