Weekly Update: August 4th, 2024
Last night, the Junior Counselors were in the darkened High Trails lodge after the dance, squeezed around a single table, eating Cheerios and belting out Rhianna’s “Stay” while still wearing their costumes from the “Pirates & Mermaids” themed dance. Today, the Outbackers started the day helping serve impromptu root beer floats at breakfast, then moved into supporting the kitchen with dishes, and even ended up washing vans (Jane Sanborn said they did a really great job). Our JC’s and Outbackers are our oldest campers at camp and, in their last camper year, they take on many unique leadership roles–plus they help set the tone of the summer.
Over the last three weeks, these rising juniors have supported off property trips, helped lead in-camp activities, coordinated all camp events (including themes for everything) and worked closely with a group of younger campers, helping them pack for trips, navigate interpersonal challenges and overcome homesickness. They are “near-peer” mentors for our campers and they take that role very seriously.
Many of them have been going to camp for years together and, because of our SOLE and CORE trips (our coed service learning trips) they have friendships across camps that are authentic, honest and based in real time, outdoor, tech-free experiences. Does it mean they always get along and agree on everything? Absolutely not. But it does mean they have the opportunity to have disagreements (mostly about dance music) in a respectful way because they share a common love: camp.
This upcoming week, that love for this place, these people and the adventures we have together will be showcased during the much-anticipated JC Dinner and on the Big Spring long trips the Outbackers will help support. And it is truly hard (and heartbreaking) to realize this is our last full week of Summer 2024.
Under perpetually sunny (and warm) skies, High Trails had an incredibly successful series of long trips last week. Every mountain was summitted, every mile was ridden, Wonderland was discovered, reservoirs were paddled and every girl came back to camp a little tired, fairly dirty and full of the confidence and pride that comes from a significant accomplishment. Big Spring also had many more mountain summits, caught lots of fish, hiked over 26 miles on the Spring Tank Bomber, had some “solo” camping on a Lone Vigil overnight, biked over technical terrain and rode horses out to go rock climbing (Rockin’ Horse).
We also welcomed our final group of Sanborn Junior campers on Monday and those incredible kids (almost every one of them a first year camper) have been having a BLAST at camp! They have had opening campfires, gone tent camping, been to the crafts buildings, ridden horses, dug for crystals and are looking forward to their all day trips to the South Platte River and the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument this week. The High Trails Juniors were also incredibly helpful during our inaugural Sanborn Tour–showing prospective campers around their cabin and sharing how easy it is to make friends. One of the would-be campers even looked at her mom afterwards and said, “I want to come here.”
It is a special place made even more special by all of the incredible, fantastic individuals who choose to spend most (or all) of their summer with us. We know that is a big commitment from you and from your camper(s), and–when we watch 15 and 16 year olds hop up to sweep the lodge or comfort a crying camper or lead silly trail games to occupy everyone’s minds on a mountain climb or play Gagaball and let the youngest player win–we know that the time they have spent here over the years or over the summer is valuable. Camp provides them with a place to practice being the good people you are raising them to be and gives them the time to overcome challenges and move positively toward the people they want to become.
As always, we are looking forward to this upcoming week of camp and to all of the adventures everyone will have…but we are not looking forward to the end of Summer 2024.
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