We got to sleep in a little later this morning before heading on our whitewater rafting adventure! We got picked up on the bus by the Wyoming River Tour around 8:30, got life jackets fitted, and drove to the Shoshone River. We split up into groups and went into the heavy rapids, while all of us tried to convince (Counselor) Anna to talk with the raft guide. After surviving the harsh rapids, we came back to the campsite where we were surprised with a fantastic breakfast of grits, eggs, and sausage by the staff and Claudius. We shuttled in shifts to the two laundromats where we all did our laundry for the third and final time. Elliott didn’t feel like waiting for a washing machine, so he hand washed his clothes in the sink! Some of the group headed to the Dairy Queen next door to our campsite to grab some lunch, while sandwiches were being served back at camp.
We started the process of getting ready for the rodeo, which everyone was super excited about! Most people had special outfits planned for the rodeo and we all had a blast getting ready together. The new cooks made hotdogs, corn, watermelon, chili, and beans for dinner. We had so many extra hotogs, it was enough to feed the whole rodeo crowd! After we ate, we rushed to cover our bags with tarps because it looked like it would be raining soon. We loaded into the bus and Miss America heading to the western downtown area of Cody. Some people spent $100 on cowboy hats, but mostly everyone got cheap ones, making us all look like crazy tourists. We also got ice cream before driving to the rodeo!!
Sixty basic tourists came into the rodeo, where we became famous by being from North Carolina. We danced to the music before the beginning of the show and took lots of pictures! We beat the entire rest of the crowd in a noise contest! As Harrison says, “we carried that rodeo”. Our youngest participant, Marissa (12 years old for today) went into the arena with the youngest kids at the rodeo to play a game where she chased a calf to get a bandana off of its tail. After losing to a real 12 year old, we enjoyed watching the bull riders try to stay on for more than 8 seconds. Sadly, none of them succeeded, but they were still fun to watch! We also enjoyed watching the barrel racers and ropers. We’re finishing our night now by invading Dairy Queen, hanging out with our 56 participants. In 5 short days, we’ll be back home to see you all with many stories to tell!
