News Gc Adventure Camps Livened Up Summer - Garrett College
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Campus News

August 6th, 2024

GC adventure camps livened up summer

Mountain biking, climbing, and paddle sports all offered

GC adventure camps

Weston McConnell, left, and Ben Goodier experience the Lions Club pump track as part of Garrett College’s mountain biking summer camp.

GC adventure camps

Garrett College’s 14-16-year-old climbing camp included time at Seneca Rocks. Pictured, left to right, are: Janelle Hershey, Preston Sauder, Ian Loveless, Professor Andy Hershey, Ike Jackson, Henry Nelson, and Carter Gray.

July was a month full of adventure at Garrett College – especially if you were a kid ages 8-16 looking for something fun to do.

Garrett College offer three rounds each of mountain biking, paddle sports, and climbing camps. Each sport offered camp sessions for kids 8-10, 11-13, and 14-16. There were 20 mountain bikers, 19 in the climbing sessions, and 18 paddle sport participants.

"This was the first year we were able to implement our full progression by age group for the climbing camps," said Professor Andy Hershey, who serves as program director for GC’s Outdoor Leadership & Adventure (OLA) program.

"The 8-10-year-old group did a four-day day-camp," added Hershey. "The 11-13-year-old group had two days of day camp and finished camp with a two-day overnight camping trip. The 14-16-year-old group completed a five-day ‘climbing and caving road trip’ with four nights of camping in West Virginia."

Hershey said the road trip for the 14-16-year-olds included climbing at Coopers Rock and Seneca Rocks, caving in Stillhouse Cave and the sinks of Gandy, and climbing the Via Ferrata at Nelson Rocks.

The paddle sports offered included canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and whitewater rafting.

Scott Richardson, GC’s Adventure Equipment Center manager, said the annual mountain biking camps included a new twist: riding the recently developed Deep Creek Lake Lions Club dirt pump track in Accident. Richardson noted the pump track was included at the end of the first day of camp.

"The participants loved applying their new skills riding the pump track and having a blast with the pump track elements," he said. Richardson said another camp highlight was riding the single-track trails at Oakland’s Broadford Park.

Richardson said another camp highlight was riding the single-track trails at Oakland’s Broadford Park.

"The trails are fast, flowy, and provide really cool wooden features, like wooden bridges and rail tracks, that challenge camp participants," explained Richardson.

Richardson said the mountain bike camps helped participants improve their riding skills on single-track trails in addition to exposing participants to the "amazing mountain bike trails that are available in Garrett County."

"The most important part of our camps are for participants to make new friends and have fun mountain biking," added Richardson. "We also hope they get a taste of the ‘mountain bike bug.’ "

Hershey said all of the camp offerings addressed a growing, 21st-century problem.

"As a society, we’re slowly but steadily losing our connection to the natural world," said Hershey, noting outdoor industry statistics indicate outdoor recreation participation "has steadily declined among children."

Hershey noted the camps directly relate to OLA’s mission to "expand opportunities to experience the benefits of participation in outdoor adventure recreation."