Sierra Expedition - YMCA Adventure Guides
| |
Sierra Expedition - YMCA Adventure Guides
|
All Jones Gulch Resources are available
from 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-5:00pm on Saturday. Some are
available on Sunday morning
as
noted below (in particular the climbing wall, zip line, and Gaga Pit as
these are
popular and relatively time consuming).
The climbing tower is available for group use
(weather permitting). The climbing tower has 2 beginning routes, 2
moderate routes, and one advanced route.
There will be YMCA instructors supervising the activity, and it is
open from 9:00-12:00 and from 1:00-5:00 on Saturday. It is open
from 10:30-12:30 on Sunday.
The zip line is located behind the Administration building and will be manned by certified instructors from the YMCA. 16 people can use the zip line per hour. The zip line is open from 9:00-12:00 and from 1:00-5:00 on Saturday. It is open from 10:30-12:30 on Sunday.
The Gaga Pit is new this year and will be located at the ball field. A Gaga Pit is a 20-by-20-foot octagon-shaped court surrounded by a raised wall on which a type of dodgeball is played. This game is all the rage and will be lots of fun. The ball is placed in the center of the court, and one player punches the ball with a closed fist along the ground. Any player touched by the ball is out and must step out of the court. If the ball hits the side of the court, another player can catch it and punch it along the ground again. The last player untouched by the ball is the winner. The Gaga Pit is open from 9:00-12:00 and from 1:00-5:00 on Saturday. It is open from 10:30-12:30 on Sunday.
Highly recommended. Trail maps of the area around Camp Jones Gulch are available that show hikes to the Valley of the Giants, Buckeye Grove, Haskins Hill, The Pond, Indian Bowl or if time allows to Pomponio Falls. At 10:30am on Sunday, a guided nature hike will be led by one of the Jones Gulch folks.
There is an eight-target archery range. A YMCA instructor will supervise and operate this activity. A five-target archery range is available. We recommend that dads accompany their princesses to the archery range. The range is open from 9:00-12:00 and from 1:00-5:00 on Saturday.
We will have access to the Jones Gulch ball field. Please feel free to bring appropriate sporting equipment; e.g., baseball, Frisbees, footballs, soccer balls, etc.
Canoeing is available at the Jones Gulch pond (weather permitting). They have four canoes and up to 3 people may be in each canoe. 15-20 minutes per turn is recommended. A YMCA instructor and certified lifeguard will be present from 9:00-12:00 and from 1:00-5:00 on Saturday.
9am-5pm Saturday in the Dining Hall
Also, don't
forget the Pumpkin Carving Contest!
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.
When you get there:
You can put your gear in your cabins anytime after 3:00pm on
Friday. Once you get to your cabin, there will be an envelope
with name tags and a sign-in sheet. Please sign in and take (and
wear) your name tag. 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. The Mystic circle will set-up a
campfire in the lunch/barbeque area (right by the majority of the
cabins). There are plenty of tables
around to eat at. Bring your own food and snacks for this
evening. There will be smores makings available for those who
want to fulfill that camping necessity. Remember to bring camp
chairs so you can sit around and socialize with the other circle
members. Also remember to bring flashlights and lanterns.
It can be really dark underneath the redwoods.
Saturday:
Show up anytime - the earlier the
better. It gives you a chance to meet everyone before the days
events kick in.
Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 8:00 to 9:00.
The morning events start at 9:00 and
go to 12:00. The morning events include the Climbing Wall, Zip
Line, GaGa Pit, Pumpkin Carving (don't forget to bring your own
pumpkin) and the Jelly Bean Counting Contest.
Lunch is served at
the
barbeque area from 12:00 - 1:00.
From 1:00 to 5:00 all the events (wall
climbing, zip-line, archery, canoeing, pumpkin carving and the jelly bean counting contest) are ongoing.
After the events close, it's time for the circle members to meet at their respective cabins and practice their skit. The skits are given during the 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 5:30, and goes to 6:45. Dinner is prepared by our resident Chef Todd and his circle (Paradise circle) Make sure you thank these dads for all the effort they put out to make dinner a success. Please help clean up after dinner, so that we all can be ready for the evening festivities.
The evening events start promptly at 7:00. 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. The procession will go by all the cabins and everyone joins in. The procession then heads up the hill to the bowl where the ceremony begins.
Saturday night
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 to 9:00.
A closing ceremony occurs at the Drake
Amphitheater starting at 9:15.
At 10:30, a guided nature hike will be
led by one of the Jones Gulch folks.
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. 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, and also the slowest. If you are there early, it is wise to do these events as soon as you arrive.
This year, we can 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 supplied by Jones Gulch, but it is wise to bring fire starter and kindling.
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. 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 wrap up in 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.
Bring lots of liquids to drink. Our girls can get pretty dehydrated during the events Saturday, which leads to severe grumpiness later that evening.