We kicked off Day 5 with just a casual 100 burpees to get the blood pumping (because why not?). Then it was into the vans and off to the Gould Competition Center at Sunday River for our big adventure of the day — a 2,000-foot vertical hike to the summit of Barker Mountain!
Backpacks were packed with lunches, water bottles, and plenty of determination, as the temps and humidity were high and the trail was steep and no joke. Each team of 7 campers tackled not only the 4-mile hike up and down, but a series of fun (and slightly ridiculous) challenges along the way:
- 100 more burpees (of course!)
- Write and perform a poem
- Sing a song
- Carry two gallons of water
- Build a STAR (yes, a literal star)
Teams strategized differently — some cranked out their burpees early, others saved them for the summit. Some sang while hiking, others paused to pick wild blueberries and write their masterpieces. No matter the method, everyone made it to the top for a Lunch With a View! After refueling, each team performed their poetic creations before the scenic descent. Popsicles awaited at the bottom as a well-earned treat!
After a rest (and, yes, another 50 burpees — we’re committed to 200/day), we headed back to the field for some friendly rounds of soccer and capture the flag.
But the real showstopper? The Smoothie Contest.
The same hiking teams became culinary teams as they blended up three smoothie creations:
- A protein-packed powerhouse
- A greens-based health tonic
- Their signature smoothie entry for the judging round
Five coaches served as judges, and they did not hold back — rating taste, nutrition, and presentation with a mix of Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsay energy. Campers got creative, and the kitchen buzzed with blenders, laughter, and just the right bit of chaos.
To close out the day, we went full silly mode with Crazy Relays and the much-anticipated Jello Drop.The Jello Drop tradition was the perfect finale: cubes of jello dropped from 10 feet above, caught (hopefully) in campers’ mouths. No hands allowed! The competition was fierce, but it was the dynamic sibling duo, Harvey and Dexter, who emerged victorious.
By 9 PM, campers were out like lights, dreaming of Saturday’s SUFFERFEST Riverwalk and reuniting with you all.
Pick-up is from 2:30 to 3:00 PM today — we can’t wait to see you!
Friday blogs from the ladies:
Describe how hard or fun the hike was? What else besides hike up the mountain did you do?
- Eva C: The hike was fun and it was a little hard but mostly fun. We did burpees and made a poem.
- Zoe S: The hike was hard and dun at the same time. I got to do burpees. Henry played songs and the songs were super good!
- Phoebe C: It was hard up and down but it was still really fun because we ate blueberries and I got to make a poem.
- Ella B: It was hard because of going uphill and we picked wild blueberries.
- Katarina V: The hike was very fun and got a good workout. One the mountain we made a star out of sticks and duct tape.
- Evelyn S: The hike was difficult because the terrain was steep and technical yet fun. We picked blueberries, made stars out of sticks, made a poem and did karaoke.
- Madison O: The hike wasn’t hard but it was really steep. Other things we did were karaoke.
- Sadie D: The hike was really fun because I enjoyed exploring a new mountain. I also enjoyed making lots of little stars for the whole team.
What was in your favorite smoothie?
- Eva C: The first one my group made was my favorite.
- Zoe S: Then first one it was nice and creamy and fruity and amazing.
- Phoebe C: The Sandpit Smoothing, plus Doug drank three cups I gave him and gave it a 10! It was chocolate protein powder, ice, yogurt, avocados and honey.
- Ella B: Our smoothie had avocados, strawberries, spinach and honey.
- Katarina V: My favorite was the protein smoothie.
- Evelyn S: Ours had milk, protein powder, avocado, ice and yogurt.
- Madison O: My favorite smoothie was our group. It was a banana strawberry smoothie.
- Sadie D: Our smoothie Shrek’s Breakfast was fitting to its name in looks. HOWEVER, it tasted delicious! We had spinach, avocado, honey, chia seeds, lime and soy milk.
