Elevation (Day 5)

Morning of the last day. It was almost even mourning, but not quite at the beginning of the morning.

I woke up, and whether I gathered and packed my stuff before breakfast I cannot accurately recall, though it may have been that I needed to pack before I could go get breakfast. Either before or after breakfast is when we broke camp, though there was still more before leaving camp.

It was still wet weather, though maybe not as bad as it had been yesterday, sprinkles here and there.

I went about collecting more signatures and messages from my fellow campers into my yearbook throughout the morning.

We appointed a male and female member of our pod to represent us during the Williamsburger race that would be just a little later in the morning, as did the other pods.

Then the time for the Williamsburger arrived...


Usually the race has four parts, running, climbing, ascending and swimming. But due to the weather, the race had to be modified, and the elements of climbing and ascending were substituted for burpie-jacks and the Nalgene challenge.

We formed up a runway arch with our arms for the Williamsburgers to run through as they prepared to start the race, the first element was running. They ran through the arch and then onto the start of the race-line they went. I was cheering from the start and finish line, seeing as they doubled back along the road they were running. The runners came in and their times were marked down. Then it was onto the burpie-jacks... They ran through the arch and then onto the start of the race-line they went.

There was a set amount to be accomplished and the time to do it was tracked. It seems that it was 75reps for the ladies and 100reps for the guys, but I could be off on the count. After completion and a short break for instructions, it was time for the Nalgene challenge...

The goal was simple, set your water bottle as far away from the start as possible, then be on the start side of the line. The catch? You can't touch the ground with anything but the bottles. There were many ways invented to accomplish this task, stretching far, clomping along and balancing precariously, among others. They took the distances and marked them down. Then the swimming...

The Williamsburgers did a certain number of laps and their times were marked down. Then the mentors took to tallying up all the different amounts into a final score...

During this time we took pod photos with dramatic poses and general happiness. Some also made sure to get some final entries into their yearbooks.

Then it was announced that they had the scores ready, they brought out all the Williamsburgers and announced their final scores. All did extremely well and most exceeded averages from past times. Our pod's female Williamsburger took fourth place out of six pods. And our pod's male Williamsburger took third place out of six pods.

The two ultimate Williamsburgers, (male and female) were petitioned to come forward at this time. They each took a knee and the headmaster knighted them each with an Elevation Ballcap! Thus ended the Williamsburger race of this transformative session of Elevation.

Then there was a final ceremony that some family members had come to attend, there were a few words from the headmaster and then we all gathered in a huge campwide group hug!

After this I went to a couple more people to say good bye and ask them to sign my yearbook, journeyed home with most of the carpool group from before, we had some wonderful conversations and ended up going to Café Rio where most people will go to for lunch and further have a wonderful time while together from all over the country. As a large group was getting ready to leave the restaurant, there was a cry gone out, "1!2!3!" At which point the whole group from Elevation clapped two times and issued forth a shout. This is known as the Elevation clap, and had been done throughout the week to get attention and to celebrate, but now it was a fitting farewell to excellent friends, bidding them safe travels. Which were had by all as they returned home. I stuck around a little bit longer to soak in the transformative energy of those amazing people.

I knew that though Elevation week was over now and we'd only be together for a few minutes longer, it was not to be the end of bonds with friends and of transformations into better people. It was just the beginning...

Elevation (Day 4)

I awoke with the early morning rays seeping through the clouds that were starting to hang around, threating rain later. But the morning was fine, cool and brought with it a sense of adventure for the day ahead. And it was true, I had lived through the night! I readily gathered my stuff together after dressing for the day and headed over to the volleyball pit for sunrise yoga.

Yoga brought more balance to the already serene morning and to the campers gathered in a spirit of harmony and respect. After yoga, breakfast began. It was probably a good breakfast, though details have slipped out as to what it was, it would be surprising if it wasn't oatmeal though. Conversations like to abound during breakfast times, what else could a spirit of belonging bring?

At this time, once breakfast had ended we gathered into our pods and meditated about the coming day and bond together more as well as a chance to journal further. At one of these morning pod meditations (possibly this one) we ended up with a pod cheer, based off of a bag of popcorn that Aunt Jemama brought for us, it's title was "Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn" our cheer was "123, Boom Chicka Pop!" (with a high note on the Pop!) We liked this cheer and used it a few times.

We then readied ourselves for solo time that would be happening soon, gathering such items as snacks, journals, lunches, water and whatever else you may have been inclined to bring to meditate and enjoy some solo time in nature. We gathered into pods and our pod mentors directed us to where we would go and have our solo time.

I ended up on a rock. A big rock by the creek, a good big rock by the creek. I varied what I meditated on throughout the few hours we'd been given to meditate. At times I would journal, at others I tried to get comfortable on the rock, and yet at others I just contemplated the beauty and serenity of being in nature, especially right next to a creek as I was.

In this picture you can see how the creek turns into a fork to continue on it's path, I thought about how I seemed to have taken the smaller fork, the road less traveled as Frost said in his poem. While most of my peers in the world would take the larger stream, (the right bend around the rock) I would take the smaller, less noticed stream. (the left bend around the rock) As I reflected on it that day, (and this day) I noticed that my life was not normal. I've known this, however, I knew that I would do great and different things with my life, good positive things that would bless many people.

After a few hours of contemplation, meditation and coming more in harmony and balance with myself, my pod's mentor Aunt Jamama came over and started talking with me about what I'd been thinking about. She reaffirmed the good thoughts I'd been having about my life, told me of the goodness she saw in me and said that she felt the same in many ways.

[We can choose who we'll be, and just a moment of quiet reflection and pondering can help us create an image of ourselves as who we want to be, and then go become that.]

After discussing with my mentor, I had a little more time to reflect and ponder on things. Then we gathered all our pod together and discussed insights we'd had during solo time. There was a spirit of love and belonging in that conversation and we all bonded further together. We took a couple pictures with our pod and then left to go back to the main area of camp.

It was a little after coming back to camp that I finally decided that I would go tackle ascending since I'd not done it yet. Unfortunately the sky had gathered rainclouds and it was starting to sprinkle and drizzle a little bit, removing the chance to use any of the climbing gear due to safety concerns. Since that was the last chance to conquer that challenge of ascending at Elevation, I determined to take the next chance I get in life to conquer that and show myself that I can get higher than a third of the way up the rope.

There was many good conversations that happened during free time. Some games were played and though there was water coming down, it was still a good time. There was one lad who had caught a crawdad and some people watched as they interacted with it on a puddly table.

Since the rain came down really hard at times, we gathered under a roof that was for the pool-food shack-restaurant-patio-thingy. I played a couple games of chess as well as something similar to reversi. There were a couple guys that grabbed a log and did a short Caber-toss challenge between themselves, but alas I did not get a picture since it was raining and water and cameras don't mix. They did it though, and inspired me to try it when I had the chance later that Summer, it is a fun, though dangerous sport! Be careful if you're not familiar with the Scottish tradition of the Caber-toss.

One silver-lining benefit to being limited to the patio if you wanted to stay dry, was that I was able to start having people sign my yearbook! This was the first time I'd had a yearbook, and it was actually just the back of my notebook, but it has been so good to go back and read all the entries of my friends and their words of encouragement.

At the appointed time, or maybe later due to rain preventing campfire cooking, we had dinner of hot dogs at the patio, cooked on grills. Being the last night, some left over foodstuffs were brought to add interesting elements to the hot dogs, though unfortunately the weirdest I remember right now is BBQ sauce on them, and that's good! And actually, it was tacos or quesadillas that were the first food choice, but those ran out so we moved to hot dogs, which also ran out. But most were filled, even though there was talk of making a Mickey D's run to sate over all possible remaining hunger.

Sometime during dinner a campfire had been ignited, despite mother nature's protest with the rain. Once it was blazing pretty well there was a small burning of a pair of pants that had been found along the river at one point. (being at least the second pair found) They slowly disappeared.

The time had now come for "My Pod's Got Talent!" all the pods got together briefly and planned out a short skit/story/song/act/sketch/performance to play out in front of all the camp. As our pod deliberated, I threw out the possibility of telling a story of my Great-grandfather's life. The details I gave excited them and so we planned out how to turn it into a short skit to perform.

Then came Showtime! The order of events went something like this, a head mentor singing a song with a guitar accompaniment, leading into the whole pod singing along with them. Then a reenactment of the headmaster and his instructions regarding walls, and then exploring the thoughts of those involved in the activity. Ranging from, "does my breath smell bad?" to, "man, she is so cute!" and the like... (the re-creation of the headmaster's looks were quite accurate)



Which is which?

Then followed some form of line-chicken dancing-fighting. The journalistic evidence only shows blurry pictures and a couple of chickens lying on the ground, then those same chickens with other fellow chickens reaffirming their eliteness over all the others, ever. A demonstration of the newest iPhone followed. Enacting the positive and negative elements of the many apps that will come with it, and their lagginess or inability to work.

A run-through of a normal day at Elevation appears to have been next, though maybe something else. At this point our pod went and reenacted the story of when my great-grandfather was executed by the Russians, and how he then went back to the German lines back to join his unit in the German army. But that's a story for another day...

The final skits are unidentifiable by photo or memory, but alas 'tis so.

Later events of the night may have included a rating of the best skit, but it at least contained a brief pod devotional-gathering. As well as ballroom dance moves in the volleyball pit and further yearbooking.

Then the mentors finally coerced all of us to go to bed, despite our desires to continue bonding and talking with each other through the night, the morning held promise for further great things...

Elevation (Day 3)

It's been almost a year since I've blogged on here and I still needed to finish my story about my week at Elevation. Enjoy!

 

 

• 
  

  I awoke to the sound of others in my tent, yet again having slept through my alarm on my watch, but not having anything to worry because it might have helped without my knowing at the time. Regardless, I got ready for the day, grabbed my bowl for oatmeal and set out for the center of camp where the food was.
• As I was getting my oatmeal, I decided to put cinnamon on today, along with blueberries. I went to find a seat and/or someone to talk to, I ended up standing around talking to people while eating...
• Or at least trying to eat. As I had found out too late, I put more cinnamon in than would have been decent for even two bowls of oatmeal. But I had to eat it, and so I did. Right up until pod morning huddles were about to start.
• I did end up stalling the start a little bit, although we were able to have our morning huddle without issue. After our huddle we went over to the main camp area to get briefed on what our service project for the day would be.
• As the dice rolled, my pod and another were selected to clear the down-canyon path and make it better. While it wasn't boring, there wasn't much exciting that happened besides finding a pair of jeans that had been there a while, as well as a metal fence post. Besides those surprises we just cleaned out any trash and cleared the paths as well as adding a couple barriers to keep the path where it was supposed to be.
• Prior to the service project the E-Ninjas (those who have attended Elevation 4 or more times) had left on the E-Ninja trip. (Which didn't involve me seeing as it was my first time, but it involve more rappelling, a tight squeeze through some rocks and a venture into what appeared to be lava tubes)
• This left our pod with two fewer people, but that was part of the next challenge, the simulation.
• As we were leaving the service project we lingered around a could minutes waiting for the simulation to start. Or at least that's what I did (but I saw others doing so too) until I was informed that I would need shoes that could get wet, or sandals. But not flip flops, unless they had a back-strap. Which the ones I brought didn't have. And so I had to get my socks off and into my tent before the simulation started, which was very soon. And in my rush I didn't think to grab my ready pack.
• The simulation started with our pod and another pod being led down-canyon to the simulation points. Both of us going to a different one.
• Our lot was to end up with the shelter exercise first.
• Because a flash flood had come by earlier and wiped out all of the structures that had been there, with another storm on it's way and us stuck in the canyon. So we had to build a shelter that would defend us from the rains coming our way.
• And with such information we knew we had little time to act, we started looking for areas that would work with the tarp and rope we'd been supplied with. Someone started looking near the river for an area that would work. It was here that I put my foot down.
• I explained how when I was usually in these situations I just let whoever could direct the group lead it to whatever they chose, including at times when I knew it was certain disaster. But I put my foot down and told my pod how I normally would do that, but not to my fellow pod members.
• They (being the amazing people they are) stopped to listen to me, and I explained how I felt that being as close to the river as we were we would be swept away when the flood came, and so I suggested that we look for higher ground but that I wanted them to choose for themselves without me demanding what happened.
• They decided that what I'd suggested was a good idea, and so we went for higher ground.
• One of our pod members went for higher ground faster than us, and in the process he fell and broke his arm. So now along with building shelter, we had to care for one of our own who had broken his arm.
• Although it wasn't too much trouble and the rest of us made it to the higher ground without difficulty or at least malady.
• Then we started looking for the best place to set our shelter. The nearby covert in the side of the cliff sounded like a good option, so we started hanging the tarp, along with another one that we'd found, to build up our shelter from the rain. After a few minutes we had it just about ready, but at the same time so was the rain. So we had to leave it mostly completed and rush to our newly-made shelter to ride out the heavy rain.
• As soon as the rain came it knocked the two tarps apart from each other and the water rushed in a splattered all over the ground and a little over me and some of my pod members.
• Then another gush of rain came with similar results, but then the rain stopped as quickly as it had come.
• After the rain we discovered that two of our pod members had developed hypothermia, with one of them in shock as well. Thus we were left as we had to proceed to the next area.
• At the next area we had become so overrun with exhaustion that we needed to procure food and a fire to cook it over.
• This is where my missing ready pack comes in. While one of our pod members who had survived without any maladies was ascending a rope to get the food we needed. I was with the group that was building the fire. After the rain we'd been left with only two matches as our conventional means to start a fire. After we'd gotten a good set up for the lighting, we lit the first one. And it promptly blew out in the wind. And so with the next one we shielded from the wind, but it wouldn't light!
• And so we were left with no matches or lighters to start a fire.
• But...
• One of the people that was starting the fire, we were lucky to have our man who'd broken his arm. Why? Because he had crazy big lenses on his glasses! :D
• Although as we found out, they were not quite strong enough with the amount of sunlight we had to start the tinder on fire.
• This is the key moment that having my ready pack might have saved us, because within it it held a whistle with a magnifying glass inside, that coupled with the large glasses might have been enough to start a fire.
• But alas, I had neglected and forgot my ready pack before it was swept away with the rest of the camp.
• And so we were forced to eat our food raw. As well as to go on our merry way to the next area of the Disaster.
• Which was to send a signal in order to be rescued.
• In order to do so, we needed to climb the canyon wall and do something that would catch the attention of overhead jets.
• Seeing as we were in the middle of nowhere.
• Once we'd all climbed up, and as we were, we planned to arrange ourselves into an S an O and another S. With two people per letter. We also decided to build a fire and did so. Then the man who we'd found as we were trying to signal said that we would be able to signal a jet with those simple things, that we'd need to create black smoke or use smoke signals. Even lighting three fires in an area would attract the attention that we wanted. If we'd had flares we could have also used those.
• After we'd set up our signal we needed to bathe ourselves considering the amount of time we'd already spent stranded. And so we went to a high place in the river and built up a dam to stop the water so we could have proper hygiene. While building the dam, our man with a broken arm got hypothermia as well as one other pod member...
• Then it was time for lunch.
• We were to the main area of camp in no time, right on time to get some Costco pizza! I grabbed a half-a box with everything on it. (three slices, the limit) Then we talked and waited around for the Pod Wars to start.
• (I should probably note here that I wrote as if things happened in real life that were just part of the simulation, none of the maladies actually happened and we didn't all climb the wall out of the canyon, only one of our pod members climbed partway up the wall. if it sounded unrealistic once the simulation started, it most likely didn't happen, but I did actually forget my ready pack...)
• And I got to help one of our pod members back to the main area of camp after they had actual problems with their ankle. But they were able to take care of it once back at camp.
• After I was done eating lunch I sat around and talked a little, but I had gotten my feet wet as had been expected but not planned for. Seeing as this bugs me to no end, I eventually decided to go to the bathroom and remove my shoes and dry them out.
• But, in transit I came across a load of men and younger men who were removing a very large box out of the back of a pickup truck. So I joined in and helped them get what turned out to be a freezer into the kitchen that was next to the pool.
• That lasted right up until Pod Wars. And so I quickly went to the bathroom and took care of my feet. And I felt SO MUCH BETTER! Then I ran back to find my pod to join them in Pod Wars.
• When I found them, they were on a log trying to get everyone mirrored from where they'd initially been standing. I joined right in and we were about to the end goal when I slipped and made it so we had to restart. But due to time we just went to the next battle.
• Which was a game of Koosh! Against another pod, pod two to be almost too accurate. We lost the first battle, but then won the next two. It was about this time that the E-Ninjas returned from their excursion. They promptly found the pizza...
• The next pod that we battled was pod one. Who won. Although I believe that we'd won one battle against them, they took two out of three.
• And thus we were eliminated from the Pod Wars. Having done fairly well against the team that made it to the finale.
• After our final battle we took to taking a ring around the ring of the volleyball pit.
• In other words, we took a hula hoop around the volleyball pit with us all inside it. Taking another one with us and moving them along by stepping into one and then into the other after moving it.
• After we made it halfway we had to bring a ball as well that had to stay below waist level, the ball being 12-15" in diameter.
• But, regardless of difficulty, we triumphed and went even farther than we had to!
• After this we went to watch another pod trying to solve a puzzle with themselves. And as we were watching, talking and waiting around, some of us made up a new sport...
• Hula Hopping
• Basically, one person hula hoops, and then another person hula hops into the hula hoops. While they're in motion. I was on the sidelines capturing picture evidence. But they were able to get up the three at a time successfully completed.
• Then, around precisely 4:30 me and others had been getting ready to and over to the pool to swim.
• I got there around precisely 4:30, showered in water that then made the pool warm. And hopped in.
• I watched as chicken fights erupted, and mountains were made.
• Although, despite the seemingly warm atmosphere, the Earthly atmosphere was clouded over and made swimming in a cool pool less cool. Despite that though, we just kept swimming.
• A couple select people that thought that they could lie around the pool without getting in were then sought out by those in the pool and brought to the pool via grabbing them and tossing them in.
• Then a game of 500 came into being with a tumultuous center of the pool ensuing. While I stayed on the sidelines, I was able to grab three balls as they landed near me.
• After long enough I exited the pool. Showered while making noise to distract myself from the temperature of that water and then went to sun myself and my flip flops dry. I also watched the last few who were still playing 500. I had also sat next to a good friend, so I conversed with them til they left to change and get ready for dinner. A little before the dinner bell would have sounded I proceeded to my tent to change back into dry and better looking clothing.
• After changing I went over to dinner, got some, ate it. Most likely conversed with someone amazing. And then after putting my dishes away I went over the the swing and talked with people there. I also watched crazy stunts. But no injuries besides extreme dizziness. And the one who was dizzy insisted upon eating a little bit of their dinner after each swing. I don't think that came to haunt them though, which was good.
• Then after a while we got called over the watch the finale of Pod Wars.
• Pod one bravely faced Pod five. And came out winning one battle, but in the end, pod five won the Pod Wars and was named victors with the Silver Llama award.
• Then they engaged the mentors and trail guides in a glorious battle, which they came close to winning at times, but sheer numbers ousted them and the mentors won.
• 
• After this there was created a camp-wide Koosh game, where all who wanted to could come and battle! It was each pod for themselves. And in this battle, the rule was made that once out, you were out and off the court.
• Thus ensuing more safety.
• I played stealth and stayed in the shade of a tree overhanging a large portion of a corner. I stayed there for most of the game until we were down to less than twenty contestants.
• Then I had to start moving. As I was about to be targeted.
• I dodged a shot and darted to the other side of court. Under another tree. I stayed there a couple more minutes until I was again approached, but this time it was a lone person, the last of their pod, who came for me.
• We stood each other off, they aimed, I tensed, they shot, I jumped! And it missed me!! I grabbed the ball off the ground and rushed them, shot after three steps, and missed. But I came close, and got the ball away from me for another minute or so.
• This time there were a few that came for me, encouraged by my previous success at dodging I stayed put and tried to guess where I'd need to dodge to.
• They cornered me, edged me in, aimed, shot and I dodged, but got hit anyway.
• I was however, in the last ten or fewer of contestants.
• Being out as I was, I left the court and went over the others who were still watching. A couple of them from my pod. One of them was ecstatic that I'd stayed in as long as I had. The other-who had tried to get me in on action while I still had other pod members in and I had stayed in my corner wanting them to get me the ball as others were in front of me-didn't seem as excited, but was still happy it appeared.
• Thinking back on it, I was playing how I knew, survive by being unimportant, but it was also at times boring because of how I played. Due to my friend from my pod's possible annoyance at my play-style, and my realization that I hadn't been part of a team and might have had more fun. I'm going to try and get more out and play differently than I normally do, in my next game of Koosh and in other games that I play. (although I know I'll still play unimportant at times, I'll try and be a team player nonetheless)
• After this last game of Koosh ended, we got ready to go on a night hike.
• It was plenty long after the time that we'd been supposed to have it, but the Pod Wars game of Koosh hadn't been scheduled. Anyway, we gathered up after grabbing lights and an extra layer if needed.
• And we were told that we'd be going along the trail that our pod had helped clean up just earlier that day. I then understood why. That made me happy to know.
• Anyway, we were asked to NOT use lights for as much as possible, as well as remaining silent. We would go in pods and journey to the gathering place at the end.
• Once our pod started I was second or third to last, and I pride myself over not using my own light, even if I used the light from others when they used it at times. For the most part though, it was in mostly darkness, the trail wasn't easy, but it was a good hike. I pointed out areas of possible issue as I passed them and all in all it was good. (thinking back, I might have used my light at one steep point....)
• After we'd gotten to where we were going, we sat down and had a group discussion on what that had been like, it was insightful to hear people saw how scared they'd been when I'd been very confident about my abilities. It made me think about how I'd already been on most (but not all) of the trail that we'd just walked, but others hadn't. After just a couple minutes we had to go back for curfew. Now lights were allowed I believe. Although I don't remember if I used mine or not, I think I did.
• I did scrape my ankle on a rock through my sock at one point on the way back.
• Once we got back to camp we were either to head to bed or to get ready for survival night and meet at the campfire.
• I'd been planning doing survival night when I first saw it on the schedule. But with how tired I was, with my now scraped ankle, my apprehension to sleeping outside a shelter, my lack of someone that I'd for sure be buddying with and probably a couple other factors convinced me to skip it and just head to bed.
• And so as I dropped off a couple things at the tent before heading to the restroom I said good night and good luck to one of my pod friends that was getting ready to go on survival night. Then I headed to the restroom to get ready for bed.
• And as I was coming back from the restroom I started really feeling the struggle that was inside me about doing survival night.
• I started realizing that I really did want to go, but that the pressures to not go had mounted up and didn't want me to go.
• It was right about then that I had/put the song by Kenny Loggins into my head, "This is It" specifically the part where it says, 'You think that maybe it's over, not if you don't want it to be. FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, HERE'S YOUR MIRACLE, STAND UP AND FIGHT!'
• As that part of the song was finishing I passed by the campfire and saw one of my friends that I'd really had before coming to Elevation. I saw her over there and though, "If *person's name* is doing it, I'm doing it!" I then asked as I passed by after having decided to go if I could still make it and was told yes.
• And so I went back to the tent a little faster, met my pod friend who was still getting ready, told him how Kenny Loggins had done something to me and now I was going. I grabbed my sleepingbag, stuffed it in it's bag, rolled up my pad and then headed off for survival night.
• I got to the campfire and listened as they talked about making sure you didn't have any Widowmakers near your sleeping spot. This reminded me of Black Widows and other such creepy crawlies... Anyway, they were talking about things such as dead tree branches over you or other similar things to avoid.
• After a little longer they had us go off down the same way as the night hike. Past other tents and the mentor leading us showed us his sleeping spot and instructed us to wake him if we went by him for any reason.
• I went down the path until it became unrealistic to find a spot, and so I came back on the top of the ridge that was there and found a spot that looked just about perfect. I wouldn't roll anywhere, it was mostly flat and had a grass cushion. Then I looked up and saw the Widowmakers... I kept walking.
• Then I found another spot that didn't have any Widowmakers above me, the only worry being a crack that I might fall into if I slipped down my pad too far. But I was tired and decided that it would have to do because it was also the end of the path. So I bedded down and only had to turn my light off every five minutes to get rid of the moths. There weren't too many bugs on the rock I was sleeping on, but more than I'd have liked.
• Either way, my discomfort had lost as I walked past the campfire and made my decision. So once I was ready for bed I turned off my light and went to sleep.