The fourth day of Frontier Week was all about the food. As the campsite shelters grew in size and stature, the meal team got to work on prepping and serving a meal at their tribe’s site. Each tribe’s designated meal team consisted of 1 counselor and 4 campers. The team was tasked with creating from a list of ingredients a menu containing a salad, a steak dish, a potato, and a special dish. This year’s special dish was a “smashburger.”

While the Seniors and Hi-seniors from each tribe designed the menu, prepped the ingredients, and continued to work on the shelter, the Juniors met in the picnic grove and decorated large sheet cakes for each of the tribes. Each cake-decorating team used icing, along with a wide variety of toppings (think crushed Oreos, Red Hots, sprinkles, Twizzlers, and graham crackers – to name just a few) to artistically represent their tribe. The Juniors’ creativity was off the charts! After the judges admired and evaluated the final product, the cakes were carried to their respective campsites and enjoyed by all members of the tribe!

After completing meal prep in the dining hall, the meal team transported all ingredients to the campsite, where each tribe cooked over an open flame using basic pots and utensils. Each tribe was responsible for digging out a stove area and lining it with rocks. Once the fire was lit, a metal grate was placed over the flame and the cooking began. Each tribe’s meal was judged in several different categories, including the overall meal (service, drink, and overall taste of the meal), the taste of each dish, and the preparation and clean-up. Once the judges made their evaluations and moved on to the next campsite, the entire tribe sat together at the campsite and enjoyed a meal of steak and french fries.

Frontier Week would not be complete without the campsite meal. Many campers look forward to this part of the competition because it not only means they get to enjoy a delicious steak dinner with their friends, but they get to bond as a tribe as they prepare for the final day of competition. Tomorrow, the stakes are very high.