Frost Valley YMCA is a 6,000-acre camping and environmental education-learning program, providing four seasons of outdoor and educational opportunities each year for more than 30,000 people of all ages and abilities. Westhampton Beach 7th graders are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend this wonderful camp, usually spending three days and two nights. This year, the trip was shortened to two days and one night due to the inclement weather.
Along with the 7th grade students and some parent chaperones, Westhampton also invites qualified high school seniors to attend the trip and also act as chaperones. In order to be a senior chaperone, seniors had to attend meetings, fill out surveys and questionnaires. The applications are then carefully looked over by the teachers who are also attending the trip.
While at Frost Valley, students have the opportunity to cross a cable bridge, go night tubing and also go hiking all while building trust between students who may be unfamiliar with each other. Every activity requires teamwork.
One of the 7th graders who got a chance to go to Frost Valley happened to be my sister, Megan. I spoke to her and senior Hannah Love to hear all about the trip from two totally different perspectives.
What was your first thought when you got off the bus?
Megan: “It was snowy and freezing. I didn’t think I was going to have fun and to top it all off…I was bus sick.”
Hannah: “It was freezing cold and I was hungry.”
What was it like having to wake up and walk in the cold to get breakfast?
Megan: “It was cold and I didn’t like it but our lodge was close so it wasn’t that bad. The boys had it much worse then the girls.”
Hannah: “It wasn’t that bad because I was really excited to be there and I was with a really good group of people so we made the best of it.”
What was your favorite activity?
Megan: “Project Adventure! It was a bunch of teamwork games like going through rope maze without making a bell ring. Some kids even took off their coats so that they wouldn’t have any mishaps.”
Hannah: “I liked tubing at night even though we only got to go down once. It was fun”
Did you become closer with anyone you didn’t think you would bond with?
Megan: “Yeah, definitely. Frost Valley helped me reconnect with a friend I started to become distant from. I’m so happy.”
Hannah: “Not really. I was on a bus with some of my closest friends and we spent most of the time reminiscing times from when we went.”
If you could change anything about the trip, what would it be?
Megan: “I would take out the low rope activity. We had to walk across ropes and hope to not fall in the snow. I also hated the hike to the cable bridge. The bridge itself was awesome, the hike, not so much.”
Hannah: “I wish the seniors could get more involved in the activities that the 7th graders were involved in.”
What was one thing that you learned from the experience?
Megan: “I learned it’s good to be nice and work together with everyone, especially because everyone on that trip is going to be with me for the rest of my high school career and I never know when I will need one of their help.”
Hannah: “I definitely gained more patience and self control. Dealing with them wasn’t exactly the easiest.”
After hearing about how great of a time they had, I was pretty jealous I didn’t apply to be a senior mentor. Frost Valley is located in the Catskill Mountains in New York. If you ever get a chance to go, definitely do it! You don’t just have to go in the winter, you can also go in the spring, summer and fall- participating in activities such as horseback riding, hunting and also have a chance to meet people who will truly influence your life.