Flyinbowtie
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- Sep 25, 2007
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If you went to elementary school in Long Beach, you should.
All 5th graders got a chance to spend a week up on Mt. Wilson at the camp.
I remember it well, I got to go twice...more on that later.
My school, Clara Barton, was right across the street from Carmelitos, the projects, I lived across Del Amo from there.
My Dad was a big time hunter and camper so by the time I was in 5th grade I had been camping and walking all over the mountains, seeing the stars and sleeping in a tent with the forest sounds right next to me was nothing new.
95% of my fellow campers had never been in the mountains, they were freaked out...scared to walk to the chow hall in the dark.
By the end of the week, they were getting better, but still ready to head home when the bus came...I wasn't.
A buddy down there told me they closed Hi Hill in 2008, after operating it since 1948. Over 300,000 kids went through there.
I would almost guarantee many of them had never experienced the mountains before, and probably 30% have never since.
They saved a million bucks a year closing it. That is a big big pile of money, but man, what a shame.
I got to go twice because I somehow qualified for some special Science Summer School, that sent us to camp, to the observatory for 2 nights in a row, to the museum of Science and Industry every day for a week...etc.
Hi Hill will remain a fond memory, singing around the fire at night, showing the counselors that I already knew how to track a deer (they were shocked).
Best guess is I went in 1968 or 69. 10 years old.
I still remember.
A damn shame those city kids can't count on that memory coming anymore.
All 5th graders got a chance to spend a week up on Mt. Wilson at the camp.
I remember it well, I got to go twice...more on that later.
My school, Clara Barton, was right across the street from Carmelitos, the projects, I lived across Del Amo from there.
My Dad was a big time hunter and camper so by the time I was in 5th grade I had been camping and walking all over the mountains, seeing the stars and sleeping in a tent with the forest sounds right next to me was nothing new.
95% of my fellow campers had never been in the mountains, they were freaked out...scared to walk to the chow hall in the dark.
By the end of the week, they were getting better, but still ready to head home when the bus came...I wasn't.
A buddy down there told me they closed Hi Hill in 2008, after operating it since 1948. Over 300,000 kids went through there.
I would almost guarantee many of them had never experienced the mountains before, and probably 30% have never since.
They saved a million bucks a year closing it. That is a big big pile of money, but man, what a shame.
I got to go twice because I somehow qualified for some special Science Summer School, that sent us to camp, to the observatory for 2 nights in a row, to the museum of Science and Industry every day for a week...etc.
Hi Hill will remain a fond memory, singing around the fire at night, showing the counselors that I already knew how to track a deer (they were shocked).
Best guess is I went in 1968 or 69. 10 years old.
I still remember.
A damn shame those city kids can't count on that memory coming anymore.
