Hello,

My name is Lincoln Johnston and I’m a sophomore at Willamette High School and a member of the Santa Clara 4th Ward. I’ve been asked to share some details of our upcoming multi-stake youth high adventure.

This July 24-27, we’re going to embark on an adventure with a great purpose.  We’re going to have fun, be challenged, and make lifelong friendships. As Presidents Leonard and Jorgensen explained to us last fall at the kickoff fireside, we’re going to learn why it’s so important that we make and keep sacred covenants.

Along with several others I was asked to serve as a Youth High Adventure Leader, a “YHAL” for short.  What is a YHAL?   

YHAL’s are high school upperclassmen that have been asked to act as youth leaders for the event. This includes things like planning the theme, creating the logo, helping with the Hype Night, organizing and participating in projects, and helping lead during the event.  While we’re up at Hoodoo, one boy and one girl YHAL will be assigned to each tribe. We’ll work with an adult couple assigned to our tribe to help ensure everyone has a great experience!  

I know everyone has lots of questions and to help answer them, the YHALs have put together responses to the most common questions that have been asked.

1. “How many youth will be there?”

Between the Eugene and Santa Clara Stakes, as well as all friends that have been invited, we’ll have between 150-175 youth. There will be lots of awesome activities where youth can mingle and meet others. The highlight of this event might be the new friends you make. Please consider inviting a friend. This would be a great experience for them too.

2. “How will we be divided into groups?”

After we arrive, we’ll participate in a welcome fireside and then be divided into Tribes of Israel. Each tribe will have 14-16 youth, about half girls and half boys. Those who are bringing a friend can request to have them assigned to the same tribe. Otherwise, these tribes will be assigned by stake youth leaders after much prayer and fasting. They’ll be a great mixture of age and personality. They’ll become much like a pioneer trek family for those who’ve been on trek.

3. “Who will lead the Tribes?”

Each tribe will have two adult leaders (a married couple called “tribal leaders”) and two YHAL youth (a boy and a girl) who’ll guide us through each day and help us bond as a tribe. The YHALs will lead tribe scripture study, prayer, and devotional each day. We’ll all be given assignments and have to work together to accomplish our mission.

4. “How will we be camping?”

We will camp as tribes with the girls sharing a large tent, the adult leaders in a small tent, and the boys sharing another large tent on the other side of the adults. We’ll be in the flat area in front of the Hoodoo Lodge with easy access to indoor flush toilets. Each tribe will have a designated camp spot with the whole camp in a large circle.

5. “Will there be showers?”

Yes! The lodge has 8 total showers with hot water. Each tribe will be given a designated time each day to use the showers. This may be during free time, before or after meals, or at night. Bring shower sandals and shampoo/soap.

6. “Any special equipment that we need?”

We will all need foldable camp chairs to carry on our shoulders and take around with us each day…unless you want to sit on dirt and pumice ash. Also, we highly recommend gaiters for your shoes to keep the sand/ash out. There will be areas with LOTS of this ashy stuff that’ll get in the shoes and cause blisters. An equipment list will soon be emailed to everyone who’s registered.

7. “What will the temperatures be like up there?”

For the end of July, daytime temperatures at Hoodoo range from 72-82 degrees. There should be sun, but not super-hot days. Bring sunscreen. Nighttime temperatures range from 32-42 degrees. It gets cold up in the mountains, so we’ll need warm clothes, warm sleeping bags, and warm sleeping pads. It’s the perfect time of the year in the Cascades!

8. “Will there be bugs?”

We’ve planned camp to be right at the end of mosquito season, but also before the typical fire season. There will still be mosquitos, so bring repellant, but we shouldn’t have a plague of them. We are also praying there will be no fires!

9. “Will we be doing any strenuous physical activity?”

We’ll have various games and activities around the lodge and mountain. The most strenuous will be some hikes, namely to the top of Hoodoo Summit (about 3 miles round trip). This has a breathtaking view, however, each of us will need to prepare by walking and hiking as much as possible to prep our feet for a 3-hour hike. We recommend you plan some hikes with your youth groups, your families, and your friends.

10. “What will we be eating?”

The Hoodoo Lodge has a full kitchen with everything needed for baking, grilling, and cooking food. Our food committee is excellent and will be led by Audrey Freeman, our YW camp chef. Options will be given during each meal, particularly for those with food allergies. Snacks will be available during the day as well. We’ll eat more like Pharoah than like Moses!

11. “How will we get there?”

Each ward will be responsible for setting up carpools. Our transportation committee has contacted ward youth leaders to set this up. We’ll all need to meet on Wednesday morning and begin traveling by 8:00, so we can arrive on time. The ride home will be organized the same way. We should be returning home by 3 or 4 pm on Saturday.

12. “Is there a deadline to register?”

The sooner each of us registers, the better our chances are of getting a T-shirt and enough food!  Why is that? Because we can only plan for those who are registered. However, there won’t be a deadline in case we have youth or friends who decide to go last minute. Please remind your quorums and classmates and invite a friend!

13. “What will we be doing?”

Our primary goal is to help prepare our youth to make and keep sacred covenants. This is going to be a temple prep class on steroids mixed with a lot of fun and challenging activities in a beautiful setting up at Hoodoo Ski Resort. We’ll have short classes in the mornings taught by the best teachers from the Santa Clara and Eugene Stakes. These classes will focus on the symbolism and guidance that God gave the people of Moses. We’ll learn about the covenants they made, why they were important, and relate them to the covenants we have the opportunity to make in our day. We’re going to have fun outdoor activities in the afternoon along with free time for everyone to relax and enjoy the mountains.  We’ll also have a dance one of the nights and a culminating fireside and testimony meeting on Friday night. In addition, we’re working on a special surprise that will be revealed to you when we get up to the mountains!  

I know that answered a lot of questions, but I’m sure many of you may have additional questions.  If parents or youth have more questions, feel to reach out to your stake leaders and we’ll ensure you have everything you’ll need to know. 

CLOTHING GUIDELINES

Youth High Adventure participants and staff are expected to follow the standards outlined in For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, as well as any camp specific guidelines. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/for-the-strength-of-youth

Be neat, clean, modest, and appropriate in your clothing and grooming.
Avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, or behavior.
Footwear should be appropriate for the activity and worn in all public areas.

“Our clothing expresses who we are. It sends messages about us, and it influences the way we and others act. When we are well groomed and modestly dressed, we can invite the companionship of the Spirit and exercise a good influence on those around us.”
( https://www.ChurchofJesusChrist.org/Study/Manual/Gospel-Topics/Modesty )