Instead they headed higher up and farther in to the mountains of the dramatic Sierra Nevada range to participate in a challenging three-day extended session. Day one was a "down day" to rest from the previous week and set up our base camp at Big Meadows, 7,600 feet in elevation. We climbed to the top of nearby Buck Rock fire tower for a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains, had dinner and a Christian Living discussion around the campfire and prepared for the next day's activities. After breakfast and a Compass Check, we set out on a 12.4-mile round trip hike to Jennie Lake, gaining over 1,600 feet in elevation and topping out over Poop Out Pass at 9,250 feet before dropping down to the crystal-clear lake for lunch and a refreshing swim. Campers took turns leading the group during the hike, responsible for map-reading, route-finding and the general well-being of the group, to get a feel for leadership responsibilities. After dinner back at base camp, we traveled to Boyden Cavern, located beside the tumbling rapids of the Kings River at the bottom of Kings Canyon, the sheer rock walls of the Windy Cliffs rising 1,500 feet above us. We spent the evening on a flashlight tour, climbing among the rock formations and crawling through narrow passageways to explore the "off the beaten path" sections of the cave, then spread out our ground pads and sleeping bags to spend the night in the cavern. After breakfast and a Compass Check beside the Kings River, we spent the last day canyoneering in the Boulder Creek canyon. Most felt this was the real highlight as we hiked, boulder-hopped, scrambled, bush-whacked and rock climbed our way up the creek through true, trailless wilderness rarely visited by any but the most adventurous. We waded the narrow and shallower sections of the creek, swam the deep, clear pools, slid down water shoots and rappelled a waterfall. Back at base camp, our final Christian Living discussion around the fire—as our clothes were drying and our bags were mostly packed in preparation for leaving early the next morning—was on "The Challenge of Leadership" and reviewing our experiences during the extended session.