Yamhill Sojourn Wraps Up

One of our last meetings - the prayer was led by the man with the cane, George Nickerson, a Sojourner 90 years old!

The rigs at Camp - across the river from the main campus and a quiet retreat.

Our Leader (Raymond Martin, right) and Co-Leader Del Ray - veterans of many sojourns - with their wives. Del and Fran have been on a Sojourn Tour since February and still have several more planned for this year.

The end.

Camp Yamhill work and play

When the days work is done (9 -4) and meals are served up by the professional chef and her husband (below) Sojourners play cards!

The young man is a senior at Oklahoma Chrisitian and a returning summer staffer; the big guy he is eating with is the camp maintenance man and heavy equipment operator - he is also the the 'camp nurse' because he is an EMT.

Nick and Abby Mears are the directors (six years, after graduating Ok Christian) and are expecting their first child. This is a year-round operation and a challenge to keep everything working and looking so good.

Camp Yamhill work and play

When the days work is done (9 -4) and meals are served up by the professional chef and her husband (below) Sojourners play cards!

The young man is a senior at Oklahoma Chrisitian and a returning summer staffer; the big guy he is eating with is the camp maintenance man and heavy equipment operator - he is also the the 'camp nurse' because he is an EMT.

Nick and Abby Mears are the directors (six years, after graduating Ok Christian) and are expecting their first child. This is a year-round operation and a challenge to keep everything working and looking so good.

More Camp Work

The 'Merry Maids' do windows!

How many Sojourners does it take to place one 8' 2x6? Four with one supervisor!

By the end of the week everyone was looking for a ride to work or home.

Observe how important it is to keep those logs straight (Gary is holding this one up) - the axe is really just for show; chainsaws are better.

Yamhill Sojourn Work Begins

After a hearty breakfast we started every work day with a devotional.

One couple from this area had prepared for months to update the landscaping; they worked non-stop.
One team of the men (Gary and Joe included) went to work on the log shelter that the camp loves for outdoor classes and devos. This was really a Physical Sojourn - no one was allowed to kill themselves but together we put in 768 hours of labor! This kind of data is submitted to the Sojourn office by all the Sojourn Team Leaders.

Yamhill Camp Sojourn 1

Here's the team of Sojourners for this year. Next to us is our Leader, Ray Martin and Joe Thomas is on the opposite end. Most have been here off and on for years and live in the area. Six of us are newbies.

The camp is too spread out to picture (hills, trees and the Yamhill River get in the way) well, but is first class and has a year-round mission to the church and the community.

The dining room is spacious and we had our breakfast and lunch provided for a nominal fee on week one. Prepared by a trained chef, no less! Not exactly roughing it. Pictures of the work to follow later (we really did work) - Sunday evening services are about to start.

Oregon Coast - part 2 Sea Lions

We happened upon this touristy spot that turned out to be fascinating - up close and personal with an enormous Sea Lion colony. This attraction has been in continuous operation for over fifty years and they did it well. The shelf below was 300' down (we took the elevator) and these beasts are enormous.

Inside the hill is this cave - and we got to visit with a staff biologist who said they were observing a first: they had never witnessed the Sea Lions calving inside the cave before, it had always occurred on the outside shelf. They were most curious why, and why this year.

Oregon Coast, part 1

This is how we look rolling down the road in front of you. We know we frustrate the locals (who aren't pulling 11,000 lbs) so we use the handy pullouts frequently. Some sacrifice with views like the one below to enjoy around every bend!

Lots of coastal villages in southern Oregon on the rivers and bays like this; we stopped to stretch our legs and had to picture the restaurant's wall, below. Reminded me of the Whaling Wall on SPI.

This hike you have to get one of fifty daily permits to take - we scored one of them on the only day we could have.

Its considered a rigorous hike of four miles, round-trip but mostly because it drops 600 feet to the river bank. We thought walking down-trail was hard until we had to climb out.

Underneath a canopy of the tallest trees in the world you feel pretty insignificant.

These trees grow so well because they are constantly watered - if not by rain, by the ever-present fogs.

This hike you have to get one of fifty daily permits to take - we scored one of them on the only day we could have.

Its considered a rigorous hike of four miles, round-trip but mostly because it drops 600 feet to the river bank. We thought walking down-trail was hard until we had to climb out.

Underneath a canopy of the tallest trees in the world you feel pretty insignificant.

These trees grow so well because they are constantly watered - if not by rain, by the ever-present fogs.

Some interesting info

This elk cow was most perturbed by people trying to use the restrooms at the trailhead parking lot; she even charged a couple that had two goldedn retrievers on leash. Turns out she had a new calf in the tall grass nearby and the rangers closed this trail completely the next day until the calf is up and they moved off. Don't mess with Momma!

The Fern Canyon stream flows right out to the beach - didn't see anyone swimming today.

Beachcombing for interesting rocks - not shells!