Former Walker Creek campers return as cabin leaders

anna pic
North Davis Elementary students look at the rainbow over the lake at Walker Creek, a week-long wilderness education camp. (Courtesy photo: A. Deng)

By Laura Bock,
Bluedevilhub.com Editor–

For many sixth graders, going to Walker Creek or a similar week-long wilderness education camp is a rite of passage. While many never return to Walker Creek, there is a portion who do–as high school students. Davis High students have the opportunity to return as cabin leaders, and many students who can afford to miss a week of school do just that.

Senior Anna Deng enjoyed her first time being a cabin leader when she went with North Davis Elementary the week after winter break, from Monday, Jan. 4 to Friday, Jan. 8.

“I had expected that I would have fun, but I had a lot more [fun] than I originally thought I would,” Deng said. “I also enjoyed the hikes more and connected to the students more than I had previously thought I was going to.”

Deng originally went to Walker Creek back in sixth grade with Korematsu Elementary, and said that she didn’t really remember much from her time there, so she enjoyed being a cabin leader more.

“Coming back as a high schooler, I think I’ve generally had much more fun, especially since homesickness isn’t as big of a problem. This trip, I’ve [gotten] to have a lot more say in what happens and get my own break time with other cabin leaders. I’d say it’s a lot more bossing around than being bossed around,” Deng explained.

Although Deng had a lot of fun, she said that the most difficult thing about the trip was the fatigue.

“You’re spending 22.5 hours a day with the kids, not only directing them and making sure all their needs are met, but you’re also hiking around Walker Creek with them. So it’s pretty mentally and physically exhausting,” Deng said.

Seniors Preethi Bhat, Jenna Mould and Melanie Knoepfler were also cabin leaders this year, but went with Patwin Elementary the week after Thanksgiving Break, from Monday, Nov. 30 to Friday, Dec. 4.

Bhat, Mould and Knoepfler all agree that their experiences were amazing; it was Bhat’s first time as a cabin leader and the third time for Mould and Knoepfler.

An interesting aspect of Bhat’s experience was that she went with the same teacher that she went with as a sixth grader at Patwin.

“Furthermore, most of Patwin’s cabin leaders this year are my friends and sixth-grade classmates, so, in a way, the trip reminded me of my sixth-grade trip to Walker Creek,” Bhat added.

Like Bhat, Knoepfler also went as a Patwin sixth-grader, and for the past three years, both she and Mould have both gone as cabin leaders for Patwin. Because of this, their experiences have been pretty similar from year to year, though the main change has obviously been the groups of kids in their cabins.

Despite the similarity, Knoepfler said that her experiences have been amazing.

“Being a cabin leader is so much fun,” Knoepfler said. “The staff at Walker Creek are very helpful and really try to make the experience good for everyone, not just the sixth graders.”

Mould pointed out that the benefit of going for three years in a row was that she has learned “how to better deal with the responsibilities of being a cabin leader and become more comfortable taking on that role.”

Knoepfler and Mould both found that motivating campers to complete their hikes was the most difficult aspect of their time at Walker Creek.

“For many of the kids, it is really fun but for a few each year, it is a struggle. I’ve never had a kid not complete the hike, but motivating them to continue pushing themselves up Walker Peak is always quite challenging,” Knoepfler explained.

Although there are difficult parts of the trip, there are also highlights, like the Barnyard Boogie.

“Usually each cabin has a theme, so our cabin, the Jackrabbits, decorated masks for our masquerade theme. The kids were super excited to show their moves and the energy was remarkable. I’m so glad that I got to boogie with the kids and my fellow cabin leaders,” Bhat said.

For prospective cabin leaders, the process to apply includes picking up a paper application in the Career Center and getting teachers, the attendance office and the administration to sign off on it.

Deng highly recommends the experience.

“It honestly was an incredible experience that I’m sure I’ll take with me forever,” Deng said. “The relationships that you build with the students are crazy strong for the amount of time–only four days–that you spend with the children.”

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