Slimy, Gooey, Gross 4-H Camp
Yet another successful 4-H summer camp took place last week. Caribou County was once again joined by neighboring counties Bear Lake, Franklin, Oneida and Power who all traveled to the 4-H campsite in Alpine Wyoming. Originally the site was set aside for a Civil Conservation Corp camp in the 1930’s. Later Extension educators envisioned a camp where 4-H youth could go to learn skills and lessons in a variety of fields. In the early days the camp consisted of just one commissary building while the campers stayed in tents. Over the years improvements have been made and additional buildings built. Today the camp has several cabins for the youth to stay in along with buildings for classes and bathrooms complete with showers.
Camp participants consist of youth ages 8-12 years of age. The campers are accompanied by several adult chaperones as well as youth camp counselors that are typically in jr. high and high school. This year's camp had about 150 youth in attendance from the five counties listed above.
Every year there is a camp theme. This year's theme was Slimy, Gooey, Gross. Kids were able to participate in traditional classes such as archery and rifle shooting. As well as themed classes such as dirt cups where they learned about the different soil layers and worm dissection. Other fun activities that take place include campfires where this year campers were told the story of the famous grizzly bear Old Ephriam. There is also the counselor hunt where the teen counselors hide throughout the camp while groups of campers search for them. A true game of cat and mouse. And of course no 4-H camp is complete without the carnival. This is where the teen counselors set up different games and challenges for the campers to participate in. As you can guess by now the teen counselors play a large role in the 4-H camps success. This year Caribou County had four teen counselors, Cooper Hamilton, Anna Rose, Brian Egley, and Naomi Crofts. Cooper Hamilton was voted favorite boy teen counselor.
Another traditional activity is the hike to the cross. Above the camp on a nearby mountain is a cross placed on top. The campers and those chaperones that are brave enough make the trek up the steep switchback path that leads to the cross. Those that succeed are rewarded with spectacular views of the camp as well as the town of Alpine and the Palisades Reservoir.
The camp is just three short days but the new friends and memories made by the youth will last them a lifetime. If you missed out on the opportunity to take part in this year's camp do not despair. The camp will undoubtedly take place again next June as the 4-H and the Extension office are always looking for ways to improve both the camp facilities as well as the experience.
