Into the Wide Blue Yonder

“Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit”- Edward Abbey

            What is a wilderness? The United States Congress of 1964, in the Wilderness Act, defined wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain…land retaining its primeval character and influence.” This summer Gravatt embarked on an adventure into the wilderness, one the likes of which we had never attempted before.

The Gravatt Explorers Program launched this summer, a new session open to rising 10th graders-rising freshman in college. We took 10 campers off the Gravatt property and into the wilderness. After a couple introductory days at camp learning and practicing some skills, we loaded the vans and headed for Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC and onwards still to Shining Rock Wilderness Area.

Setting off from Yellowstone Prong (the mighty river descending down from Graveyard Fields) we hiked upwards towards the ridge of Shining Rock Wilderness. We crossed streams, rounded ridges, stomped through mud, and ascended a steep and rocky mountain side to our basecamp near Black Balsam Knob. Along the way, we saw mushrooms fruiting, the erosional effects of water running down the mountain, and the transpiration (the exhalation of water vapor from plants) of the forest. That first day hiking to our basecamp was a memorable one; heavy rains hit us for the first several hours but we thrived. We arrived to basecamp tired, wet, and hungry. A feast was prepared of rice, beans, and vegetables, and we sang Shalom that night under the same stars but a completely different forest high up on the mountain.

Day two of the Shining Rock adventure was just as exciting! We set out traversing atop the mountain ridgeline eating wild blueberries we picked along the way. From on top of Tennent Mountain, we saw in yonder distance our objective, a pure quartz boulder twice or even three times the size of Girls Cabin 5, the Shining Rock. After a lunch break in a beautiful meadow near Flower Knob, the rain came in swiftly and with much consistency. Heavy rain fell upon us soaking our boots, but we were determined and too close to turn back! Mother Nature unleashed some furry upon us but we stomped on through the puddles and made it to Shining Rock. Aside from the sound of rainfall, it was a near silent moment of reverence on top of the rock. Thunder and lightning ensued forcing us to take the Ivestor Gap trail to avoid being up on the mountain tops back to our basecamp. Another storm was rolling through the mountains and the night would be cold, we assessed our situation and determined to retreat from the wilderness and back to the safety of Camp Gravatt.

Back at Gravatt, we recovered and relaxed from the many sloshy miles in the mountains. We practiced our fire making skills, camped out at the treehouse by the Tower, and prepared for our next adventure. The second half of the Explorers Program consisted of a canoe trip down the Broad River. We set up a canoe relay in Lake Henry to put our skills to the test. Campers had to maneuver around the floating dock, weave in between a series canoes, and make it through our “rapid simulator.” We were ready for the journey, with the canoes and gear loaded up we embarked after breakfast.

The section of the Broad River we were exploring started right at the Columbia Canal Diversion Dam and proceeded approximately 5.5 river miles to our take out at the Jordan Memorial Boat Landing off of Rosewood Drive. We paddled the mighty river, dodged rocks, and played around on some nifty islands. The water was cold and refreshing. We stopped for lunch on an outcropping of rocks in the middle of the river and then floated in the still waters. The river picked up in intensity as we moved through rapids and under a series of bridges. Several campers spotted a shoreline littered with trash and were so moved that we docked the boats and spent some time picking up the trash and piled it up away from the shore. The river carried us along and it was peaceful yet exhilarating. It was not long until we saw Thomas Coleman’s smiling face at the boat landing there to pick us and the canoes up. Thoroughly exhausted from our time with the river, we loaded the vans and headed for Congaree National Park to make camp and fill our bellies. The next morning we had a pancake breakfast party, a short hike into the park, and we returned to camp that afternoon.

The Explorers Program is different than any other session of summer camp. It is our hope that the explorers are not only equipped with the skills necessary to recreate in the great out-of-doors but also the passion that comes from outdoor recreation. Wilderness is a necessity. It is a connection to a place that time forgot. A place where adventures happen, and we’ve got some exciting adventures planned for summer 2023!