Camp Like a Kid Again: 50+ at Camp Sugarbush

Gather Your Tribe!

If you’re headed into the woods, to pitch your tent and go on a camping adventure, it’s great to have your “tribe” by your side, to be surrounded by friendship, support, and encouragement. I’m one of the younger ones in my group of friends (shhh – I wasn’t quite 50 years old). Believe me when I say that didn’t mean I was the the one hitting the bullseye (or the target, for that matter!) during archery class or leading the pack on our night hike.

The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks offers programs for every age, ability, demographic, and interest level. This spring they offered their first 50+ camping event, complete with activities planned, naturalists on hand, and cook-it-yourself meals, with ingredients and instructions provided.

How could I pass this up? Besides, I’m beyond lucky and so full of gratitude, to be surrounded by a group that has remained active and loves to explore nature, even as they begin to qualify for AARP discounts.

Let’s head to Camp Sugarbush!

Metro Parks Mission

“To conserve open spaces, while providing places and opportunities that encourage people to discover and experience nature.” (Metro Parks website)

Friends of Metro Parks Mission

“To enhance public use and enjoyment of our parks, seek out public support, and advocate for our parks for current and future generations.” (Friends of Metro Parks website)

Adventure Camp

The Metro Parks and Friends of Metro Parks believe in making their programming accessible to all visitors. Check out this amazing group of campers, ready to camp “like a kid again”! What a blast!

So, why was this event so special? What was it that brought back years of fond memories of sleepaway camp, as a kiddo and preteen? Perhaps it’s as simple as the ability of strangers (and a handful of close friends) to enjoy time outdoors together just because of their shared interests.

Many of my friends are cyclists; many more love to hike, travel, and spend time outside. These foundational shared interests bind us together. At Camp Sugarbush I was brought together with 20 or so adventure seekers, willing to camp and explore at a metro park with minimal amenities. We were thrilled to do it! We had everything we needed!

What was truly striking about this experience was our access to the activities of our youth, which we found still bring joy and laughter. My boundless energy was unleashed on creative leatherworking, playing cornhole, and testing my strength, coordination, and concentration shooting a bow and arrow. I may not have personally hit a bullseye, but a member of our group did, after years without practice.

We made fire starters with cotton balls and Vaseline. My leather bookmark is stamped with care; it shows my personality, covered in trees and animals, carefully colored to my taste. I considered a “less is more” approach, but what’s the fun in that? I’ll think of this weekend getaway as I read my next non-fiction book club book and see the bookmark. I read on a Kindle, so. . . . *shrug* I’ll keep the bookmark around anyway. We read books that I believe all in attendance at our camping weekend would enjoy!

The month’s title is Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation. Spoiler alert — it’s our nation under discussion! The stories that fill pages are inspiring, challenging to read, and likely to shift how I think about my own access to the outdoors. I have all the access I could want. In my own backyard I sometimes feel like I’m in an aviary, and I aspire to grow my garden from seeds this year. I belong outside!

Consider the slogan, found on the Metro Parks website — “Get out, it’s your nature!”

Truer words have not been spoken!

Campsite

Our hammocks were strung between nearby trees, camp chairs positioned around the campfire, and tents pitched on the flattest ground we could find, after clearing the site of branches and rocks. The previous fall’s leaves provided a bit of cushioning, but we were sure to bring along our air mattresses too.

It was just a short walk from our vehicles to these shared campsites. We had our pick of a number of sites, so we took our time, looking for a spot where we could relax together, share stories together, and look up at the stars together. As the night wore on we were joined by a Barred owl, gliding silently through the dark night. We caught just a glimpse of him, in flight.

A couple of our friends rode their bikes to the weekend’s event, which is their (and sometimes our) custom. That means packing light, but with the Metro Parks providing our meals, entertainment, and birding equipment there wasn’t much we had to bring along besides the essentials.

Hammocks — yep, an essential item!

Up Close and Personal with Monthman – wait, that’s a different blog (linked below)

There was an educational component to the weekend’s events. There was a conservationist, naturalist, and exploratory component of the weekend. We learned about the birds who came out at dusk. We learned about plants and flowers on a morning hike. We learned about beautiful, fuzzy moths!

Polyphemus Moth: “A common giant silk moth, the male has a wingspan of nearly five inches and the antennae are large and feathery. The wing color is light brown with gray dusting on the forewing edges and vertical pink lines near the body. Each hindwing has a larger yellow eyespot in a field of dark blue to black. Small yellow eyespots occur in the center of the forewing.” (Ohioline, Ohio State University Extension)

We were witness to these beautiful creatures as they first took flight, recently emerged from their transformative metamorphosis. There were a couple of false starts, which were easily shaken off, before they struck out on their own. A couple of our friends didn’t make it out of the shelter house for several minutes, but we cheered them on and slowly they made their way off into the night.

Hopefully our owl friend didn’t make a snack of our moth friends before sunrise.

Archery

I previously mentioned the archery, and my camping and cycling friend’s bullseye! I wasn’t around to witness it – I was busy stamping small pine trees into my leather bookmark – but I later heard the success story. He, and other campers, made it look quite a bit easier than it is.

We had a fine teacher from Outdoor Adventure, which offers park visitors unique, hands-on experiences that teach all variety of outdoor skills. Cooking skills? Yep! Stand up paddleboard? Yep! Hiking, climbing, orienteering? Absolutely! Ropes and kayaking? Go ahead and sign up!

Third time’s the charm?

Eventually I was able to hit the target, which gave me quite a feeling of satisfaction, I must say.

Consider Forest Bathing and the Benefits of Being in Nature

Camp Sugarbush is primarily a site for groups of young day campers, so it was a treat to have it opened for a weekend of 50+ kids at heart to have an overnight experience. “Metro Parks Summer Camps are weekly programs designed for kids to come as you are, explore nature and make new friends.”

“OUR SUMMER CAMPS WILL:

Create a safe and inclusive environment in which campers can discover nature
Provide opportunities for campers to make new friends and build relationships
Introduce campers to new outdoor adventures and nature experiences
Facilitate the development of new skills through hands-on learning
Foster a life-long appreciation and understanding of the natural world
Change lives naturally
Have Fun!” (Metro Parks website)

If it has been a while since you were out in nature, consider all of the mental health benefits of listening to birds in the canopy of trees above, feeling spring grass tickling your toes, or watching a beautiful sunrise with a steaming cup of black coffee in your Friends of Metro Parks metal camp mug.

In the morning, at camp your hair could still smell like the campfire you roasted marshmallows over the night before. At camp, once your eyes have adjusted to the darkness on a night hike, you might see bats darting up above your head, catching the mosquitos you are so desperate to avoid. At camp, with the help of your plant identification app, you might discover a flower you’ve never observed before or earn a badge for the many plant species you come across.

At camp, if you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love with nature all over again. Enjoy these glimpses of the colorful ways in which nature expresses itself!