Camp Inspection Day! Every Dollar Helps These Kids

Summary

---

SkyWatchTV Podcast Summary

Episode: Camp Inspection Day! Every Dollar Helps These Kids
Date: June 4, 2026
Host: Joe Ardis Horn
Location: Whispering Ponies Ranch

---

Episode Overview

This special on-location episode centers around the annual safety inspection of the camp’s rock climbing wall at Whispering Ponies Ranch. Host Joe Ardis Horn and guest Jamie Woodle walk listeners through the physical and emotional preparation for camp season, highlighting the significance of fostering encouragement and respect for children—particularly those from difficult backgrounds. The conversation is filled with practical insights about camp safety, teaching resilience, and championing the power of affirmation and setting boundaries.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rock Wall Inspection and Camp Safety

• Annual Inspection Process

  • Joe explains the detailed process of checking each rope and webbing section “inch by inch” before children are allowed to climb.
    • “Before anybody climbs, before we do the inspection, I go up to the very top of every portion of our rock wall, and I make sure that all of our tethers and our webbing look as though they've been undisturbed outside of the season.” (00:31)
  • Ropes are retired and replaced every three years to ensure integrity and safety.
  • The “Shadow Box donation campaign” allowed supporters to own pieces of previously used ropes, linking supporters to the kids’ experiences.

• Significance of Ritual and Personal Involvement

  • Joe insists on climbing first each year to authenticate the wall’s safety for everyone.
  • “There is nothing, nothing about hosting TV that prepares you for scaling this thing annually.” (03:12)

2. Affirmation, Challenge, and Celebration

• Climbing as a Rite of Passage

  • Children face the rock wall as a symbol of overcoming fear and reaching new heights.
  • Ringing the bell at the summit is an important mark of accomplishment.
    • Jamie: "The bell is how we know and they know they have officially reached the top...they hit it with all their might. And that means I've done it. I've completed the entire wall. I've gotten victory over this. And that's the biggest smile I think we ever get.” (02:33)

• Celebrating All Efforts, Not Just Success

  • A key philosophy is celebrating any attempt, not just a complete climb.
  • For some children, even trying is a significant achievement due to backgrounds of trauma or abuse.
  • “For a lot of these kids, they don’t ever get celebrated.” (05:30)

• Setting and Respecting Boundaries

  • Children are not coerced to climb if they are uncomfortable or afraid, and can opt-out at any point.
  • Joe stresses the importance of respecting boundaries, a rarity for many of these children.
    • “One of the things I cover in my orientation is if you get up to the wall and you decide it’s not for you, just let us know.” (06:10)
    • “Might be the only place that many of these children have ever had the opportunity to actually set a boundary and then have adults respect that boundary.” (07:44)

• Any progress, however small, is met with celebration and affirmation—from climbing one step to reaching the top.

  • "What little morsel they give you, you celebrate it so that everybody wins and is affirmed.” (07:44)

3. Memorable Moments & Lighter Tone

• Teamwork and Humor
  • Playful camaraderie is evident as Joe and Jamie sing bits of “Eye of the Tiger” while climbing.
    • Jamie: “Thrill of the fight rising up to the challenge of arrival. And something about something in the end of the tiger.” (04:26)
    • Joe: “Dang it.” Jamie: “We really nailed that. We're starting a band.” (04:51–05:05)
• Personal Reflection and Vulnerability
  • Joe openly discusses his own challenges with the hardest section, “Mega Wall,” showing authenticity and relatability.
    • “I have my ladder over here to cheat the most difficult…not gonna lie. This one’s a lot harder for me to climb.” (03:13)

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Joe Ardis Horn:
  • “Every year before anybody climbs...I make sure all of our tethers and our webbing look as though they've been undisturbed outside of the season.” (00:31)
  • “This might be Whispering Ponies Ranch. Might be the only place that many of these children have ever had the opportunity to actually set a boundary and then have adults respect that boundary.” (07:44)
• Jamie Woodle:
  • “The bell is how we know and they know they have officially reached the top...They've gotten victory over this. And that’s the biggest smile I think we ever get.” (02:33)
  • “One thing that I look forward to every year doing the rock wall is when these kids reach a certain point and they’re so proud of themselves and they're beaming, and we get to celebrate with them.” (05:30)
• On Children’s Agency:
  • “If you get up there and you want to decide to come back down, you just let us know.” (06:45)

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [00:02 – 01:45]: Introduction at the rock wall and inspection procedures
• [02:33 – 03:13]: The symbolism of ringing the bell, first-climb ritual, realistic look at staff’s own challenges
• [05:30 – 07:44]: The emotional impact of affirmation at camp, respecting boundaries, and philosophy of celebration

---

Episode Takeaways

• Safety and Preparation are top priorities for creating empowering experiences for all campers.
• Encouragement over accomplishment: Whispering Ponies Ranch is dedicated to celebrating not just victories but also effort, courage, and personal boundaries.
• Restoring agency: For many children, Whispering Ponies offers a rare opportunity where their choices and limits are respected by adults.
• Atmosphere of Joy: The lighthearted, supportive environment fosters personal growth, laughter, and healing.

---

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody, it's Joe Artishorn. I'm here in the gymnasium at the Whispering Ponies Ranch, and I've got some friends here that are hiding behind the camera, but not so easy. My assistant, Kendra Hand, and this is Jamie Woodle. Now, Jamie and I served up in Central Oregon over 20 years ago at a place called Camp Davidson. We ran rock walls together. We did zip lines, we cleaned swimming pools, we lifeguarded. And we're getting ready to check all the ropes and the hand placements here at the rock wall. So every year before anybody climbs, before we do the inspection, I go up to the very top of every portion of our rock wall, and I make sure that all of our tethers and our webbing look as though they've been undisturbed outside of the season. So an inch by inch inspection of every rope. And then, of course, every three years, we retire all of the ropes, which you may remember from our Shadow Box donation campaign that we did last year where you could actually own a section of the rope that was used during the Rescue Us television series. They were actually the ropes that were in service the last year. My father had his ministerial run here in the camping season of 2023. So we still have some. Call the skywatchtvstore.com if you want a section of the rope that was used right here to serve the kids during the Rescue U.S. television series. But anyway, I'm getting ready to go up. We're gonna make sure everything looks like it's in order. The little kids are gonna flood in here, and they're gonna be wanting to climb the rock wall, face their challenges, confront their fears, and succeed to the top where they can ring that bell and let all their friends know they made it. But before all of that can happen, I'm going to take the first inaugural climb of this year. I'm going to go up, and I'm going to make sure that all of our webbing and our tethers are in order. Are we ready?

[B]

I'm ready.

[A]

Now Jamie is going to belay me. That's the process of making sure that this break is on when I'm climbing so that I don't come down faster than planned. Does that make sense? So I'm trusting you. I'm trusting on belay climbing. All right, here we go. Oh, look at that. Perfect technique.

[B]

Now, what is this bell for? What is there a bell at the top for? The bell is how we know and they know they have officially reached the top as soon as they can hit that Bell. They hit it with all their might. And that means I've done it. I've completed the entire wall. I've gotten victory over this. And that's the biggest smile I think we ever get.

[A]

Perfect. Perfect score.

[B]

We gotta keep that sound.

[A]

There is nothing, nothing about hosting TV that prepares you for scaling this thing annually. Yeah. See, I myself get to cheer these little kids on. But then every year, at least once, I also have to climb them. But I have my ladder over here to cheat the most difficult. We call this portion Mega Wall Megawall. You're working against gravity. I can't get up there at this angle and also inspect anything. I'm not gonna lie. This one's a lot harder for me to climb.

[B]

Do you want me to do it?

[A]

Okay. I like this. Climb on. Belay climbing.

[B]

Climb on.

[A]

All right, here we go. Come on, cheer me up.

[B]

I don't know the words, or I would sing with it. Hold on, hold on. Thrill of the fight Rising up to the challenge of arrival. And something about something in the end of the tiger.

[A]

Dang it.

[B]

We really nailed that. We so nailed it. Donna and I quit. We're starting a band. We're taking this show on the road.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. That was so My father's voice. That just came out of him. I'm not kidding.

[A]

That.

[B]

Okay. He just did. That was tone. I have no grip in my. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.

[A]

I just never gave up. I just never gave up.

[B]

One thing that I look forward to every year doing the rock wall is when these kids do reach a certain point and they're so proud of themselves and they're beaming, and we get to celebrate with them, and it's like the best day they've ever had in their life. For a lot of these kids, they don't ever get celebrated.

[A]

So one of the things that my sobering series of climbs served to remind me about, and that is there are some individuals who either won't or can't physically, or they get alarmed or they're afraid for whatever reason, they'll attempt the rock wall. And they'll find out somewhere along the way that it is too much for them. And I just want the viewers of this video to know that we never, ever, ever insist that a child be coerced into anything. What we'll do is we'll allow them to set a boundary. And one of the things I cover in my orientation is if you get up to the wall and you decide it's not for you, just let us know. We'll take you out of the harness, and we'll let you take five minutes to kind of regroup and reevaluate. Then let us know if you've changed your mind. Whatever. There are a lot of these kids that we deal with that have had lots of backgrounds of abuse and trauma that will think that they're going to accelerate all the way to the top. And there's something about leaving the ground and having to trust one of us with the rope to belay and to keep them safe. And that's where for them, it breaks down. And so if at any time a child decides to set a boundary, I don't want this. I don't like this. Instead of it being this moment of failure where everybody, aw, Little Billy didn't make it. Okay, folks, look at little Billy instead. We're telling the whole group in advance. If you get up there and you want to decide to come back down, you just let us know.

[B]

Yay.

[A]

So they set a boundary. We'll let them down. We will celebrate their effort. You did great. Look how high he made it. I've had kids look at this. Make it this far. I don't want to do it.

[B]

Hey, everybody. Little Billy gave it a shot.

[A]

Everybody. Look how high he made.

[B]

Ben. That's as tall as I am.

[A]

You know, whatever you can get, you celebrate it. What little morsel they give you, you celebrate it so that everybody wins and is affirmed. And the we do that with every amenity, whether it be the swimming pool, the playground, our zip line, the rock wall, is because this might be Whispering Ponies Ranch. Might be the only place that many of these children have ever had the opportunity to actually set a boundary and then have adults respect that boundary.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

This is all about them, not about us. We will. We will take again any morsel that they give us and celebrate that.

[B]

Sam.