Outdoor Adventure
Summer Camp
Missoula Outdoor Learning Adventures (MOLA) will be offering its 10th annual Outdoor Adventure Summer Camp for 2009. Our summer camp is like no other in Missoula, dedicated to active outdoor learning adventures each and every day. Every week kids can expect to be participating in a variety of outdoor activities that include hiking, biking, rafting, canoeing, swimming, climbing, exploring, and camping. They can also expect to learn outdoor skills, leadership, self-confidence, teamwork, and appreciation for the natural world, all while making new friends and improving fitness.
MOLA operates all summer, this year from June 8th to August 28th. Our camp is open to youth of all ages, from Elementary School through Middle-School and High-School. Each week, campers are separated by age into three different groups and participate with their peers in all of our great outdoor activities at age appropriate levels. Sessions are one week in length, and destinations change each week. So, kids can attend for several weeks, even all summer, and hardly visit the same place twice. We travel in all directions from Missoula with permits from Lolo National Forest, BLM, and Montana FWP. We will consider older or younger kids for different age groups (siblings, etc.) on a case by case basis. Parents are welcome to join us anytime.
Schedule
Camp runs from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, with a camp-out on Thursday nights. We meet each morning (except Friday) at the central location of Kiwanis Park, then board our vans and head out for the day’s adventure. Fridays we depart directly from our campsite and return to Kiwanis by 4:30pm. Parents can drop off kids from 8:30am - 9:00am and pickup from 4:30pm - 5:00pm each day. MOLA staff will be there during this time with games and activities. Older campers are welcome to arrive and depart from camp on their own, with parental approval. Here is a typical week:
Monday - Team
games, hiking, ice cream
Tuesday - Biking,
swimming, canoeing
Wednesday - Rock
climbing, exploring
Thursday -
Raft/Float Trip, overnight campout
Friday - Hiking
expedition to the backcountry
Cost
We are holding our price steady from last year at $145 per one-week session! Our fee includes all instruction, transportation, fees, and equipment. You’ll find no other camp around offers so much for this price! Receive a free MOLA t-shirt if you register for 3 or more weeks, or if you bring someone new to camp. We do try to offer a few partial-scholarships, so please let us know if you need assistance, or if you can offer assistance.
Young
Adult Adventure Travel Trips
Our week-long adventure travel trips are open to youth in middle-school and high-school. These trips offer the same activities and more as our other camps but in exciting new places! Two leaders travel with 12 kids in a van pulling a trailer full of gear, camping out each night. Cost for these trips is $295 per person ($100 deposit), which includes everything mentioned above, plus food and a free MOLA t-shirt. Another incredible deal for the price! This year July 20th - 24th we’ll be making our annual visit to the West Coast and Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.
Staff
MOLA’s summer camp staff have excellent qualifications and experience! Director Porter Hammitt continues to function as lead instructor, with 15 years of experience in the field, an M.S. in Outdoor Recreation, doctorate-level studies in Education and Ecology, and numerous training safety certifications. Other staff are selected for their skills, experience, training, abilities, and personality, then go through still more training and a live first-week experience with Porter at the helm. We put a premium on safety, and it’s our No. 1 priority every day. Each group travels with two leaders, one male and one female. With a maximum of 13 kids per section, our leader to camper ratio is less than one-to-seven! We carry full insurance for our program and our vans.
Gear List
Campers need to come well prepared, since we are outside all day unless severe weather does not permit. In the morning, campers should eat a hearty breakfast, dress appropriately for the day’s weather, and apply sunscreen. Insect repellant is generally not necessary, and our staff will apply it when needed. To be prepared for each day of the week in general, campers should have the following items. Please put names on everything!
|
Sturdy outdoor shoes |
Hearty lunch |
Swimsuit &
towel |
|
Extra clothing layers |
Extra snacks |
Water shoes |
|
Raincoat or poncho |
Water |
Positive Attitude! |
|
Hat and shades |
Backpack |
Special
Days
On Bike days, campers will need to bring their bikes, a bike helmet, and a bike lock with them. Whatever bike he/she is most comfortable with should work fine. However, please make sure bikes are tuned-up and ready to go beforehand! Check the brakes, shifting, tire pressure, etc.
On Water days, campers should be prepared to spend the day on/in the water. On warm days, we’ll likely go swimming after the main activity. On cold days, we’ll likely go to a hotsprings. So, campers should bring swimsuit, towel, and watershoes everyday.
On Thursdays, campers should come prepared to spend the night camping out. Each camper will be assigned a food item to bring for the cookout. Parents are invited to join us for the cookout and campout. If you have doubts about your child camping out, please make plans to stay with us or to take them home for the evening. Let us know if you have a tent and we’ll coordinate amongst campers to make sure we have enough space. Our policy requires permission for campers to sleep in a tent with a non-parent adult, or with a child of the opposite gender.
Rendezvous
Spot
Our rendezvous spot is Kiwanis Park, which is next to the Clark Fork River, just below Front St. and the public library. PLEASE ACCESS THE PARK FROM THE WEST SIDE VIA CLAY STREET AT ALL TIMES. To get there, follow Front and turn right onto Clay just past the Trailhead and just before the First Interstate Bank drive-thru. Follow the signs to Kiwanis and look for us at the picnic shelter near the baseball field. It can be congested at times, so please be courteous of area residents.
Registration
Reservations can be made by phone or email on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration forms and $50 deposit per week due within three days of confirmed reservation by phone or email. Remaining balance for each weekly session due 10 days prior to start of session, after which space may be forfeited. Deposit and/or full payment will be refunded (less $25 handling fee) for cancellation for any reason only if another camper is available to fill the spot. Please make out checks and envelopes to MOLA.
We Hope You Will Join Us!
Contact us soon to hold a spot or answer questions. Feel free to make copies of this letter, pass it on, spread the word, or invite a friend. We appreciate your help, and remember the free t-shirt offer! Our guarantee: kids will be active and outside, they’ll learn about themselves and their surroundings, they’ll be challenged, they’ll make new friends, and they’ll have fun.
