Camp Nebagamon is a place shrouded in myth. We speak of counselors from years past as giants and tell stories of the heroic trippers of days gone by. We reminisce on incomparable Cruiser Days and share sagas about our epic adventures in the wilderness. Somewhere in our collective memory, camp stories turn to legends and grow in stature. They occupy a space in our minds reserved for fairy tales and fables.
Some days are ripe for camp myths to blossom. Paul Bunyan Day, our first session all camp competition day which we celebrated yesterday, is one of them. Divided into four “lumber companies,” campers competed in athletics events like basketball, speedball, and ultimate frisbee and water events like pushball, canoe tug o’ war, and a swim race. They went head-to-head in “campy” showdowns like the fire building competition, pail filling relay, and the “Timber Beast Trek” (a Survivor-esque relay race), and dozens of other events.
Each year we interweave the actual myth of Paul Bunyan into the day. Our honorary Bull of the Woods, a seasoned staff member selected to be the emcee of the day, shares the lore of Paul Bunyan with all of us before each meal and marquee event. Yesterday, as The Bull read the same tall tales told for decades on Paul Bunyan Day, we bore witness to events that will be etched in Camp Nebagamon lore for years to come.
We heard how Paul roamed the Northwoods with his trusty blue ox named Babe, accomplishing unbelievable feats like creating Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes by stomping his giant footprints into the ground. We learned that Paul Bunyan asked his chef, Hot Biscuit Slim, to cook enormous pancakes, so big that they necessitated greasing a massive skillet by skating on it with bacon attached to Hot Biscuit Slim’s shoes! The Bull of the Woods told us that Babe the Blue Ox still strides across the mountains and that Paul’s ghost roams the earth as his legend grows.
All the while, we watched legends grow before us. Each of the four teams is led by a 9th grade captain called a Boss Logger, and they are the foremost example of these legends. These campers led valiantly, with sportsmanship, respect, and trying their hardest in all that they did. They put the younger campers first and prioritized having fun. The Boss Loggers were elected by their 9th grade peers, and their peers chose wisely… these guys were phenomenal.
The legends forged were not exclusive to the oldest age group. One of our best fifth grade basketball players ensured that every member of his team touched the ball before he took a shot in a given possession. An axeman camper helped a swamper, distraught from a tough loss in pushball, by reminding him he tried his best and helping him refocus for his next event. Perhaps most compelling was a logger with a bottomless well of energy who seemed to be at every event cheering on not just his team but all of the teams competing. Through a long and hot day of competition, these campers exemplified that leadership is not just about those elected to lead, but that anyone can lead if their heart is in it.
By day’s end, stories like those swirled around camp, and by today they’ve taken their place in the pantheon of camp lore.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the day came at the very end, as the Bull of the Woods took center stage at the Council Fire ring for his final moment speech of the day, just before he delivered the results of the competition.
This year’s Bull of the Woods was Joe Crain. Joe has worked as a Caretaker at Camp Nebagamon since 1995. A full-time, year-round member of our team, Joe has spent his winters preparing for summer, and his summers at the service of our community for 32 years.
Joe reached the final line of his final monologue, and campers were at the edge of their seats waiting to hear who won the day.
“The spirit of Paul Bunyan lives on within all of us today, and no task seems too daunting when we think of the hardships that Paul and his logging crews endured,” Joe recited. “Gone for this year is our own Paul Bunyan Day. It is time to hear the results of our day’s work…but first…” Joe went off script, “…I want to thank you all for 32 amazing summers…” In a speech that could only happen at that moment in time, with the camp family gathered around the Council Fire, he brought many of us to tears in a matter of seconds, as he explained how the secret to his longevity was seeing “the smiles of all of you campers every day.” For a moment, the results of the day didn’t matter at all. Totally unexpectedly, a round of applause broke out, and the applause turned into a standing ovation, and the ovation turned to a chant of “Joe! Joe! Joe!” Our whole Camp Family rallied around to celebrate the legend who stood before us.
Like all camp myths, that moment will endure, as will the acts of sportsmanship, respect, and leadership exhibited yesterday. When we speak of those moments we’ll hear them as we do the Paul Bunyan tales, like the fairy tales and fables that they are. As Joe recited in his final address to camp as Bull of the Woods: “Ordinarily, it takes hundreds of years to make a legend, thousands to make a myth. But up here in the Northland woods of Wisconsin, legends, like the towering pines around us, grow fast.”
All Is Well In The Northwoods