The CIT Chronicles are BACK, and the 2026 crew is stacked. Say hello to our newest CIT members –
Introducing Vivienne aka LadyBug, Kioni aka Bumblebee, London, Sir Erik aka RunRabbit, Mita aka Pemita, Tiana aka Otter, and Madison aka Butterfly. And this year we have a special glow up, Iyanni aka Yanni, has leveled up to lead CIT and Staff Counselor.
Day 1: We’re Actually Doing This
Campers arrived at Coliseum College Prep Academy (CCPA) excited and ready for the week ahead. The campers and staff were all smiles greeting each other, while the parents had a mixture of emotions ranging from “I can’t wait to have the house to myself this week” to “oh no, I’m really going to miss my baby.” Staff had already been at CCPA for an hour before campers arrived, so we were all ready to hit the road as soon as possible.
In a semi-orderly fashion, we got all the bags and campers on the bus, hearing a chorus of goodbyes across the crowd. Once on the road, everyone got settled and started meeting the people they’d be spending the next week with. The CITs kicked things off with some of camp’s favorite songs, but about half an hour in, half the bus was already knocked out.
Around the 2-hour mark of our 4-hour journey, we made our first stop at a gas station and park rest stop. Kids and CITs flooded the snack shop for Icees, candy, chips, and everything in between. By the time everyone made it back outside, the counselors had already set up a sandwich and chips lunch down at the park picnic tables. It was the perfect chance for counselors, CITs, and campers to eat, talk, and get to know each other a little better.
After about an hour break, we were back on the bus and finished the trip strongg, pulling into camp at exactly 4:00pm. We asked a few people what they thought of the ride:
“All I can say about the bus ride was that it was a very hot journey.” – CIT Butterfly
“That was the loudest, smelliest, yet most fun and entertaining bus ride I’ve ever been on.” – CIT Ladybug
The rest of the early evening was a blur of unpacking, napping, chatting, and laughing. We made it to dinner at 6:15pm and enjoyed spaghetti and meatballs for our first Sierra Nevada Journeys meal. After dinner we headed to campfire time, where we sang songs and the CITs performed skits they put together themselves. Then it was back to the cabins for some chit-chatting as cabin groups, with lights out at 9:30pm.
Day 2: Way Too Early
Day 2 started WAY too early. Whoever made the wake-up schedule clearly wasn’t thinking about middle schoolers. Luckily, breakfast came through with French toast, sausage, and fruit, so everybody’s mood got a little better.
After the morning circle, we journaled and decorated wooden cookies. Let’s just say some of us are future artists… and some of us should probably never touch a paintbrush again.
After lunch and a little break, it was time for the ropes course and a hike. The ropes were fun, but those hills? Yeah… they were trying to take us out. Every five minutes somebody was asking “are we there yet?”
By dinner, everybody was STARVING. The second we saw what we were eating though… all the smiles kinda disappeared. Let’s just say everybody had their own opinion about the teriyaki chicken, rice, and egg rolls.
We ended the night with trivia, and honestly… some of the answers people were putting down had us crying laughing. The confidence behind those wrong answers needs to be studied.
By lights out, nobody even had the energy to talk. We were all knocked out in like two minutes. Day 2 gave us sore legs, nonstop laughs, memories we’ll never forget, and conversations we’ll probably be laughing about long after camp is over.
Day 3: The Water Incident
Day 3 started with breakfast tacos… and let’s just say they weren’t a crowd favorite. Them tacos was fighting for their life because almost nobody ate them.
After breakfast, we all headed out to the grass to play games and sing songs like we always do. Everything was cool. Everybody was laughing, singing, and just enjoying the morning.
Then out of nowhere, in complete slow motion, we watched one camper throw water on another camper. Everybody froze. It was like one of those movie scenes where the whole world just stops. Every head turned at the exact same time like “did they really just do that?!” The camper who got splashed looked completely confused, and everybody else was trying their hardest not to laugh.
After the unexpected water attack, we headed over to the ropes course. Some campers climbed like they’d done it a hundred times, while others took their time and faced their fears step by step. Everybody was cheering each other on, and it was something special seeing people push outside their comfort zone.