Hiking in the Sand Dunes

By Avi T. age 15

 

At camp 2017, we took time on a Thursday to visit the Michigan sand dunes. After a two hour drive, we arrived in a parking lot full of ATVs and other four wheel drive vehicles. There was a brief debate on whether or not to rent one, but the prices per hour settled it quickly. We ate lunch and started hiking up the first dune. Once we reached the top, our calves were already strained. We split into two groups, the larger group, who started towards Silver Lake, and the smaller group, which consisted of Koala, Rafiki, Lone Star, Tater Tots, Lydia, Max and myself.

We walked in a straggly line, Koala leading, Lone Star and I following along a little behind, with Tots, Rafiki, Lydia and Max a little bit back. About five minutes into our hike, Lone Star began to narrate the story of a group of explorers. “Searching for the lost city of El Dorado in Egypt, led by the brave and determined Koala.” Our narrator, crewman, the manly Australian stereotype, Lone Star. The rest of the crew, consisting of our expert navigator, Rafiki, had begun to give up. We had to be careful of the sand beetles, who could turn you into dust with just one bite. As we climbed the last dunes, we could see Lake Michigan in the distance. We were excited, but we had to be careful that it was not a mirage. Thankfully, it was real and we reached the lake with time to swim in the waves.