Welcoming Winter Weather
Winter Weather Advisory: Remain OUTDOORS
Leaves are now Falling, and Fall will soon be Leaving. WINTER IS COMING. This is not a cold warning, but rather a warm invitation! There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad preparation. With the right amount of layers and gear, there is no limit to the benefits of outdoor activity this time of year.
With J-term gone, the Spring semester will begin earlier. This means that Camp 4 will get going in February, before Spring Break and before the warm weather returns. Don’t let this discourage you. This is both a blessing and an opportunity!
The idea for Camp 4 came from no place other than Yosemite Valley, its idyllic landscape ideal for climbing and bouldering, skiing and snowshoeing, hiking and gazing at the night sky. If there’s one thing to know about Yosemite, activity does not end when the cold hits. Wintertime in this pristine park welcomes outdoor enthusiasts as warmly as the summer months. Just like the name “Camp 4,” our own eastern Mountain Challenge values mimic and build upon those of the west.
An icon, The Alpine Tower stands as the centerpiece, the apex, of Camp 4 and Mountain Challenge activities. To sit atop that wooden platform summit, having conquered the ropes and rocks and roaming obstacles – that alone is enough to peak one’s interest. It’s not called Alpine for no reason. Alpine at its very roots refers to the area or habitat high up in elevation, often specific to the mountains. It is an environment, an ideal, and a way of living and growing. It is altogether inspiring and character-building. But this lofty, ranging concept does not end here.
In today’s culture, Alpine has come to represent an association with wintery chill. The cold. The snow. That cool frosty feeling upon the mountaintop. It welcomes. It encourages. It allows one to grow and keep growing. The peak has no limit. Winter does not diminish one’s ability to find health, hope, and happiness outside. The Alpine Tower is named for this idea of wintery altitude and built to help one rise to cool heights. The cold could not possibly stop the warm, ever-beating heart of Mountain Challenge. It will continue to run, continue to climb. So should you.
Mountain Challenge Open Trips during the Winter season will include hikes, rock climbing, and caving. Even if you aren’t able to attend these trips as the air cools down, accept the weather’s embrace and remain outdoors! Acquire a coat. Get some gloves. Snag a scarf. Have a hat. Buy some boots. Opt outside.
And don’t forget:
When wintertime hits, it’s cool to stay FIT!
As the white months careen, it’s key to stay GREEN!
If the weather gets snappy, all the more reason to be HAPPY!