Over the Presidents' Day Weekend February 18 - 21, 2011, the St. James' youth group went on their annual ski trip to Hidden Valley Ski Resort on Laurel Mountain near Donegal, Pa. We stayed at the Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, a 600-acre camp, conference and retreat center located in Mount Pleasant, Pa., at the foot of the Laurel Mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania. We skied on Saturday and Sunday at Hidden Valley. During the week prior, spring-like weather with some very warm temperatures caused lots of melting, and there was snow only on the groomed ski runs. It was a little icey, but still pretty good for skiing. On Monday, we were planning to go snow tubing at Seven Springs, but it was raining in southwestern Pennsylvania, so we travelled back to Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, Pa., where it was not raining, for the tubing. Our thanks go to Mrs. Blaine for this brilliant idea that saved the day! (Otherwise, we would have been bowling in Mount Pleasant.)

In our evening programs we played several games and saw the movie 'Dreamer', in which a mare named "Soņador" ("Dreamer") with a broken leg provides an opportunity for a father and daughter to reconstruct their lost familiar bond and achieve their dreams. We looked at the account of the battle between David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, and talked about the movie's themes of believing in ourselves and having faith, like David did when he confronted Goliath.

On this page you'll find a group picture taken on the Laurelville grounds, and links to other pictures from the weekend.

Our memories from this trip include: -- "Oh, look! A full moon!" "Guys, strap me down!" -- "I wonder how Will's doing?" -- yelling "Will" from the ski lift -- playing games in the evening meetings -- awesome singing ("Pharaoh, Pharaoh") -- air freshener fight -- falling off the tubes -- watching the movie 'Inception' after Sunday's evening meeting -- Sharka and Yokelin -- "I think you left your phone in our ceiling" -- learning pole plant turn -- Oreo face game -- breakfast sausages -- twisting our room key -- car rides -- tubing -- dominos on the conveyor belt! -- a skier singing to himself -- skiing into the fence

Our group at the Laurelville Mennonite Church Center