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Show Q Hilltop Times September 25, 2003 Sports ' ; V Youth Center campers learn paintball, archery and rafting during a weekend trip to Flaming Gorge by Airman 1st Class Micah Garbarino Hilltop Times staff " r ' ' ' . "5 y ' - : , . i ' ' s r v " f , - ' "" 4 ' '. ...X. lii. ir"v'- ' ' ' , v ' . ' ' . , V X' .V. ' ' " ,'55 v ; f - - . " t - . -- " ' - ' ' , Mm u inn iiiiw Photos by Airman imi n imimii iiiMwm- Ifm' th 1 ;' ' ' , in tr rn r 1st Class Micah Garbarino Dillon Smith gets help setting up a tent for his group Friday night at Fireman's Memorial Campground in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. When the children arrived after being cooped up in the vans, they were more than ready to burn some energy and, with the The smells of slowly cooking Dutch-ove- n got to help of volunteers, the chicken, and peach and apple cobbler fill work setting up their tents. the camp. Everything is quiet except for the "The kids really worked together. They clean, crisp sound of wind cutting through showed teamwork when they were setting the leaves. The breeze carries the scent of up their tents," Breck said. food through the campground. As soon as camp was set up, dinner was Ah, wilderness and the peaceful relaxation served and the children built a campfire. As of a weekend in the mountains away from it faded, so did the children and the counthe hustle and bustle time to put the feet selors steered them towards bed. They had a big day ahead of them. up and kick back ... ...Then reality, as 39 children come yelling The children broke into two groups Satand running down the hill, ready to eat. Welurday morning. One group went rafting seven come to the Youth Center's outdoor adven- miles down the Green River, from the Flamture. ing Gorge dam to Little Hole campground, The Youth Center and Outdoor Recreation while the other group shot targets with paint-ball- s teamed up to organize a trip to Flaming Gorge and tried their hand at archery. The National Recreation Area last weekend. The groups switched after lunch and everyone trip was a huge undertaking, the largest had a chance to raft and shoot. "It was great. With these different activicamping trip that the Outdoor Adventure program had ever planned, but also a huge ties, most of the kids got to do something success. they have never done before," Breck said. After a breakfast of sausage, eggs, hash "Including volunteers, there were 52 people there. That's a lot of mouths to feed, browns and French toast, everyone helped let alone 39 kids, but it went well." said Chris break down camp, Sunday, and the group headed out to Dinosaur National Monument Breck, the OAP director. Friday, after a day and a half of packing a near Vernal. Once there, they toured an enclosed quarry huge trailer full of tents, stoves, cots, air mattresses, rafts, life jackets, archery and with visible dinosaur fossils, ate lunch and paintball supplies, cooking supplies and piled back into the vans for the trip home. most of all, food, Breck and two volunteers For more information on youth actividrove to Flaming Gorge to set up camp before ties, call the Youth Center at Ext. the children arrived at Fireman's Memor- For more information on Outdoor Recreial Campground that afternoon. ation trips, call Ext. (' 'It 'lV'..''i'f' x ' ' ' K " ' ' Y ' cv ' V, ' 4a" 1 '( f 4 -- n ..V A fc.i if 5 -- ! In short supply. The children didn't go hungry, which meant a lot of work for volunteers like "Smiling Mike" Rypien, cutting up potatoes for dinner Friday night. Food was never Xl! t; Saturday the children went river rafting below Flaming Gorge reservoir. The lake, and the Green River that feeds it, is one of Utah's largest sporting and recreation draws. 1 i f . y " njx. v J - I I n r - I 3 ' . -- .0"'J v ... 5 ..,.; .. i xl ; ' f? ( :v'dV'4' ' . s ':; ' ' ' W j h ' .' ' v;,--- r ' y. v i gets ready to let an arrow fly down range during The kids also had a chance to shoot differshoot. archery Saturday's ent targets with paintball markers. Carol Ann Mitchell, i The children gathered around a roaring campfire Saturday night, where they warmed up, roasted marshmallows and told stories. |