Return to Hopkinton- Day Three

Juliet C

Yellow Group

Sept 27th 2016

What Happened on the Third Day of Cardigan

I awoke at the time I should have the previous morning- at around seven. I immediately got ready for the day, and then went downstairs for hot chocolate. My friends and I chatted for a while, sipping our hot beverages, until the tables were set, and we could sit down for breakfast. (My hiking group was the only group that had not had to do any setting up or clearing- I don't know why) Breakfast was french toast and something else that I forget- everything was delicious, as usual. After breakfast we cleared our rooms of all belongings, and packed them away. Then we met with our hiking groups. There were two people added to my hiking group, because their group was split up due to the lack of chaperones. Another hiking instructor joined us as well. My hiking group started by doing a pond study. We could catch creatures from the pond, study them, and put them back again. We weren't allowed to step off of dry land, and wade into the pond. However, I found a loophole in this rule. I tiptoed across rocks that were barely submerged in the water so that only the rubber soles of my hiking boots got wet. I accidentally dunked my entire foot underwater while "expertly" tiptoeing rocks, but I didn't let anyone know, so....What you don't know won't hurt you. At the pond, we ate a snack, before going along a little trail.

We would pause every once and awhile on the trail, and play a game or do an activity. One of the games we played was called camouflage. You would have ten seconds to run and hide in the woods, and try not to be found. I really liked the game, but I was also really bad at it. After playing camouflage, we learned how to properly hold and use a compass. Then we continued walking until we reached a clearing that was being used as a campsite. This little clearing was probably made by we humans. As were the different trails we had walked upon. This is a way we have affected the environment. A way the environment has affected us is by raining. We had to bring along rain gear just in case. These are both examples of human environment interaction . Anyways, at the campsite, we followed clues using the compasses, and slowly pieced together what happened to certain trees in the area. We then ate lunch at the top of a little hill.

Soon after, we headed back down the trail and back to the lodge. We sat around for awhile there, and played a game called ninja. Soon, all the other hiking groups returned, and we stood around for a bit, waiting for the bus to come. Finally, after what seemed like days, the bus came, but it took what felt like another week for it to get parked correctly. Finally, we said goodbye to our AMC leaders, and climbed onto the bus. I sat with a different person that I had at the beginning of the trip. We both looked out the window, and waved goodbye to everyone and everything we were leaving behind.