Leave (Some) Trace

Last week I taught the Sparks during their “Campfire 101” class the seven principles of Leave No Trace.

We discussed the importance of leaving places in which we go with as little impact as possible. These places could be the pristine wilderness of Linville Gorge, a far-off national park like Zion or Glacier, or even our half-a-million-acre neighbor, Pisgah National Forest.

One of the best ways to do this is by practicing principle #2: Camp and Travel on Durable Surfaces. This principle includes ethical choices like not making a new trail through a wild grassy meadow. I told the sparks: Don’t make a new campsite by cutting down trees. Don’t make the trail wider by avoiding the mud puddle. In simple words, use the trails and campsites that are already established so wilderness can remain wild.

LNT was designed for wild spaces. Think national parks, forests, or wilderness. Illahee is not necessarily that. We certainly want to clean up after ourselves, but with hundreds of busy campers spending a ton of time on around 150 acres, it would be impossible not to leave a trace.

I walked around on this beautiful Tuesday observing, and even admiring the traces left.

• There’s the volleyball court. What was a few weeks ago a grassy field is now stripped bare after dozens of campers have played countless hours of volleyball led by our awesome counselors Hannah and Mary Morgan. Games were won. Games were lost. Fun was had. Leadership even joined in today, challenging the campers. Claire is by far the best of us. Her defensive blocking skills earned her the nickname “Stonewall Harris” back at Rosman High School.
• There’s also the pasture. Once overflowing with wildflowers and tall grass, it has been cut short, not by a mower necessarily, but by the mouths of nearly two dozen horses. There are hoof prints all over the place, and yet it is still beautiful because over a hundred different campers have ridden these horses over the past few weeks, learning new skills and gaining confidence.
• The trails, once loose dirt from recent construction this offseason, are packed down thanks to hours of labor by our trail maintenance team and even more hours of riding thanks to the 40 or so girls who were bold enough to sign up for our first year of mountain biking!
• Gardner and I shared our kitchen today during choice period with the 40 campers from Team Uruguay. They earned this cookie making party for coming in second place in the Olympics. Both our kitchen floors, and my waistline show traces from this good time had by all.
• The Rec Lodge tonight hosted the gymnastics show and our feature presentation “The Lion King!” Over 30 campers performed, designed costumes, and built set pieces to make this amazing musical happen! It was awesome!
• Even the tread on my crocs is showing the sign of the many miles I’ve walked around these past 2 ½ weeks.

There are traces all over camp of great times.

The beautiful thing is that there will always be a trace of camp on your daughter too. Not just in the stains of grass and mud on her clothes; Not just in the missing socks or friendship bracelets on her wrists, but in the intangible aspects of camp that can never be washed out. In the new skills learned, friendships made, passions discovered, confidence built, and joy found. I saw it tonight as gymnasts flipped and twisted on the mats. I saw it as girls sang and acted their hearts out on stage. I see it everyday in this job, and I’m grateful to get to see it.

peace,

Lucas