Surrounded by the Autumnal aspens who were casting their golden beams of light upon us, New Vista’s CAP Class followed the long and winding road to Camp Cheley in Estes Park, a place we would call home for the next two days.

After arriving, we oriented ourselves to this new space, wild and new to some students, while familiar and beloved by those who have attended a Cheley Camp before. Junior at New Vista, Oscar, gave us our first opportunity to “try on a new lens,” or to see the world from another perspective. He brought us back to his summer spent in that exact same place, telling us about what this space means to him. Oscar recounted vivid memories of nights under the stars and campfires surrounded by new friends. Whether Oscar’s recollections were fortuitous, or an intentional framing of the changes he predicted that were soon to come, we may never know!

We set up camp under a cloudless, blue sky, below the rustling leaves of shedding trees. After creating a home for themselves, students came back together for an afternoon of action-packed fun. From a cut-throat game of Water-Bottle-Shoe, to one-match fire competitions, to a interpretive hike looking at animal tracks and identifying plants, students learned new ways to view fire building, as well as novel strategies for looking at the stories left behind by animals as they traverse the land we are on.

Dinner was followed by a campfire, where, after energy had reached its crescendo, students began to wind down. The day was stamped with one final unforgettable memory as a meteor flew through the dark night sky, evoking many “ohhs” and “ahhs” from the onlooking students. With bellies full of s’mores and many laughs, we went to bed with the gentle sounds of a nearby creek, always flowing through our dreams.

On the second day, we reviewed the Survival Rule of 3’s. We recalled that the dangers of exposure (for example, ongoing exposure to cold causing potential hypothermia) is one of the highest priorities to address upon the onset of a survival situation. With the goal of preserving energy while building an insulated and waterproof shelter, students learned to view the landscape in a new way. No longer is a fallen tree simply a fallen tree; now, that tree is the base of a protected shelter. Rock features became walls to little structures, and large swathes of bark turned into front doors.

The day wrapped up with a final game of camouflage. Students practiced interacting with the landscape with the mindset of a predator as well as as a prey. Students hid in the brush, behind trees, and against rocky outcrops that acted as backdrops to disguise their human forms. The land again transformed before our eyes. In the eyes of a mountain lion, these tall grasses are a place from which you can stalk your prey. However, in the eyes of the rabbit, you see threats hidden in previously unnoticed locations.

We concluded our trip with a final reflection, giving gratitude to the land while celebrating each other, plus a birthday! We said goodbye to the place that held us for the past two days, to the place we learned to call home, the place that transformed before our eyes, becoming larger than we ever knew possible.

Are you inspired to give more students the unforgettable memories of watching a meteor fly across the sky and creeping through tall grasses with the mindset of a mountain lion? Please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly donor! Donors like you help us continue getting students outside and connecting them to nature.