Mountain Biking: Season 3 Kickoff!

Today marked the third year of camps for us at Sticks and Stones! As the mountain bikers gathered at the parking lot, we felt the excitement growing and it made us thankful of how great the campers are that sign up for our sessions! It's an awesome setting to have the opportunity to share and pass down our passion for the sport of mountain biking.

We started off with a quick warm up loop around the single track trails from Patton Woods and it was evident that the skill level of this camp is strong.  Following our warm up, we had a balancing challenge to make the riders focus on keeping their weight evenly distributed. The riders lined up in heats of four to see who could travel 15 yards the slowest without dabbing their foot to the ground. They really got into this challenge and I'm positive this won't be the last time we see this challenge at our camps this summer.

After this, we went back out onto the trails and visited a few of our hill challenges as we arrived to one of the requested loops that we had the riders complete during one of last years camps.  All in all it was a successful day and we look forward to meeting again tomorrow at Circleville Park parking lot!

Below are a few photos from our first hill challenge from today! I tried to get a decent photo of everyone but a few of them weren't worthy of posting. We will make up for that tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Bob and Kirk     

Sticks and Stones (Week One)

Welcome to Year 3 of Sticks and Stones!

Kirk and I wanted to send a reminder with locations / clarifications for next week's MTB camp.  With the change in schedule due to SCASD school changes we openly know that all initial registrants may not be able to make all 3 of the days .. so pick and choose what works .... and pay accordingly.

Most on this list are past participants so please excuse the redundancy in terms of needs (and message, text, or email any other other questions).   Our week progresses with skills and locations .... but know that there will always be a 'sweeper' in terms of not letting anyone fall behind.  I am too going to encourage the carrying of cell phones due to the size and eventual nature of the trails (Rothrock on Friday!).  No worries if they don't have one or prefer not to bring it along.

I will make a text / call list on the first day of camp to ensure the safest environment for the kids.  We will have gatorades and snacks for the riders but also strongly suggest a water bottle or two (a few riders prefer hydration packs as well).   Rider wants/ needs for equipment vary  ... but the obvious necessities are a bike and a helmet.   Beyond that ... some prefer gloves, longer socks for scratches / ticks, athletic shorts and shirt (sweat wicking possibly instead of cotton), and athletic shoes.  It is possible a rider or two may have even progressed at this age to clip in shoes / pedals ... not a mandate for sure though.

Here is the schedule for the week as well as our cell phone #'s for contact before and during the camp (easier now than on arrival for camps .... we of course would like yours as well but can get whenever most convenient).   thanks for your interest and support of Sticks and Stones Youth Camps ... we are really looking forward to the fun!

Wednesday (6/14)  Scotia Woods / Patton Woods

-  Ideally would like to meet at the Circleville Park lot but I know youth basketball will be occurring so let's attempt to drop off in the gravel lot (Patton Woods wooden sign) across the street.  Each day we will have a large blue tent set up to use as a home base.

Thursday (6/15)  Scotia Woods / 'Accuweather' trails

-  Let's meet in the Circleville Park lot ... near pavillions, soccer fields, etc..   Today we will have room to spread out.

Friday (6/16)  Tussey Mt. / Rothrock

-  Meet at the back lot of Rothrock ... just past Tussey Mountain ski area.

Thank you!

Bob and Kirk

*UPDATED 2017 SUMMER SCHEDULE*

Due to Mother Nature's recent Winter Storm Stella, the last day of school for State College Area School District is now Wednesday June 14th, 2017.  The last day of school will be a half day so the week one mountain biking camp has changed to Wednesday (6/14) from 3:30PM - 6:30PM, Thursday (10:00AM - 1:00PM) and Friday (10:00AM - 1:00PM).  

If you are unable to attend one or more of those days, please let us know at rfurmanek@yahoo.com. 

Thank you, 

Bob and Kirk 

OFFICIAL 2017 SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE

The Sticks and Stones 2017 camp schedule is official and we are extremely excited to begin our third season! As most of you are aware these camps fill up extremely fast! The spots will go even faster this year because we are only running four weeks of camps.  There will be three 10 - 13 year old mountain biking camps and three 7 - 9 year old biking camps.  Another new camp offering that we are pumped up about holding is a two day, one night overnight mountain biking experience.  If you are interested in signing up for one of the mountain biking excursions please contact Bob Furmanek at rfurmanek@yahoo.com.  

 

Along with mountain biking, we will be offering two fly fishing camps with an additional opportunity to have your very own private fly fishing lessons.  Please contact Kirk Hoover at kah935@gmail.com if you are interested in signing up for one of the camps or if you are interested in private lessons.  

How to register for a Sticks and Stones camp: 

1) Contact the appropriate contact for the desired camp to see if spots are still available.

• Mountain Biking Contact: rfurmanek@yahoo.com
• Fly Fishing Contact: kah935@gmail.com

2) Deposit $50.00 cash/check written out to Sticks and Stones and addressed to: 

• Bob Furmanek: 528 East Hamilton Avenue, State College, PA 16801
• Kirk Hoover: 125 Clemson Court, State College, PA 16803

3) Read over the equipment list for the specific camp you are signing up for, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask the appropriate contact. 

As always, thank you so much for your continued support of Sticks and Stones outdoor experiences! 

Sincerely, 

Bob and Kirk   

Sticks and Stones Raystown Camp (08/10/2016)

Raystown Camp (10 - 12 year olds):

To put it plain and simple, today was an awesome way to end our second summer of Sticks and Stones Mountain Biking Camps.  The weather was iffy in State College but looked promising around the Allegrippis Trails.  Needless to say, off we went with a group of fun kids who love to ride their mountain bikes.

Once we got to the Susquehannock Trailhead Parking Lot, the riders were ready to rip around on a variety of beautifully designed trails.  The difficult thing for the riders to remember manage their speeds because it is very easy to gain momentum because of the natural flow throughout portions of each trail.  The riders did an awesome job managing this and handling their bikes around the very hard and dry ground due to our lack of rain we've been experiencing this summer.

One of my favorite things from riding today was repeatedly hearing the excited yells when the group would be going downhill or through sections where there were dips incorporated into the trail.  It never got old but at the end of the 10-mile ride with 1,000 feet of elevation gain, it was easy to see that the group got a SOLID workout.  After our ride we took a break and had some lunch before driving down to the lake to swim and goof around until we decide to head to the Whipple Dam General Store for an ice cream cone to end the day on a perfect note!  We really can't say enough of how much fun we had riding, swimming and watching everyone enjoying a fun filled day around Raystown Lake.      

Thank you very much for an awesome summer filled with amazing mountain biking!  Stay tuned for a potential fall mountain bike sessions and let us know if you are interested!

Enjoy the photos below and have a great rest of the summer!

Bob and Kirk

Sticks and Stones Camp (08/05/2016)

Day Three (10 - 12 year old camp):

Today was an extremely memorable ride for Sticks and Stones mountain biking.  The riders were outstanding, their skill sets are continuing to progress as they tackled some rocky terrain and we had encounters with a large rattle snake and a snapping turtle.  On top of all of that, we were lucky enough to have Jamie Bestwick riding with us and giving valuable tips on riding that will be a memory that will last a lifetime.  Thank you again for riding with us, Jamie!

Enjoy the photos and thank you again for such an outstanding week to finish out our mountain biking camps for this summer.  Please stay tuned for potential Fall mountain biking and fly fishing offerings. Also, if you are interested in purchasing apparel see yesterday's post for additional details.

Thank you!

Bob and Kirk