News from camp: 1st Session; June 10, 2019

Opening Day of camp is the most exciting day of our year, and yesterday was no exception!! An early morning chill quickly gave way to a classic Colorado blue sky day as cars arrived and the busses and vans came in from the airports. Our time together had begun, and once again our tents, cabins, lodges and outdoor spaces burst to life with the energy and excitement of camp - laughing, playing, being together and having fun. Camp is a wonderful place to be!

Of course, as soon as possible the gaga pit, 9-square and volleyball courts were buzzing with activity, with other games and activities starting up all across camp. Orientation tours, rental pick-ups and barn introductions helped everyone get settled, and friends new and old were (re)connecting and enjoying camp together. After dinner the tent and cabin groups played getting acquainted games and began laying the foundation for our new and developing community. After wrapping up our staff training of the last few weeks, the staff was as excited as the campers to be kicking off the summer.

Today opened with beautiful sunny skies and both camps really got going with a broad range of activities. For the early risers, pre-breakfast hikes to the 4-story treehouse, barnyard, and Sunday Rocks were a great way to start the day, and after our first breakfast together, planning for the rest of the summer began in earnest. Trip sign-ups are the way each month-long camper can create his or her own summer by forming the core of their summer experience. Working with their counselors and senior staff, they selected an assortment of allday, 2-day and “Long” trips that offer an appropriate level of challenge, variety and fun. Sanborn Junior campers don’t select individual trips, as their program is pre-designed to offer a broad range of experiences for everyone, including 2 overnight camping trips, 4 horseback opportunities, fossil and river allday trips, and more.

After trip sign-ups, the activities at both camps kicked into high gear. There were a wide range of exploration and destination hikes as campers headed out to Top of the World, the ponds around camp in search of salamanders, and to Antelope Ridge to play games. There was also a bushwacking hike and an orienteering adventure. A large number of campers moseyed to the barns for their BETs - Basic Equestrian Training - while archery, an aspen grove book hike and disc golf were also on the schedule. The Juniors began their first rides of the summer as well as hiked their way to the Crystal Beds and to A and B bluffs. The afternoon was filled with even more amazing activities, including arts and crafts, Makerspace activities, assorted sports, and the pool. The evening program at both camps will be our opening campfires, a raucous, fun and celebratory night of songs, skits and laughter. The Brotherhood of Outdoorsmen (BOOM) and GROW STRONG programs will also be introduced, and the community of camp will develop even more.

Tomorrow morning, each camp will gather to take unit and cabinside photos. These will be posted to the CampInTouch portal - so check them out later in the week - as well as printed out and sent home in next week’s counselor letters. These photos will also become the next chapter in our photo notebooks spanning Sanborn’s 71 years of summer fun and adventure.

On Wednesday all the girls at High Trails, and the oldest ridge of boys at Big Spring will head out for their first camping trip of the summer. These cabinside and unit trips set the stage for a summer out on the trail, as camping skills are learned and practiced and most every area of our 6000 acres is explored. Hiking out to one of over 30 campsites across the ranch to sleep out under the stars is also a key component of building each camper’s core community at camp. Friendships made in the cabins and units can be some of the strongest ones of camp. On Thursday the remaining boys at Big Spring will hike out on their overnights.

Other fun evenings are in the works this week with planned all-camp races and events, skit nights and a counselor hunt. We will bring both camps together for the first time on Saturday night for an ice cream social down at Big Spring. We’re off and running and looking forward to what’s ahead!

Each Sunday evening we will send an email out to camp families about our activities, and photos of activities from the previous week will be posted to our camp portal by Monday morning. Although we can’t promise to show every camper or every activity, we hope these photos will provide a glimpse into life at camp for families and friends. Until next week…

Each Sunday evening we will send an email out to camp families about our activities, and photos of activities from the previous week will be posted to our camp portal by Monday morning. Some opening day photos have already been posted, and you can log in to view them. Although we can’t promise to show every camper or every activity, we hope these photos will provide a glimpse into life at camp for families and friends. Until next week…

Mike