YMCA Camp Matawa

DSC_0084

YMCA Camp Matawa

Campbellsport, WI

Oct. 1, 2013

http://www.matawa.org

Scully from Minikani is the DUDE! and he has hooked us up with a bunch of other camps in the area. Today we went to visit Matawa, Minikani’s sister camp. Andrew Gappa is the summer program director at Matawa and between Matawa being a newer camp (just 17 years old) and Gappa being new to the director position, the potential energy at the camp is astounding. Camp is small now, serving only about 70 resident campers weekly, but they have big dreams. Their facilities were built in the late 90’s early 2000’s, they have a awesome L shaped pool with a big water slide and some great looking cabins. Our favorite part was the sweet natural playground that they have created on part of their grassy field, complete with a stockade of course. With only some 2 by 4’s and some sticks from the woods they have made a fortress looking barricade to entertain kids imagination and foster some creative play.

- Laura

More Photos

YMCA Camp Minikani

DSC_0180

YMCA Camp Minikani

Hubertus, WI

September 30, 2013

http://www.minikani.org/

Minikani has an incredible ability to retain and invigorate campers and staff. No one is more of an example to this than the current summer camp director Sully, Matt Sullivan. He is in the process of leaving, heading out to Camp Chief Ouray in Colorado, but he has lived the Minikani way for almost his entire life. Growing up as a camper, through the leadership program, staff, and turning down graphic design jobs after graduating from college to be at camp year round. Each camper at Minikani hopes to be a counselor when the "grow up" ironically as staff members they fight the idea of growing up to return to camp year after year.

This commitment at Minikani brings up an interesting argument between bring in fresh blood to camp staff and growing staff completely from with in. At Minikani they never struggle to find staff but rather always have to turn huge numbers away. The staff always know the ins and outs of camp as well as what to expect when they arrive. They can hit the ground running each summer building off the summer before because everyone had been there the summer before. Unfortunately this culture then leads to a lower instance of new ideas and a difficult time changing culture or thoughts. Minikani has found a great way, under Sully's direction, to balance the struggles of this culture with all the positives that come from such a high staff return rate.

-Jack

More Photos

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan

DSC_0164

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan

September 28, 2013

Ely, Minnesota

https://www.ymcatwincities.org/camps/camp_widjiwagan/

Passion. Passion. Passion. From the moment we arrived at Widji you could feel the commitment, respect, and passion these guys had for the place. We were lucky enough to hear some first had experience from Henry and EJ, two summer and winter staffers who had lead a variety of canoeing, and a backpacking trip. Widji is a tripping camp specializing in canoeing and backpacking and home to the largest active wood canvas canoe fleet in the world. All campers arrive at camp, spend three days preparing for their trip and then head out on their adventure. Adventures range anywhere from 10 day trips through the boundary waters to 40 night executions in the Arctic Circle!

Laura and I left invigorated and energized by the stories Henry and EJ shared with us. It is always fascinating to hear about other camps from the counselors perspective. We are often annoyed by the negative impression older generations have of "millennials" and the bad wrap we can get in the media. It is great while visiting camps to constantly have that lazy, disrespectful, selfish notion of young people disproven by each and every camp counselor we meet. The young trip leaders at Widji are trusted and expected to be everything for their campers each time they rise to the occasion.

-Jack

More Photos

YMCA Camp du Nord

DSC_0039

YMCA Camp du Nord

Ely, Minnesota

September 27, 2013

https://www.ymcatwincities.org/camps/camp_du_nord/

This past weekend we drove up into the North Country of Minnesota. We watched the colors on the trees become more vibrant and the weather turn colder on our 5 hour drive up from the Twin cities. Arriving at du Nord we knew that it was a Family Camp facility and that it was a volunteer work weekend, nothing could have prepared us for the warmth and full emersion into the du Nord family that we received. Tim, the volunteer coordinator walked us around with his son Daniel. They showed us all of the slightly different cabins each one with a unique homie touch and cottage feel to it. They are simply beautiful inside with multiple bedrooms, they often have large picturesque windows, porches or decks and full kitchens with beautiful cabinets donated by Tim. It is easy to be proud of the camp but pride is an understatement. After eating a family style meal with some of the work weekend volunteers it was clear to Jack and I that the families of du Nord are passionate and grateful to be apart of  du Nord. Love for this place runs deep, generations of families have returned year after year not only to enjoy the beautiful location and to be reenergized by their fun loving staff but also to give back to camp. The volunteer culture here is unlike any other place we have been. They have multiple work weekends where families come up to camp and work on a variety of projects, the whole family pitches in and in the end it saves camp tons of money as well as building in more pride and ownership for the place.

Jack and I got to pitch in too, Jack worked with the “dumb muscle” lifting heavy stuff like washing machines and helping to operate their dump truck. I got to harvest and clear out the garden getting it ready for winter. It was nice to get our hands dirty and fun to hear some of the families stories about what brought them to du Nord and what keeps them coming back. One couple in particular really took us under their wing. They heard our story and immediately thought of their own children who are about our age. They took us to our very first sauna experience. Something very unique to du Nord and also to us. The first building built at camp was by finish architects and it is this log cabin sauna. At night both genders have an hour to enjoy the heat which can get up to 200 degrees and then our favorite part running off the ramp into the cool refreshing lake. We feel lucky to have visited and have a renewed sense of purpose after being infected by the love at du Nord.

-Laura

More Photos

YMCA Camp St. Croix and DayCroix

DSC_0086

YMCA Camp St Croix

Hudson, WI

Sept. 26, 2013

https://www.ymcatwincities.org/camps/camp_st_croix/

After driving for 3 days through the plane states of Iowa, Nebraska, and the eastern half of Colorado, and before that Laura having her wisdom teeth out and spending a few days to recover, to say we were excited about visiting St. Croix would be an extreme understatement. We pulled in to the massive 800 plus acre facility and were greeted with warm hugs from Russell Spafford, the resident camp director. Russell stumbled in to camping looking to follow his passion and make an impact, after a brief career as a personal trainer and you can tell has found his true calling.

He gave us a great and thorough tour, including the grueling hike down, well mostly back up, from the waterfront, a 100 yard or so steep trail down to the picturesque St. Croix river. We capped it off with a quick chance to see hatchet throwing!

After our time with Russell, we met up with Stephanie Lentz, the day camp director. Stephanie showed us the awesome day camp facility that is home over 250 campers each week through out the summer. Some highlights included the pioneer village, where campers do outdoor cooking and other activities but mostly get to pretend to be pioneers, an incredible volunteer build amphitheater, and our favorite, the Oasis Water Play Area!

-Jack

More Photos

Educo

DSC_0025

Educo Leadership Adventures Fort Collins, CO

Sept. 18th, 2013

http://www.educoadventures.org

It was clear upon our arrival that Brian Sense, Educo’s executive director, is a force to be reckoned with. We met up with Brian at his office/ gear shed in Fort Collins, where he showed us how he had transformed some storage space of an abandoned grocery store into the Lost Boys Tree House of office spaces. Complete with a spiral stair case, climbing wall and zombie bunker, the office also serves as the pack out and storage for all of the trips that Educo sends off. As Brian showed us around we first got a glimpse into the sweat, sleepless nights, and hard work that went into turning Educo from Brian’s brain child into the awesome reality that it is. Everything from the stunning brand and marketing material that Educo has, to every last nail hammered at their camp was created by Brian. Jack and I got to spend about 45 minutes driving out to the mountains just beyond Fort Collins in Brian’s pick up. We were fascinated by Brian’s stories and could not stop asking questions about the path that brought him to Educo. Brian has worked at YMCA summer camps including times as a director at the mammoth Frost Valley. He also spend a good number of years as a wilderness therapy trip leader and has worked in a myriad of detention and treatment facilities for at risk youth, or as he calls them youth with limited resources because all youth are at risk. Brian believes that kids rule and any way to promote their youth development is a cause that Brian will fight for. We learned quickly by walking through his camp that Brian refuses to be told no. He found away around the Heath Departments many restrictions and met all of their seemingly extravagant requests. The charm of Educo’s facilities are in their rustic imaginative nature. The kids who stay at main camp live in platform tents; we totally geeked out at the site of their bathrooms and outdoor shower house. The whole place is off the grid. They cook out doors, actually the kids do the cooking, just another intentional and perfectly thought out part of Educo’s programing. What really sums up camp, is the high ropes course. It is a perfect example of Brian’s will finding a way, his pure imagination and his larger than life attitude. Starting off a hill so the participants can build up to being higher up and including a variety of low ropes team building style elements like team skis and mohawk walk, and ending in a well earned zip line. More than any other high ropes course we have seen Brian has found a way to make high ropes a team building experience not simply a thrill.

After a tour of camp Brian invited us into his home where we talked camp, youth development, life, ect with Brian and his fiancé, Jaime until 2:30 in the morning. Spending time at Educo and Brian left us believing anything is possible, to not be bogged down by red tape, and to constantly challenge the status quo. Always asking why.

-Laura and Jack

More Photos