By Noah Stein
My first time at camp was twenty years ago, and until this past weekend, I had only ever spent time up there during the summer. However, I’d heard stories about camp’s winter beauty, and I wanted to experience it for myself, so I journeyed to camp last weekend to check it out and see what all the hype was about. It exceeded my expectations. Here are my top 10 observations from a snowy weekend at camp:
- Hill games are harder in the winter. While it was a bit too icy for four square, and the ping pong tables and box hockey sets were hibernating for the winter, the ring game still dangled elegantly from that iconic tree. I tried many times, but somehow I was unable to land the ring on the hook. I swear it’s the winter’s fault because I’ve been playing that game for years and consider myself kind of a pro. Regardless, I’ve made a commitment to myself to spend as much of my free time as possible working on this critical skill this summer. Swampers, I think I could really use some coaching to regain my ring game confidence. Thank you in advance for your support.
- Camp feels smaller in the winter. Standing atop the Hill near the Swamper/Logger Push Shack, I could see all the way through the Axeman Village to the frozen lake beyond. From that same vantage point, I could see the entire outline of the hill on which the upper diamond rests along with the entirety of the climbing wall. During the winter when the trees are bare, you can see so much further through areas typically obstructed by foliage, and that expanded view makes camp feel smaller.
- The lake is completely frozen. This one might seem obvious, but I don’t think I understood how amazing it is until I took a walk from the range to the waterfront…walking entirely on the lake! I embarked from the friendship ring on the range and stomped out onto the snow-covered ice, around Lorber Point, and along the shore by the Lumberjack Village until I reached the swim area. It was a completely surreal experience.
- The waterproof rank is best achieved during summer months. Attempting the first rank in swimming, called the waterproof, is an expectation of each camper every summer. What some don’t realize is that all our staff members are required to earn their waterproof as well during staff training. While I love the camaraderie of jumping in the lake with our whole staff team, I figured while I was up there last weekend, I’d just get my waterproof out of the way…
- The fish are still down there. I was lucky to do some ice fishing out on the lake with camp friends including our head caretaker, Andy Mack (‘91-‘24), and Jeremy Nordin-Berghuis (‘09-‘16, ‘22, ‘24 ). We drilled holes in the ice, dropped our lines, sat comfortably in portable huts, and caught fifteen fish!
- Snow angels work better in the winter. But you can certainly try sand angels in the summer…
- It’s quiet. Like, really quiet. The noises of summer were nowhere to be found. No distant laughter, or slamming doors, or bells ringing, or songs radiating from the Rec Hall. Sure, I noticed the whispering wind and the crunching of snow beneath my boots, but when I stood still and the wind died down, there was silence.
- It’s way easier to do your two-mile canoe paddle (required for the “tripper” rank in canoeing) during the winter. As long as you have a valid driver’s license.
- Our caretakers Andy Mack and Joe Crain (‘95- ‘24) work at camp all year round. Ok this is another one that may seem obvious, but when I visited Andy and Joe in the depths of winter, the weight of their roles became more apparent to me than ever. While the lack of leaves on the trees made camp feel small, it’s not. Camp includes seventy-seven acres with over ninety buildings. For over thirty years, Joe and Andy have worked tirelessly to maintain and improve our hallowed grounds, taking care of each acre and each building with intentionality and love. OVER THIRTY YEARS! When alumni return to camp the common refrain is “it looks the same as I remember it.” Well, that’s not an accident. That’s the case because of the dedication of these two stewards. Camp stays as beautiful as it is because our caretakers spend every day making it so.
- Winter at camp is cool (no pun intended)…and it’s just not the same. I’m so glad I finally visited camp in the winter, and I can’t wait to spend even more offseason time up there in the future. I gained a new perspective of the land, experienced the lake in a completely different way, tried something new (ice fishing), and did familiar activities like the waterproof, the ring game and the two-mile paddle in brand new ways. In the days since I’ve returned, I’ve been thinking a lot about that sense of quiet I experienced. Don’t get me wrong, I often seek out opportunities to escape city noise and find solace in the quiet of the great outdoors. And, as I trudged through our snowy camp, I couldn’t help but miss the noise of summer. Those summertime sounds are more than just noise – they’re the audible byproduct of a thriving community that comes together for the blink of an eye every year. While camp is certainly “cool” during the winter, it’s missing that community, and that community is what makes Camp…Camp.
