The AXL Academy CAP overnight trip started off with a fun stop at a creek in the mountains before arriving at our campsite at Sylvan Dale Ranch. Two of our most adventurous students, Brooklyn and Fatima, had an accidental swim in the creek- but it was all in good fun and they were ready with another pair of clothes to change into.

The weather was pretty grim when we arrived at the campsite, lots of rain and wind, but we made the decision to have fun anyway!  First, we had a build-your-own pizza for lunch. Next we attempted to set-up a tarp for coverage, which was pretty difficult with the wind. Finally, the wind and rain died down. We were able to set up our tents and it was really challenging for most students. Melbin actually had an easy time with the setup and helped Ms.G set up her tent. After about a hour, our campsite was ready!

Later that day, we went hiking and played a lot of Gaga-Ball in the onsite enclosure. The hike was hard, but the view at the top was all worth it in the end. This was some students’ favorite part of the trip.  We even saw a coyote in the wild!  When we came back down we had some kids prepare us some pizza rice, a CI camping staple! We weren’t sure what to expect but it was actually pretty good! After all that food we had some scholars do the dishes. Before bed we saw some unbelievable stars. Melbin pointed out Mars, Zach pointed out Orion’s belt, and Lilly pointed out the big dipper. The kids ended the night socializing in a tent for a bit before going to bed.

Camping was a new experience for most, and many of us had a rough night’s sleep because it was so cold!  The next day, the kids woke up surprisingly early and ended up playing some more Gaga-Ball and hide-and-seek. We treated ourselves to s’mores for breakfast (yum!) after building the fire. Lilly also had an amazing amount of oatmeal – five packets. The day ended with a couple rounds of another fun game, camouflage outside, and some time to reflect with a sit spot. The kid were completely worn out by the end of the trip, but still had a lot to talk about on the van ride home. It was such a great experience for everyone!

A big thank you to everyone at Sylvan Dale Ranch for their partnership!
See more photos from the trip here!
Written by CAP instructor Kristin Gorman