When we need to turn a day around, it’s down the hill we go to Trickey Pond. Jump on in, and you’ll feel the magic. There’s something about these waters that seems to wash away the blues.
About two miles long and a half mile across, Trickey Pond is our Skylemar gem. It’s a lake that’s referred to as a “pond” because sunlight penetrates to the bottom. Trickey is considered to be one of the clearest and cleanest bodies of water in the entire state that has over 6,000. The center is 55’ deep, and you can see clearly down to the last ten.
Fed by underground springs, the water is naturally filtered. In addition, Skylemar has a filtration system of our own, because Trickey Pond water is what we drink every day. Interestingly, in blindfold taste tests against bottled water (Poland Springs, Aquafina, Deer Park, etc.), what comes from our lake is the #1 favorite.
Why is Trickey Pond so pristine? In large part, it’s because of us. Since Skylemar’s woods cover most of one side, there are no homes and roads to pollute the lake. There are some homes across, and they are some of the most wonderful neighbors. It’s a solid community, and we’re proud to support the Trickey Pond Environmental Protection Association.
We do our share to protect the lake environmentally. You may have noticed that big green bushes have replaced the sand at the shoreline, to help with catching any pollutants from our dirt road. Our maintenance department has installed “rubber raisers” which divert water from the road into the woods and culverts. It’s fun to watch how they do their job after a big rainstorm.
Temps today were in the 90’s, so Trickey Pond was the place to be. But since we have 350 people here, we couldn’t all go at the same time. Sooooo…. we set up our many hoses and gave it a go! It’s A Wacky Water Afternoon Rotation!
Hoses, sprinklers and baby pools. The giant SkySlide. Water balloons for H2O Baseball. Bubble making too. There's a “car wash” that you get inside, and best of all, there’s a plunging pool for ice baths.
The best way to make a boy happy is to squirt him with the hose... or with permission, let him pour water over his counselor's head. We have orange buckets for that. It’s interesting how boys like to be just a little bit daring. That’s where the ice bath comes in. Can you sit in it? Can you dunk? How about with a fresh bag of ice thrown in?
Treat of the day was a Baltimore Lemon Stick -- take half a lemon and put a peppermint stick in the middle. The peppermint is used like a straw for pulling up the juice. It’s a lovely combo and perfect for a hot summer day.
SkyPotle for dinner (fan favorite) and Campfire for Evening Activity. There’s nothing better than to see everyone up on their feet performing whatever actions go with the songs or laughing hysterically as they watch a skit. We loved the "Moose Song" and DT’s Repeat-after-me "Burrito" classic. We sang along to “Wagon Wheel” and are amazed when the guys chain-up and sway, shoulder to shoulder. No one asks them to do this. It just kinda happens.
"Day is done, gone the sun", and we’re ready to bring on a joyful day tomorrow.
