Adventure Days and Mondamin/Green Cove River Paddling Clinic, 2024

by Gordon Grant on January 08

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Adventure Day Dates:

February: 17 and 18

March: 16 and 17

Paddling Clinic Dates

May 3-5/2024

We play in our wonderful natural playgrounds around here all year long, and we didn’t want to keep them to ourselves anymore…. Here’s an opportunity for camp families and friends to come and recreate over the winter when the woods and cliffs are uncrowded, the views are big, and you can enjoy with your children what they enjoy in the summer - AND have the opportunity to contribute to the Chief and Calla Bell Scholarship Foundation so that other kids can have experiences like these, though we want to say from the start that NO CONTRIBUTION IS NECESSARY NOR EXPECTED to participate.

Adventure Days are simple: They are private instruction/guiding days, where families and friends of camp take part in outdoor experiences guided by Mondamin and Green Cove staff. The fees cover all instruction and gear. Clients arrange their own lodging and food (and we can help with area suggestions!). These are opportunities to do a private instruction in one of these activities:

Rock Climbing

Mt. Biking

Hiking

Paddling (Open Canoe or Kayak)* note cold weather paddling considerations.

  • Paddling whitewater in winter months requires special clothing (drysuits and wetsuits) that camp does not provide. Contact us for discussion of gear in booking a whitewater or lake trip. We have done a careful comparison of area guide services and believe our pricing provides a good value. Pricing: $350 per instructor with a 1:5 per instructor to students ratio (and note that Paddling requires 2 instructors for safety)

*Opportunity to donate to the C+CBSF at the end of session, but this is NOT required for participation. We simply give participants the Donation Form or link to the Foundation Website.

Dates we offer: February: 17 and 18 March: 16 and 17

The Mondamin/Green Cove Paddling Clinic, Friday-Sunday, May 3-5/2024 Purpose: Fun, (re)build boating skills and keep interest high in camp; share springtime adventure on the rivers with family and friends

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Scan this QR code to donate to the C+CBSF

As a former head of paddling instruction at Mondamin and the Nantahala Outdoor Center for many years, I helped organize over 25 of these, discontinued them a few years back and figured: hey, I’m back at camp! Let’s rev these up again! These have been very popular and we look forward to offering one this year to reignite the tradition. Cost: $500 per person, all inclusive of: Instruction, gear, food, and camp lodging Minimum number: 4 students; Max: 12 *Like the Adventure Days, after the clinic there is opportunity to donate to the C+CBSF but this is NOT required for participation. We simply give participants the Donation Form or link to the Foundation Website.

Interested? Let’s talk! Give me, Gordon Grant, aka “Gordo,” a call. We are trying these out to gauge interest, so I’m very open to working with you to have a meaningful outdoor experience with your friends and family. We’ll be very clear about what we can and cannot do (No, I’m not guiding any kayakers down the Green Narrows, but there are many trips I can safely lead your family and friends on!).

Onward, Gordo C: 828-713- 7267; gordon@mondamin.com

About Gordon Grant

I came to Mondamin as a 14 year old camper in 1969, and have followed what I learned here in adventure and academic education for 54 years: at Mondamin and Green Cove, Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC Outward Bound, Asheville City Public Schools, and UNC Chapel Hill. I still practice deep play in whitewater, rock climbing, and hiking, and am still working on my kayak roll…

I have worked closely with the Bell family in these years, from the founders of the camps, Chief and Calla Bell, through their son and daughter Frank, Jr. and Nancy Bell, and their grandchildren Andrew, Calla, and David. Each generation has taught me something.

My wife, Susan, is my partner of 40+ years; we have shared outdoor adventures around the world. Susan has headed canoeing at Green Cove. Our daughters, Rachel and Glenna, were Green Cove campers, and our granddaughter, Virginia Rugh, will be at August camp this summer. We intend that our grandson Grant will be at Mondamin in 2028. I am working with David Bell and the Mondamin staff to assure that he, and many other boys, will be having adventures on their personal frontiers at camp for years to come.

Gordon Grant