I sat at the Final Night campfire tonight under the canopy of a centuries-old white pine (Dohivi Noche) astonished. I am astonished at the strangeness of camp, and I don’t know if our campers and counselors realize fully just how strange it is. I say the word “strange” not in a bad way which has … Continued

Last week I taught the Sparks during their “Campfire 101” class the seven principles of Leave No Trace. We discussed the importance of leaving places in which we go with as little impact as possible. These places could be the pristine wilderness of Linville Gorge, a far-off national park like Zion or Glacier, or even … Continued

Can you remember when you learned how to operate a drill press safely? How about cornering a berm on a mountain bike? Or when you first learned how to belay or even hammer in a nail? I can’t recall the exact day when I developed these skills, but I know that I wasn’t as young … Continued

Opening day is LONGGGG day. It begins before most of us are awake with last minute leaf blowing, sweeping, and cabin decorating in the wee hours of the morning. It concludes, in what seems like many days later, with a closing campfire full of songs, silly skits, and camaraderie as we watch the sun set … Continued