Is it any wonder that trees are the subjects of some of the most iconic poems? Joyce Kilmer famously wrote, “I think that I shall never see… a poem lovely as a tree.” (Joyce was a man, by the way—Alfred Joyce Kilmer died during World War I). Robert Frost penned, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep… But I have promises to keep… And miles to go before I sleep.” (Of course, that was a poem about a snowy evening—not really applicable to a 77-acre summer camp). Shel Silverstein created a beloved book called “The Giving Tree” (well, not beloved by a certain camp director—don’t get Adam Kaplan started about it). Actually, for all the Rudyard Kiplings and Sylvia Plaths and William Blakes who waxed poetic about trees, no collection of words about trees may resonate more among the readers of The Keylog than “Thanks for the Pines.”
So let’s talk about the trees at Nebagamon—the exclamation points that punctuate the natural beauty that we all love about the place. Everyone has his or her own favorites—the pines leading up the Hill toward the Big House, the birches that line Range Road, the dark canopy on Lorber Point, the natural amphitheaters around the Council Fire Ring and the Shrine… but how about a singular tree? We asked a handful of alumni to lyrically celebrate particular trees. Which is the most iconic? Well, we’ll just, ahem, leave that up to you:
THE TREE AT THE TOP OF THE SAND DUNES
There are thousands of trees surrounding the Upper Diamond, but there is one that stands apart both literally in its location as well as an indelible image in your mind when you started reading this sentence. I have a name for the tree that overlooks the sand dunes and provides shade to speedball spectators on Paul Bunyan Day—the Wisdom Tree. To box out all competition for dozens of yards in every direction, it had to have been savvy throughout the decades. From its perch, it definitely Knows Things, and, at least in my personal experience as a believer in the Great Spirit, it can provide telepathic guidance and advice. Every time I visit Camp Nebagamon, regardless of whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or fall, I make sure to pay my respects to the Wisdom Tree and seek its counsel. — Ryan Glasspiegel
THE TREE NEXT TO THE LOWER DIAMOND
When I was a camper in Logger 5—that’s when it was the cabin closest to the Lower Diamond—my counselors (Rich Broder and David Reich) weren’t big fans of us kids letting the door slam shut. So they came up with a rather goofy rule: Every time we let it slam, we were required to open the door wide, rush out to the towering tree a few dozen feet away, touch it, and get back before the door slams. Sure, this power play somewhat backfired because we kind of enjoyed the challenge. But that tree remains imprinted in my memory—and it’s an enduring tree, too, having survived (mostly) the big storm of the summer of 2014. This is the tree that has provided shade during every mid-July field hockey game on the Lower Diamond, that has overseen every Camp Birthday barbecue for generations, that probably smiled at egg toss competitions, cheered at bi-camp tennis matches, stood proudly as villages walked silently by on the way to the Council Fire Ring, and possibly winced at every middle-of-the-night decision not to trudge all the way to the jop. But those scenes encapsulate camp. So does the tree. – Brad Herzog
THE RING TOSS TREE
In four weeks as a camper and three summers as a counselor, I spent more time in the Swamper Village, and by its iconic Ring Toss Tree, than anywhere else in Camp. While you can picture what it looks like, the sounds also resonate. The wind “whispering” (like the song says) through the dark treetop, while walking through an otherwise silent village as MOD. The click of a “ringer” followed by cheers from the lucky Swamper and celebration from onlooking 10 year-olds. The thud of the ring on the side of the tree and the groans, often from curious counselors who could never quite figure out where to place the ring before letting go. The background sounds of the bouncing four square and ping pong balls complete the daylight audio picture. If the Swamper Hill is a town square, the tree is its memorable center. Close your eyes and listen. — Matt Friedman
THE WATERFRONT TREE
The next time you’re at an art museum, look just past the famous paintings and notice the stunning frames that anchor those masterpieces. You’ll be surprised to discover that many are works of art in their own right. Now consider the tree on the lakefront just behind the benches by the rowing dock. You make the portage down from the Rec Hall and, coming around that last bend, you’re hit by the majesty of the waterfront — camp’s masterpiece. And enhancing, without distracting, from your initial impression is that magnificent tree, serving as the lake’s frame, giving you a reference point to take in all that splendor. Like the frames around the Mona Lisa or American Gothic, you’ve seen this tree frame so many photos of the lake that at some point you’ve probably taken it for granted. Go ahead, scroll through the photos of the waterfront you took the last time you were at camp. I bet that tree shows up in shot after shot. For me, it’s easy. The lock screen on my phone is an early morning shot of the lake, still as glass, reflecting an orange sunrise and framed with two parallel branches of that wonderful tree—a reminder throughout the winter that the best two months of the year are right around the corner. — Alex Gordon
THE TREE NEXT TO THE REC HALL
Clearly one of the iconic trees is the one and only tree at camp planted in concrete—or at least surrounded by 360 degrees of concrete—in front of the entrance to the Axeman porch. We all have stood under the cool shade of this lonely, isolated tree and waited for the horns to blow before the rush into the Rec Hall. Imagine what this tree has witnessed over the years—countless campers perusing the Project Board, playing Rinde Ball and four-square (when there was a court there), horse-n-goggling for a spot in MOCA, running (er, walking) down to G-swim. This tree has heard every post-meal announcement, enjoyed every GTC, every “Rise and Shine” song. The unique shape of the base of this tree, oozing out of the ground over the unnatural surface the tree encountered as it grew, is nature’s way of saying, “Nothing is going to stop the trees of Camp Nebagamon.” – Jim Koretz