Tower Rock near the Cispus Learning Center.
On September 24 we took a four hour bus drive from Chimacum, WA to Randle, WA with 65 excited 6th graders, 11 eager high school counselors and eight experienced staff. At Randle we took a turn into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Nestled in that grand expanse of nature lies a little camp. Cispus it’s named, after the tribe that used to inhabit the region.
We spent three days and three nights, having breakfast then getting back on the buses on the fourth day for the four hour trek back home, enjoying the camp and the great learning experiences offered there. Here are some highlights of the learning experiences of Camp Cispus.
The learning center has some hikes that we can get to just by walking a short way after leaving our bunkhouses. There are also some nice rooms that we use for evening activities. One of the best features, IMHO, though is the fabulous low ropes challenge course set in the woods with about 40 incredible elements. That is a highlight of the trip for many of our kids. We find the problem-solving and team building that goes on via those challenges so important that many of us 6th grade classroom teachers are certified to facilitate groups in the challenge course so we get to take our own kids in there.
Another fantastic opportunity we take advantage of is Mt Saint Helens. From the Cispus Learning Center Spirit Lake, Meta Lake, and Windy Ridge are only about an hour’s bus drive away. And it’s worth it. Mind you, in the Pacific Northwest you’ll get a completely cloudy day one day and a gorgeous, sunny day the next but even on a cloudy when you can’t see any sign that there’s a giant crater in the distance it’s still a wonderously fun trip. Spirit and Meta Lakes are beautiful and with all the signs of life when the day is cloudy it’s hard to believe that anything happened there.
We are very fortunate to continue providing wonderful outdoor learning opportunities for our students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade years of their stay with us. It’s expensive but well worth the money.
