Session 1 in full swing

It's hard to believe that our very first session of Adamah Adventures will soon be over. They say that in camp time, a day feels like a week, a week feels like a month, a month feels like a year, and the summer goes by in a snap.  If I didn't believe that before, I certainly do now.  Before the summer passes us by, I want to share just a few highlights of the past three weeks. 

On June 9th, our staff tripled in size as we welcomed our 6 summer trek leaders.  We spent a jam-packed week learning, eating, singing, hiking, and living together, preparing for our summer.  One highlight was celebrating Shabbat together.  We are a diverse staff, and Shabbat has a different meaning for each of us.  It was wonderful to learn from each other and talk about how we will make Shabbat special at Adamah Adventures.

A second highlight was our backpacking trip.  We were treated to great weather, beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain vistas, and a great sunset.  While some of us have spent more time in the backcountry than others, it's clear that as a staff, we love being outside!

When the campers arrived on June 17, Bobbee and I turned to each other at one point and said, "Wow, we really have a camp!"  In only a few short hours, our group lodge was tranformed into a summer home.  Campers seemed like they'd been there forever, as they played ping pong in our Mercaz (center), played name games on Mirpeset Aleph (Porch 1), and ended the night singing Hashkiveinu and Sh'ma around our opening campfire.

By Friday, camp was in full swing.  Kids were swimming at the beach, practicing setting up tents, and learning the ethics of Leave No Trace.  Friday evening we welcomed Shabbat with a lakeside service, a delicious dinner, and a rocking song session.

On Saturday, we slept in, and had a leisurely breakfast.  After an interactive discussion of the weekly Torah portion, we had a cookout lunch, and then began our TREK Challenge!  Our first round of competitions included human knots, paddle boat relays, and tug-of-war.

Sunday, our trek groups parted ways.  The Utah Trek had a long travel day, but eventually made it to their campground in southern Utah.  The Blue Ridge Trek did their first grocery store trip, and then headed to Raccon Caverns, where they spent the night in a cave!  Here are some highlights from the first week of the treks:

The Blue Ridge Trek spent two days rock climbing, an afternoon snorkeling, and a day backpacking in Black Rock Mountain State Park:

The Utah Trek enjoyed a day of canyoneering, a couple days hiking in Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Parks, and a sunset Hummer tour:

We can't wait for both treks to return to base camp on Friday, and share all of their amazing stories of the past two weeks!

Hopefully many of you have been following our Facebook/Twitter updates.  We've also been posting pictures regularly to our secure online photo gallery.  If you'd like to gain access to the photo gallery, please call us at 404-297-4914 or email info@adamahadventures.org.