Alexander Brown is psyched about winter camping.

The Community Adventure Program hit the road last weekend for their first winter camping overnight.  With the use of a 15-passenger van we were able to seek out the snow for some winter activities, despite the warm temperatures.  The 10 students, 2 student leaders and 2 Cottonwood Institute Instructors had a great time bonding as a group, playing in the snow and learning some new skills!

Luke Jirman, Roland Platt and Jordan Seebohm dig our their quinzhee.

On Saturday morning we circled up after loading the trailer to take a breath and look forward to our weekend together. The group headed up to Brainard Lake Recreation Area where we found ample snow for snow-shoeing and building quinzhees.  We had a fabulous day of sun and moderate winter temperatures with amazingly clear blue skies which provided some astounding lunch time views of Mount Audubon.  We constructed two quinzhees and learned a lot about being outside in the winter.

Saturday night we indulged in the warmth and comfort of a cabin at Highlands Camp & Retreat Center in Allenspark, CO.  This cushy setting allowed the group time to sit around telling stories and deepening their relationship with each other.  After a night hike, most of the group camped outside in the starry unseasonably warm night.

On Sunday we spent some time learning stalking skills and immersing ourselves further into nature and awareness of our surroundings. In addition to enhancing our depth of perception of the natural world, we all had a ton of fun!

Our class is now delving into energy conservation for their Action Project and looking forward to another trip in February!

CAP 28 poses at Red Rock Lake with Mt. Audubon in the background. Clockwise from left: Luke J., Jordan, Tavius, Alexander, Maddy, Clark, Benji, Aaron, Jo, Aleyna, Meagan, Roland, Madeline