The SAIL's early spring camp out this year was at Inks Lake State Park. Instead of ice or freezing rain, this year’s February campout boasted daytime temperatures in the eighties! Luckily we were blessed with a cool breeze, so it was a very pleasant weekend.
After setting up camp Friday evening, we took our traditional night hike. Finding a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake bathed in bright moonlight, we spent five minutes just listening and looking. We didn’t hear any owls this time, just some Canadian geese over in the rushes. For the next few minutes we talked about creation and the beauty around us before heading off to bed.
Sabbath morning after a bountiful breakfast of fruit and Ube purple pancakes (so delicious!) we headed out for a hike. Each Pathfinder was given a map with the planned route, and each took a turn leading the way following the map. The rest were responsible to keep track of where we were, observe landmarks, and make sure the leaders were turning correctly at trail junctions. Sometime the trail was difficult to follow over rocky terrain and it took a group effort to find the right way. Part way through the hike we found a scenic rock pile and stopped to discuss Noah’s flood as part of our church-time worship.
After a hearty lunch back at camp and and bit of rest, we headed out again to hike to the Devil’s Waterhole and Spring Creek waterfall. The water was so cool and refreshing to hot feet, the rocks so fun to scramble over. Skipping rocks, catching frogs, and watching a lizard eat its cricket dinner were all part of the fun. Then it was back down the trail to have sundown worship, which was about Ellen White’s vision of Orion, and to attend the Star Party provided by astronomers who brought their telescopes to let folks look at different things in the sky. It was so cool looking at the Orion Nebula, Jupiter with its stripes & moons, and Saturn with its rings. Of course, the special thing about tonight was the fact that the planets were all lined up across the sky (even though we couldn’t actually see them all, with such bright moonlight).
The Sabbath day ended with a late supper, and the senior unit practiced for backpacking by making their own meals on their mini camping stoves, reconstituting dehydrated dinners. One particular Pathfinder, who shall remain nameless, continued his unvarying theme of powdered mashed potatoes—seems to be his favorite!
Sunday morning before breakfast we drove over to visit the bird blind. We didn’t see anything memorable there, but the birds at our campsite were very vocal and plentiful, including a cute little titmouse and an inquisitive cardinal looking for handouts. We saw flocks of white pelicans and geese, and heard the beautiful sound of sandhill cranes in migration.
Then we packed up and migrated back to our homes—another campout completed, another batch of good memories packed away.
After setting up camp Friday evening, we took our traditional night hike. Finding a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake bathed in bright moonlight, we spent five minutes just listening and looking. We didn’t hear any owls this time, just some Canadian geese over in the rushes. For the next few minutes we talked about creation and the beauty around us before heading off to bed.
Sabbath morning after a bountiful breakfast of fruit and Ube purple pancakes (so delicious!) we headed out for a hike. Each Pathfinder was given a map with the planned route, and each took a turn leading the way following the map. The rest were responsible to keep track of where we were, observe landmarks, and make sure the leaders were turning correctly at trail junctions. Sometime the trail was difficult to follow over rocky terrain and it took a group effort to find the right way. Part way through the hike we found a scenic rock pile and stopped to discuss Noah’s flood as part of our church-time worship.
After a hearty lunch back at camp and and bit of rest, we headed out again to hike to the Devil’s Waterhole and Spring Creek waterfall. The water was so cool and refreshing to hot feet, the rocks so fun to scramble over. Skipping rocks, catching frogs, and watching a lizard eat its cricket dinner were all part of the fun. Then it was back down the trail to have sundown worship, which was about Ellen White’s vision of Orion, and to attend the Star Party provided by astronomers who brought their telescopes to let folks look at different things in the sky. It was so cool looking at the Orion Nebula, Jupiter with its stripes & moons, and Saturn with its rings. Of course, the special thing about tonight was the fact that the planets were all lined up across the sky (even though we couldn’t actually see them all, with such bright moonlight).
The Sabbath day ended with a late supper, and the senior unit practiced for backpacking by making their own meals on their mini camping stoves, reconstituting dehydrated dinners. One particular Pathfinder, who shall remain nameless, continued his unvarying theme of powdered mashed potatoes—seems to be his favorite!
Sunday morning before breakfast we drove over to visit the bird blind. We didn’t see anything memorable there, but the birds at our campsite were very vocal and plentiful, including a cute little titmouse and an inquisitive cardinal looking for handouts. We saw flocks of white pelicans and geese, and heard the beautiful sound of sandhill cranes in migration.
Then we packed up and migrated back to our homes—another campout completed, another batch of good memories packed away.
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