Summer may be over four months away, but at the Camp Tawonga office, we are busy planning the most amazing 2017 Camp season ever! Our Quests: Adventure Trips on the Road are the perfect way to experience the Tawonga magic with an extra dose of nature exploration. Kids and teens (entering 6th – 10th grades) can choose from seven different Quests this summer, including Women of the Wild, a brand-new program for female campers.

For a glimpse into the Quest experience, check out highlights from our 2016 Rock and River Quest below – and to sign up for a 2017 Quest, click here!

Rock and River Quest

Overview

Two weeks, 8 teens in 9th and 10th grade, three Quest leaders and an epic journey from the Tuolumne to Mammoth to Coloma on the American River.

Highlights

Most Inspiring Moment

• While gazing high in the night sky as meteors and shooting stars streaked above Mammoth hot springs.

2nd Most Inspiring Moment! 

• Watching the sun set on top of Puppy Dome in Tuolumne Meadows as the alpine glow painted granite peaks peach, and the granite polish glistened in the dusk’s light.

Favorite Quote

      Shehecheyanu! 

Rock and River Questers had a running theme of shouting “shehecheyanu!” every time someone did something for the first time (the Shehecheyanu blessing is a common Jewish prayer said to celebrate special occasions and to express gratitude for new and unusual experiences). For instance, they would yell it out when jumping off rocks into the Tuloumne or at the summit of Mt. Hoffman or while tasting wild onion for the first time!

Quest Leader Reflection

Our Rock and River Quest leaders were Danya Axelrad-Hausman, Eli Fiddler and Nik Kronick. When asked what her favorite part is about being a Quest leader, Danya shared:

It is amazing to be able to create a Tawonga experience and to tailor it to fit a unique group of teens. It’s also incredible to watch them challenge themselves and grow more independent.

Enjoy some photos from Rock and River below.

P.S. A Taste of Quest is our six-day program for 6th and 7th graders that gives a taste of what longer quests feel like – here’s our post on this quest from earlier in the summer.