Camp Nebagamon

Compiled by Louis Levin

As I mentioned in previous columns this winter, I really love sharing success stories from the summer, and have another one for you this month that highlights our tripping program.

We have lots of campers who come to camp just for our wilderness trips. These trips are phenomenal opportunities that most kids don’t get growing up. But camp is the one time and place that these opportunities present themselves all the time!  At home, it’s not often that someone approaches you during your breakfast, offering you the opportunity to explore some of our most beautiful parks on a camping trip that leaves in just a couple of days, but it’s a regular occurrence at camp. Someof our campers come to camp each summer with the goal of not spending time at camp, but instead, signing up for as many trips as they can. For other campers though, trips can feel like a big risk. For them, just coming to camp may have felt like a big step, and so the idea of trading the (relative) comfort of their cabin for a sleeping bag and tent can seem daunting.

One particular camper this summer really stuck out when we were soliciting trip sign-ups. He’s the kind of camper whose opinions are strong and confident. He knows what he likes, knows what he doesn’t, and knows what falls into which category. So when it came time for trip sign-ups, he was sure of himself. He liked camp, he was an “in-camp guy,” he didn’t like trips, and he knew it. He’d declare this each time we asked if he was ready to go out on trail, simply, confidently – two plus two equals four, the sky is blue, I don’t like trips, no thank you. Best of all, he was an eight week camper, so he had a lot of opportunities to turn us down. Still, we asked him often if he was ready to go on a trip. He spent six weeks watching his friends venture out on, and come back from, wilderness trips, hearing from all of them how much they enjoyed their time. Slowly our hero began to get curious about the experience.

We never force anyone into a camping trip, but we encourage campers to push themselves out of their comfort zone and try new things. So eventually, on his own volition, he decided it was worth a shot. During the seventh week of camp, he’d take a shorter trip, a three-night hiking trek on the Superior Hiking Trail. Still, when he finally signed up, he made sure that we knew he wouldn’t like going. And yet, to no one’s surprise but his own, he came back from the trip… and he liked it! He liked it quite a bit. Trying new things, even things you’re sure you won’t like, takes some courage. Even though in his mind, the trip seemed like a waste of three perfectly good days in camp, he found the courage to give it a try. Despite his confidence that this would be a waste of time, he discovered that there were things out on trail he couldn’t get in camp, like a less structured day, and the delicious food our campers cook and eat in the woods. And, he learned that trying new things can be a little surprising, because no matter how sure you are about how much you won’t like it…well…you just might!

We’ve already begun building the trip schedule for 2024 – we’ve secured permits for hiking trips to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and are in the process of doing the same for Isle Royale National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. (Thank you to 6th-9th grade campers who volunteered to be permit holders for the BWCA!). Additionally, we just opened up enrollment for our 8th and 9th grade Big Trips to Isle Royale and Quetico Provincial Park. Lumberjack campers and parents, check your emails so we ensure your campers spot on their Big Trip this summer! I’m so excited for our campers to try something new this summer!

We’ve got lots of news to report from the road trip! If you have something to share with the camp family, please email me at [email protected]!

IT MAY ITNEREST YOU TO KNOW… In New York, Jacob Solomon is practicing his forehand this winter, he and William Brandler are both looking forward to playing tennis matches this season. On top of tennis practice, Ronen Brandler is also active in his Dungeons & Dragons club, as well as practicing violin. There’s no off-season for Sagiv Siegel — he’s playing on four different baseball teams this year, as well as spending time carving up the slopes on his snowboard. In Chicago, Elliot Kleiman has started fencing, while brother Jonah Kleiman‘s wiffleball league just had their inaugural draft. Linus Quinn-Pasin is putting his long levers to work on his high school’s rowing crew, and Milo Solomon‘s playing basketball on his High School’s varsity squad.  Liam Mann is spending his off-year participating in Berklee College of Music’s music production workshop, and Jonathan Schiff-Lewin is spending his taking a National Outdoor Leadership School course in the Adirondacks. We’ve got a lot of musicians in Chicago as well: Max Yarbrough participated in a statewide jazz band, playing trumpet, Chase Kornblet performed with the Ozzy Osburn School of Rock at the Cubby Bear, and Ethan Cardenas‘s band The Süs-On̈e just released their second single, “Shiny Diamonds”, now streaming wherever you listen to music, following a performance at Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW… Jeff Goldstein (New York, 1993-’99) works in consumer licensing for Nogin, and Danny Sickle (Chicago/NYC, 2009-’15, ’17, ’23) works in marketing and organization for World Finer Foods. Max Fleischer (Chicago/NYC, 2011-’15, ’17-’19) is a financial analyst for Jane Street Capital, and Gabe Sher (Philadelphia/NYC, 2008-’14, ’16-’18, ’21) is working as a ceramicist. Hugh Broder (Detroit/NYC, 1966-’69, ’74-’75, ’16-’19, ’23) and Jeremy Kotin (Chicago, 1994-’96) produced the feature film “He Went That Way,” starring Zachary Quinto and Jacob Eordi. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and is available to rent or buy through many streaming services; you can watch it here via Amazon Prime! Nate Mendelsohn (Brookline, MA/NYC, 2001-’07, ’09-’11, ’23) recently played alto saxophone alongside singer/songwriter Katie Von Schleicher for NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concert series. You can watch the performance here! Danny Meyer (New York, 1968-’73) is delivering the opening keynote at the American Camp Association Tri-State CAMP Conference in March, sharing the lessons he learned as CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and their applications on growing the camp industry with an eye toward hospitality.

IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a girl, Jordie Glasspiegel, for Ryan Glasspiegel (Chicago, 1996-2002, ’04-’07, ’09) and Karla Bright!

ENGAGEMENT CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Isaac Murray-Stark (St. Paul, MN/Duluth, MN, 2014-’23) and Linsey Flieth (St. Paul, MN/Duluth, MN, 2023)!