Sierra Expedition
Sierra Expedition - YMCA Adventure Guides

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Schedule of Events

                            Sierra Expedition Jones Gulch Fall Campout
                                                October 5th - October 7th, 2013

Friday - Early Arrivers
4:00-7:00pm Registration Table Open Simcock Lodge "Patio"
Dinner On your own

Saturday Events

We are responsible to manage the flow to the zip lines and climbing wall. This is a requirement from the Y as our group strains the capacity for which they are insured.

What this means is that we will hand out Speed Passes to attendees AS THEY ARRIVE AT REGISTRATION. These Speed Passes are small color coded tickets with the hour and either ZIP or TOWER printed on them. There is a different color for each hour. ONLY PEOPLE WITH APPROPRIATE SPEED PASSES MAY GO TO EACH ACTIVITY WITHIN THAT TIME WINDOW.
Tickets are required from 9-12 and 1-5 pm on Saturday and from 10:30-11:30am on Sunday for ZIP and TOWER.

Saturday
8:00-9:00 Breakfast Dining Hall 
Clean up-Tioga
8:45-9:45
Camp Store Open Dining Hall
9:00-Noon
GaGa Pit
Ball Field
9:00-Noon Climbing Wall - SPEED PASS REQUIRED! North of Ball Field
9:00-Noon Zip Line - SPEED PASS REQUIRED! Behind the Admin Ctr
10:00-Noon Canoeing Pond
10:00-Noon Archery East of Ball Field
9:00-5:00 Pumpkin Carving Dining Hall Deck Area
9:00-5:00 Jelly Bean Counting Contest
Dining Hall
10:30-11:45
Evening Ceremony Leaders Rehearsal Meeting Indian Bowl
12:00-1:00 Lunch Picnic Area
Cleanup - Mystic
1:00-5:00
GaGa Pit
Ball Field
1:00-5:00 Canoeing Pond
1:00-5:00 Climbing Wall - SPEED PASS REQUIRED! North of Ball Field
1:00-5:00
Zip Line - SPEED PASS REQUIRED!
Behind the Admin Ctr
1:00-5:00 Archery East of Ball Field
4:00-5:30 Skit Rehearsals Wherever
6:00-7:00 Dinner Picnic Area
Circle Navs & CB's serve
Cleanup - Ponderosa - 2 Dads from each circle needed
7:15-7:30 Parade to Indian Bowl
Start at Your Circle Cabins
7:30-8:45 Ceremony Indian Bowl
9:00-9:30 Snack Mess Hall

Sunday - Closing Ceremony
8:00-9:00 Breakfast Dining Hall -
Clean up-Shasta
9:15-10:15 Closing Ceremony Drake Amphitheater
10:30-11:00 Camp Store Open
Dining Hall
10:30-11:30 Nature Hike, YMCA guide to lead
Dining Hall
10:30-12:30 Climbing Wall - NO SPEED PASS REQUIRED after 11:30! North of Ball Field
10:30-12:30 Zip Line - NO SPEED PASS REQUIRED after 11:30! Behind the Admin Ctr
10:30-12:30 GaGa Pit
Ball Field
12:00 Checkout of your cabin!

 Suggestions

Check-in:  When you get there:
You can put your gear in your cabins anytime after 5:00pm on Friday. 

NEW: You must check in, Dad by Dad. Registration location and times are as follows:

  • Friday, 4:00-7:00PM - Simcock Lodge Porch
  • Saturday, 9:00-3:00 - Admin Building (on left as you drive in)


  • We will ask you to sign in and take (and wear) your name tag.  We will also give you “speed passes” for the Zip Line and Climbing Tower, first come–first served. There will also be a map and a schedule of events, if you need them.

    Friday Night:
    The evening is a casual get-together.  This is a great time to meet new members and get re-acquainted with old members.  Circles are on their own to provide food and drinks for their dinners and cook them. 

    Saturday:
    Show up anytime - the earlier the better.  It gives you a chance to meet everyone before the events of the day kick in.
    Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 8:00-9:00am.
    The Camp Store adjacent to the Dining Hall will be open at 9:00am until approximately 9:30am.

    Lunch is served at the barbeque area from 12:00-1:00pm.

    There will be water available at the Climbing Tower and at the GaGa Pit.

    After the events close, it is time for the circle members to meet at their respective cabins and practice their skits.  The skits are given during the evening ceremony.  This is also a good time for our younger daughters to get some much needed rest and refreshment.

    Dinner is served by our circle officers starting at 6:00pm and goes to 7:00pm. Please help clean up after dinner, so that we all can be ready for the evening festivities.

    The evening events start promptly at 7:00pm.  The evening starts with a parade through the cabins and up to the Indian bowl.  Have all the dads and daughters waiting outside their cabin at 7:00pm.  The procession will go by all the cabins and everyone joins in.  Listen for the sound of the approaching drum of Navigator Peter 'Mischievous Moose' Smails.   The procession then heads up the hill to the bowl where the ceremony begins at 7:15pm.

    Ceremony - wait and see.  It will be full of surprises.
    After the ceremony, everyone moves down the hill to the cafeteria where hot cocoa and snacks will be provided.

    Sunday:
    Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 8:00-9:00am.
    A closing ceremony occurs at the Drake Amphitheater starting at 9:15am.  The Camp Store will be open from 10:30 to approximately 11:00am adjacent to the Dining Hall.

    The Zip Line and Climbing Tower will be open from 10:30am-12:30pm- Speed Passes are not required after 11:30am.   The GaGa Pit will also be open from 10:30am-12:30pm.

    The popular Nature Hike through the Valley of the Giants will also leave the Dining Hall at 10:30am and will conclude approximately an hour later.

    How to get there:
    Go to http://sierra.lscheffer.com/ext/JonesGulchMap.html for driving directions.  It's a windy road, so be careful.  It takes about an hour to drive there from Saratoga.

    What to Bring:
    Your vest, sleeping bags and pillows, toiletries, sun block, warm clothes, flashlights and lanterns.  Good walking shoes.  You will also want to bring Friday evening and Saturday afternoon snacks and drinks.

    A little course knowledge:

    Pumpkin Carving - This event is located outside the mess hall.  It is much cleaner and more convenient to clean out the seeds in the comfort and safety of your own home. The rest of the carving is done at Jones Gulch.  Carving tools and decorations are provided, but are in short supply no matter how many we supply.  I've found that bringing your own carving utensils speeds up the process significantly.  All the other decorations are provided.  Also, there’s lots of paint and other clothes ruining stuff around.  I usually bring an old t-shirt to cover up my daughter for this.

    Zip Line and Wall Climbing – These are our most popular events.  We will assign your time blocks, first come, first served, as you check in.

    Again this year, we will have campfire rings at our individual cabins. Your circle Navigator has all the details on this. Our good reputation with Jones Gulch has given us this chance. We do not want to lose this luxury.  Please follow all the rules.  Remember to douse your fire when it is not attended.  Firewood is NOT supplied by Jones Gulch- under no circumstances are we to collect or burn local firewood! Stay tuned for firewood supply plans.

    Remember to bring camp chairs so you can sit and socialize with your circle.

    Your princess may insist she does not need a jacket at the ceremony. Temperatures of 40 degrees are common this time of year at night. Carry her jacket to the ceremony anyway (and bring yours too!).  I always bring a couple of car blankets to sit on during the ceremony and to use as a wrap if it gets really chilly.

    The trail to the Indian Bowl is dark and rocky.  Bring a flashlight for yourself and each of your princesses (Glowsticks are a popular alternative).

    Bring lots of liquids to drink.  Our girls can get pretty dehydrated during the events Saturday, which leads to severe grumpiness later that evening.  There will be some small water bottles at the Zip Line on Saturday.

    Raccoons;  Don't leave any food unguarded.  The Raccoons will get it.  Don't leave ice chests outside.  The raccoons have figured them out, too.  Lock all food in your cabin or your car. Make sure to close your cabin door and windows securely.  Don't try and pet them and don't feed them!

    Each cabin must be swept clean and litter picked up before you leave or we will be charged!