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As we approach the end of session A, every cabin group (called Villages at camp) has taken some sort of outdoor adventure trip. Whether it was an overnight at the chapel, a canoe trip, or days hiking through Maine, each camper is returning with new experiences and stories.

As the logistics coordinator, I work from our base camp office, which is known around camp as “OCE.” This is the very first stop for campers when they return from a trip to drop off their gear, which means I’m one of the first people to ask how their trip went.
I’m often greeted with the same answer: “Good.” (Sometimes I also hear complaints about bugs, bad weather and heavy backpacks.)

However, I’ve learned if I ask those same campers about their trip a few days later, after they’ve had time to sleep and shower, I hear the good stuff.

Like how our Carter Dome campers got hit with a rainstorm their first day on trail, soaking them all the way down to their hiking boots. One camper decided to create a pair of slippers, made up of leaves and tall grass. Other campers followed suit, and soon everyone had the perfect slippers to wear around the campsite, affectionately dubbed, “Birkin-Docks.”

Canaan Village also encountered rain on their hike, but the downpour enhanced their trip. While hiking, they found a natural waterslide that emptied into a wading pool, which thanks to the rain, was full enough to swim in. “It kind of looked like a bathtub,” one camper explained, “so we called it nature’s bathtub. It was just as good as showering.”

Try-Pyramid was excited to hike, but they hadn’t realized how much they would miss camp while they were away. To combat this “camp-sickness,” Tri-Py treated their trail meals just like the ones in the Eating Lodge, sharing a moment of gratitude, making announcements and singing the Arlos song. They even took turns hiding their own Woody the Hedgehog.

Being on trail among peers inspires creativity, gratitude, and bonds between groups, especially when it comes to our older campers in the Four Trails program. When I spoke to Flagg Village about their six-day canoe trip, they were all sitting in a circle, reflecting on the silly moments they’d shared, but quickly, they got reflective. “We all went into this trip not knowing each other,” a Flagg camper shared. “Now after spending all that time together, we’re like family.”

My time working in OCE and hearing these stories has strengthened my belief that these trips are so worth it — despite the bugs, the rain, and the heavy packs. Each camper returns just a little more confident than they left and full of stories they will carry with them always.

I’m reminded daily of the words of one returning Katahdin camper who smiled as she said: “That was the hardest but coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Jane Miller
Logistics Coordinator