Compiled by Adam Fornear
I need to borrow the following from a copy of The Fly Fishing Journal as it is so simple, yet so true… “By definition, “place” is merely a physical location, but it’s also a memory where something intangible and important can exist. The river and the dam that sits astride it have deep meaning for those who fish there in countless ways. I imagine that’s also true for my friend and his place on the Madison – and true for all anglers in one way or another. We all have our stories. We all have our memories. We all have our starting places. I’m glad this is mine.”
Well, we don’t all have to be anglers to have our place. I know we all have our places, multiple places that bring back memories, memories that have you telling stories to everyone that will listen (or at least you think they are listening…). Camp Nebagamon is one of those places for me. Just the mention of Logger 6 makes me chuckle, thinking back to my first year as a cabin counselor in 1992 or the mention of Pictured Rocks. Instantly I’m back there thinking about the first day of that trip and having lunch at Mosquito River. The memories/stories will always be there and I’m grateful to have those in my toolbox. I’m sure you all have those.
Then there is the summer of 2020. While I’ve been fortunate to spend my summer up camp, it will still be a memory of the summer that camp did not happen. It will be remembered but on the same note there is the future to look forward too. August is here…time to start hiring staff for the summer of 2021, fill out commercial use permits with the Park Service and start hunting down water filter cartridges so we can drink water from all of the amazing wilderness areas that we travel.
So, with that, we all share at least one memory of the 2020 summer, while not one that we expected, I believe it connects us all in a way that keeps this amazing camp family strong and true. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods and that you are making the most of this summer. If you have news to report, send it my way for the next Arrowhead. You can find me, as always, at fornear@campnebagamon.com.
Time for Laskin to learn some table manners!
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW that Nelson Mendels (Atlanta) and Adam Eberhard (Chicago) created a podcast on Anchor, What Keeps The Fires Burning? They have some great material discussing all the great things that come out of the 54849, and you can read more here!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Elizabeth Becker (Duluth ’18) has passed her boards and is now officially Elizabeth Becker RN, BSN! Elizabeth also completed a sweet three-week, 360-mile paddle from the end of the Arrowhead Trail (where the Grand Portage begins inland) to Lake of the Woods this summer.
CONGRATULATIONS ON RECENT ENGAGEMENTS go to Joey Laskin (LA ’00-’06,’08-‘14) and Rachel Brehm (LA). Also, congratulations go to Joel Hensel (Chicago ’03-’07,’09-’10,’12-’13,’15) and Caitlyn Bryski (Chicago). And for the trifecta, congratulations to Ben Edmonds (Portland ’93-’97, ’99-’04, ’07-’11) and Vincent Au (Portland)!
IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT: It’s a boy, Rye Charles, for Dylan Perry (Boston ‘07) and Liza Perry (Boston).