PADDLES AND SADDLES: SESSION I

Paddles and Saddles is not only the longest running and most popular summer expedition that TCS has ever offered, but it also has the highest demand with both sessions typically selling out. For more than two decades our rising Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh graders have made life-long memories on this extremely fun and unforgettable trip. The first two days of camp will be spent having fun and building group unity through exploration, play, and swimming at two different shut-ins near St. Louis. Both are geologic wonders and create natural playscapes for enjoying the start of summer break. The second half of the week will be a 3-day/2-night expedition to Bass River Resorts where the group will stay in a lush, air-conditioned cabin each evening and spend two days rafting down the beautiful Courtois and Huzzah Rivers. Our final day will feature a morning horseback ride through the surrounding Mark Twain National Forest before a stop on the way home for a celebratory treat in Steelville, the “Floating Capital of Missouri”. Paddles and Saddles is an iconic TCS summer experience. By design we utilize whitewater rafts on this trip, because they provide the opportunity for developing adventurers to gain valuable paddling experience on moving water but in a purely fun and enjoyable way. It is the steppingstone that prepares them for the more technical and advanced summer expedition offerings that are available to our older students. The reason this trip has been talked about as almost a rite of passage for more than two decades is because, without fail, Paddles and Saddles is always a super fun, all-around wonderful experience and a perennial summer highlight for participants!