Pindaris: The Pindari had a very productive week. The weather was off and on at first, but they enjoyed some beautiful, sunny days for most of the rest of the week. The group had struggles with the first hike but persevered and did an amazing job hiking afterwards! They spent a lot of time working on packs and skills like spoon making and Puwakas. They also worked on their fire sets and completed a twenty-four hour busting challenge as a group, winning themselves some pancakes. They also made a lot of improvements in group knowledge and cohesion when it came to tasks like setting up shelter.
Lorikeets: The Lorikeets enjoyed warm weather and some sunny days this week. This week the group focused on fine-tuning their bow drilling sets so that each one of them is able to contribute to make fire. The group welcomed a new Lorikeet who completed her first camp this week. The older group members were kind and willing to teach the new Lorikeet everything she needed to know to thrive in the desert. The Gnowees enjoyed a wonderful hike looking for spindles for their busting sets, and got a beautiful view of Indian Peak from a sheep pen that they came across. The week was also sad as the group said goodbye to the therapy dog, Ophelia, who retired after one and a half years of working with the students out in the desert! Overall this week was very productive, each member of the group pushed themselves to overcome personal obstacles and continue their growth.
Goannas: The Goannas had some highs and some lows this week. Although there was a rocky start to the beginning of the week, they grew even stronger and closer as the shift went on. They were able to make time to have fun by playing games, such as Camo. In the back half of the week the students ended their nights by making huge fires and singing and dancing around them. The students worked diligently on Ngarnas and skills. The students also worked together to make fire via hand drilling. This week was a turning point and a time of great growth throughout the entire group.
Ulurus: The Uluru had a great week out in the West Desert! They worked on skills early in the week and really came together for a busting hour. On Saturday, we had a day hike to retrieve a student’s misplaced fire gloves. The whole group was understanding and supporting of the situation, and found time to honor each other on the hike with tokens. The group had some challenges with setting up and breaking down camp as well as with harnessing the motivation to do so, but ultimately, they thrived and found ways to continually improve. By the end of the week, most of the students found fun in the bow drilling process, and we had 30+ coals busted as a group!
Check Out What’s Happening in 1st Camp @ outBACK
It was a peaceful week at first camp. New students were introduced to the variability of Utah’s deserts, experiencing a combination of rain, snow and bright sunny days over the course of the week. They worked diligently on their primitive skills, carving spoons and building backpacks. Down time was spent telling stories and playing hacky sack. By the end of the week, all students were excited and prepared to head off to their main groups.
