COGWA Youth Camps

“Challenging Young Adults to Greater Spiritual Growth, Leadership and Service”

Our calling as Christians involves taking up the challenges of overcoming, building character, taking our place and responsibilities in the service of God and His family, and setting our sights firmly on the goal of God’s Kingdom. The Challenger program is designed to focus young adults of the Church on these priorities, helping them to strengthen their spiritual resolve and commitment to a life of service and to gain insight from the experiences shared in a challenging, mentored outdoor program.

A team of eight young adults and three elders gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, Aug. 12, for orientation meetings and Bible studies in preparation for the trip. Members of the Phoenix congregation hosted the participants, who enjoyed services and a potluck with the members on the Sabbath. Then early Sunday morning the participants set out on a journey that would take them to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and to the highest summit in Arizona in their week-long Challenger Trek. 

Participants were Erica Bennett, Laura Burt, Corey Chambers, Cody Dreaden, Emily Epperson, Wesley Johnson, Kimberly Johnston and Joshua McKinney. Elders leading the program were Jon Pinelli, Bill Johnson and James Capo, director. Brad and Denise King helped as support staff coordinating base camp and transportation.

On the drive from Phoenix to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the group stopped at the dinosaur tracks site near Tuba City, on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona. Here, hundreds of tracks from various dinosaurs of the “Jurassic” period lay exposed in the sandstone. In our Bible study the previous day, we had discussed the biblical account of creation in Genesis 1, Lucifer’s ancient rebellion and the world before Adam. Then we went on to camp on the North Rim and watch the sunset over the Grand Canyon. 

The next morning began our four-day journey, backpacking across the Grand Canyon, 24.5 miles from rim to rim. We started each day’s hike by sunrise to take advantage of the coolest part of the day, resting during midday hours when the sun’s heat would raise temperatures over 100 degrees. Those were times to soak our feet and cool off in the icy waters of Bright Angel Creek, a welcome contrast to the heat of the canyon around us.

We left the North Rim Monday morning with temperatures in the 50s at 8,250 feet in elevation, crossed the Colorado River two days later with temperatures in the 100s at 2,480 feet in elevation and climbed out on the South Rim on Thursday with temperatures in the 80s at 6,860 feet in elevation. Along the way, each day we held Christian Living discussions and spiritual Compass Checks in some of the most dramatic settings in the West. Together we climbed up stretches of trail called the “Devil’s Corkscrew” and “Jacob’s Ladder.” We cooked dinner at Plateau Point, overlooking the Colorado River 1,300 feet below. We rested under a canopy of stars and the trail of the Milky Way. 

Topping out on the South Rim on Thursday, we celebrated our success with cold drinks, ice cream and cheeseburgers before meeting up with our support team of Brad and Denise King. While we were in the canyon, they had scouted and set up a base camp for us for the remainder of the week. We drove to and explored a mile-long lava cave that afternoon near Flagstaff, Arizona, then finished our week on Friday by hiking to the 12,633-foot summit of Humphrey’s Peak, the highest point in Arizona. The trail climbs 3,333 vertical feet over a hiking distance of 4.8 miles each way, and the last 1,000 feet in elevation is a climb along a rocky ridge trail above tree line. We reached the summit before noon, then had to descend quickly to the tree line as a storm system was moving in. Along the trail back to camp, we had to stop and take cover a couple of times to wait out the passing storm, which dropped rain and hail on us. We dried out back at camp, had a delicious dinner of hot stew and had a good Bible study and fellowship around the campfire.

The Sabbath turned out to be as beautiful as the previous afternoon had been stormy. Perfect weather and comfortable temperatures combined as if God was putting His final blessing on a very successful week. We found a shaded spot in the woods for services and capped off the week with thanks to God for His blessings and protection and for bringing us together for a tremendous experience. This was a team that had shouldered packs together, took heat and hail in stride, laughed a lot, experienced challenge and success, built strong bonds of fellowship and learned valuable spiritual lessons. Participant Kim Johnston described the Challenger Trek as “one of the best experiences of my life,” and I think all would agree. It is inspiring to see and work with such a motivated, spiritually focused group of young adults.

James Capo