Every year in the second week of school, every student and most teachers pack up into vans and buses and set out on their fall camping trips. From Santa Rosa to Big Bear, lots of fun is had; two OVS journalists, Kay Johnson and Percy Naumes, are here to tell the story of their trips.
Big Bear – Percy Names
Freshmen through Seniors gathered under the overly hot Ojai morning sun right before the camping trips, some helping and some shuffling like penguins to the limited shade.
One of the vans the students packed was filled with backpacks and kayaks; the others were filled with tubs of food and ice chests.
After packing, we all headed into the vans that they all waited patiently for, feeling the sweet cool of the AC.
And then everyone was off. A whopping 3 hours and 52 minutes, and no breakdowns from the vans.
One of these people in the vans is Ms. Hersk, the visual arts teacher at Ojai Valley School.
When asked about the highlight of her trip, Ms. Hersk responds with, “I like visiting new places, so it was fun to go somewhere that I had never gone before. Would I have been if it wasn’t for a school trip? Probably not.” Ms. Hersk says whenever she was asked about the trip.
A surprise? “Really nice flushing toilets and showers. Caught me off guard!”
Day two: Hiking and Lake Day.
Some powered through to the top of the Cougar Crest Trail, others found peace by walking back to camp and painting there.
After the hike, everyone cooled off by the lake, despite how the water felt like it came straight from a glacier.
Out on the lake, Dante Getty-Pruss managed to lure a duck using Goldfish. To everyone’s surprise, he caught it, briefly turning our trip into a wildlife documentary.
That evening, Mr. Wescott baked a cookie in a cast-iron skillet. It might’ve taken forever and been uncooked in the long run, but it was gooey and delicious.
Day three: Discovery Center and Town Visit.
The Big Bear camping group walked to the discovery center, where they went on a nature walk, learning about what is used to flavor rum and lizard skat. Gross, but very cool.
After the newly learned information, they all took vans to go into the town of Big Bear, where some went into the Vons and some went to Starbucks, spending time in town for an hour.
Following town time, the group all took vehicles to go to a different dock area, where they all spent time in the water for one last time, before leaving the next day.
Day Four: Farewell and Drive Back To Campus.
On day four, everyone packed up the vans, packed a lunch, and left in each van, ready for whatever was given to them on the road back to Ojai Valley School.
Kern River – Kay Johnson
It’s Tuesday morning. Let’s say 7:30, you’ve just finished eating breakfast, and you’re getting ready. Not just for a regular day of school, but to go on an OVS camping trip.
This year, you’re going to Kern River. And unlike previous years, you’re not going rafting or spending your time in 100-degree weather.
Instead, you’re going to spend your time going on the least amount of hikes, visiting water pools, and sightseeing ancient sequoia forests.
Before people prepared to head out for their camping trip, they still had to pack the remainder of their gear. Not long after, students and teachers alike said goodbye to their friends and all dispersed to their rightful camping trips.
Within those four hours, people either talked, napped, or listened to music. Like any long-distance trip, things tend to get boring really quickly; luckily, there were plenty of games to play. Midway through the journey, the group stopped at Starbucks, which students were happy to see.
During lunch, the group of OVS campers stopped to have lunch at a park near the Kern River. They were able to stretch their legs and discuss their van and truck ride.
After countless hours of driving winding roads, the campers arrived at their campsite. To their surprise, they had plenty of flying friends to greet them. Not only were there wasps, but the water at the site was out of order. Though those challenges presented themselves, the campers found solutions.
Teachers and students, tired from the drive, claimed their spots within the open campsite and began to set up their homes for the next few days. After setting their campsite and playing around, the first cooking group, consisting of Kay Johnson, Luca, Tunmi, and Rumi Way, prepared spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.
“The meal was very delicious,” said Kay Johnson. “It reminded me how good food can taste when you’re out camping.”
Although the wasps did not make it a pleasing dinner, the students still enjoyed their delicious dinner. After a long day of traveling and setting up camp, everyone turned in early.
On the first full day of the trip, the campers first ate their scrumptious breakfast consisting of eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns to build their energy. Later, the truck and vans drove out to Sequoia National Park to see a hundred-year-old sequoia trees. Through the hike, students were also able to witness the aftermath of a fire that had gone through the area.
“It was an amazing sight to see, and it was really interesting to see all the sequoias that have been here for a hundred years” exclaimed senior Rumi Way.
After the Sequoia National Park, the group went on another short hike to the edge of a cliff. The sight was gorgeous, and the group settled there and had lunch. They enjoyed their break and laughed. Before leaving to return to the campsite, teacher Mr. Fulton took a group of freshman boys and junior Mike Jin on what was supposed to be a short hike back to camp. Which turned into a two hour excursion that ended up with some returning with wounds.
Following the remaining campers back at the campsite, they got ready to hike over to pools. At the arrival of the group, they got settled at the pools as some enjoyed a nice swim, others enjoyed a nice nap and a tan.
Both groups ended up meeting at the water pools and enjoying the remainder of their day. A smaller group later went back to the campsite to prepare dinner, which still remained of a struggle with the wasps that surrounded the nearby area. As the day began to settle, the students and faculty sat around the campfire and played card games.
“I made a lot of new friends on this trip and talked to a lot of new people,” said junior Frances Willsrud.
Before students were able to make their s’more, they had to get into a group to complete a challenge that consisted of stacking paper cups to make a pyramid. Although some struggled, ultimately, students enjoyed it. With the sound of crickets, students slowly started to disperse and head back to their tents to sleep for yet another day at the Kern River.
On the last day, students slowly began to wake up one after another. While some awoke to other campers playing card games, some awoke to a breakfast that consisted of pancakes and sausage.
When everyone had had their fill and was ready, the group departed to go to the river. After a while, the group arrived at their destination and had lunch. With the lack of water at the campsite, Mr. Fulton made a trip into the town to fill up water jugs for his students. When everyone had filled up their water bottle, everybody began the mile hike to their destination. Although hot, students and faculty surged in favor of finding the perfect spot. Not long after, they had discovered a spot that had both a little beach and jumping rocks.
While at the spot, both students and faculty enjoyed multiple hours out chatting with one another and soaking up the sun. Some played card games such as Uno and BS, while others played football.
Without much notice, time went by quickly, and the group began to get ready and return to the campsite. Tired from the long day, some campers could not help but shut their eyes and doze off. When they returned, they prepared dinner and enjoyed the last hours of their trip playing cards and laughing amongst each other.
The next and last day, students and faculty all worked together to pack all items brought and store them back into their nooks and crannies within the vehicles. The thought of returning to family and hot showers motivates everyone to work as fast as they can. With such hard work, the group is able to leave earlier than scheduled. With the last checks made, the Kern River camping trip comes to an end and everyone sets off to return.