Summer Camp Special: Over-night Camp Out

Who's afraid of the dark? FalconCamp 2020

It was the night we’d all been waiting for, and we could not have chosen a better evening for it. Both with the Falcons camp, and the Fox camp, it was as if we had reached peak summer. As Hayden had explained, this was the “crossover episode” of the season, and once everyone had been dropped off and introduced, we all made our way down to Cow River beach.

Members of the FoxCamp tribe make their way to Cow River beach

We made quite the parade as we walked down to the beach, and we made quite a splash when we hit the water, too. Amid backflip contests and frog-catching, handstands and sandcastles, it didn’t long for the hours to pass, and soon it was time to head back to the old school and get set-up for the night.

Ella performs a flip during the backflip competition, while Josie and Amadea look on

Ellen, Rita, and Abby take time out to catch a frog, scoring points for their team in the process

The girls get ready to go swimming, while the boys catch up

​We were pitching our tents down by the river, and as we wound our way down the footpath and into the valley, everyone was amazed as the beauty and isolation of our camping spot. There was an island in the river, with two water crossings to access the other spaces, and it was a mad dash to claim a tent site that best suited everyone.

Everyone listens as we share our plans for the night

​Through a flurry of tent poles and tarps things slowly took shape (very slowly, in Abby’s case) until we had established our own tent city. Once every had staked their claim, it was time to eat.

Hauling the gear down to the river; some packed enough to spend a week!

Fresh off the lessons of cooking that we learned at our campfire cookout back on the beach, everyone was ready to get down to business and make something good. For the FalconCamp, we were cooking over the fire down at the Gnarled Root, and it took a concerted effort to carry pots, pans, utensils, food, tables, and benches all the way down there, and it was just as much work to keep the fire going. A malfunctioning can-opener was an impediment to progress, but with Mr. Paton’s hatchet, and Reagan’s persistence, it was nothing that we couldn’t handle.

Ayda and Ava demonstrate that patience is a virtue, particularly when Ruthie is helping

On order was cornbread (thanks to the Olivias), spicy hot ramen, and chili (special thanks to Sarah for having the patience to cut and cook those veggies) with our secret ingredient: salamander! Everything was a boiling hot mess, but it was our mess, and come supper time we were happy to eat it.

Shown above: the girls prepare for a future of cooking in residence

Over on the FoxCamp side, the fire ban took the spark out of our cooking ideations, and so we moved things up to the school grounds, where through a wild setup of grills, electric kettles, and pizza ovens we did what we do best: we made do! Savannah, Michael, George, and many other helping hands got to work on the chili, while Avery prepared the best banana bread I’ve eaten in the woods.

We had an entire army boiling hot water as it was needed, with Ella, Lexi, Kennedy, Bella, Serena, and so many more helping lead the charge. And I must say, by the time supper was ready, we’d sure earned it, and it was the spiciest thing we’d ever eaten!

Over at FoxCamp, it was a meal fit for the ages

It was around this point that it began to get dark, and that is when things really started to get exciting. Now, there’s an old saying that what happens at camp, stays at camp, so it was here that we started to put our cameras away, and let the magic of the night take over. 
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The Foxes began with the “Schoolhouse Swap” game, where everyone received a lovely article of clothing, and had to switch seats in the old school based upon the instructions that they drew out of a hat, with the objective being to finish the game while wearing the beautiful purple sweater that Markus so warmly embraced. And while there were several winners at this game, the real winner was Logan, who rocked the best outfit of them all, in red pants and a football jersey.

Finishing our meal, and moving on to our 'treats' --- for better or for worse

This was their last chance, before things got scary

It was then that both teams made their way down to the old root, where it was time to taste and try some of the wildest treats we’d ever imagined. After that, the stories began to flow like a river, a trickle at first, but became a cascade of disbelief as the woods grew dark. The Foxes learned the story of the Bears and the Bandifrigs, while the Falcons heard the details of the Wookalark, and the Story of the Stone Children. In both cases, something buried beneath the fire proved to be the height of imagination, and with this treasure unearthed it was back to the old school, where magic was afoot!

Things can get spooky in the dark, something everyone learned first hand

Magic is a slippery thing, and to explain it, is to forego it, and so it will suffice to say that everyone at FoxCamp learned about the hidden potential they’d held inside themselves all along, while those at FalconCamp discovered that magic, real magic, is much closer than they had ever before known, and that there was more to the story than mere make-believe.
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Within an hour we were back into the woods, where fun and fear had reached a fever pitch. I’m sure those that were there will gladly tell more about what happened, but tragically I myself am sworn to secrecy; but let me say this: an egg was buried, an attic was explored, a potion was unbottled, a chest was unlocked, a key remained hidden, a book was signed, and a legend was born that will last throughout the ages.

While some retreated to their tents, Mr. Paton continued on with his terrifying tales

And then, just like that, sleep came knocking, and one by one our intrepid campers made their way into their tents, where they lay down under the stars, amid the trees, and beside the river. All except Rita, who some say is still singing the music from The Little Mermaid, even to this day. In all cases morning came quickly, and then it was a flurry of french toast to feed our hungry campers, as dawn seized the day once more. It was soggy shoes, and lost socks, and ‘where’s my bowl?’ [hint: I still have your bowls, please come and get them!] and then, like stars on the horizon, the parents arrived one by one, lest their children be abandoned in the wilderness.

We couldn't have asked for a more sublime place to camp

Worn and weary, we wait to be picked up after our adventure

By 9AM it was all over, and Jesse and I were left sitting on the deck, surrounded by wet towels and forgotten mason jars, satisfied in the knowledge that for at least one night, we were kids again, and that in those moments, the world was ours.
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Yours in adventure,

Nathan and Jesse
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Wishing a special thank you to Zoe O’Regan, Brooklyn MacInnis, Georgia Fraser, Amadea Llewellyn, Ella MacAulay, and all the neighbours and parents who helped to make this possible. We couldn’t do it without you!

...and as the last van drove off, Jesse was left pondering the choices he had made that had led him to this point.