News From Camp
May 1, 2012
May is a busy, exciting month here at camp. In a week or so, the tents will go up along the Big Spring ridges, after, of course, the annual ritual of repainting them. (Some staff members will still have green clothing and hands by the time camp opens) All the Big Spring buildings will be opened up, cleaned, and prepared for summer. MOPQ Ridge will have new tent frames this year, similar to those built on HKL Ridge last year.
At High Trails, the cabins and Lodge are already open, but everything will be cleaned and given a fresh coat of paint. In addition we will put up tennis nets, order crafts supplies, organize the backpack tents, and put the final touches on all of our facilities and programs. Scot, Maren, and Rosie will bring in the horses from the pastures at Fish Creek and get them fixed up with new shoes for all the great rides this summer. There are plenty of things to keep us busy, and everyone is excited about these projects because they mean that a new season of camp is almost here!
The Aspen are showing catkins now and we’ll begin to see the first leaves later in the month; the bluebirds and robins are back, and a large herd of elk has been moving through Potts Spring and hanging around Big Spring. The Pasque Flowers have already bloomed and it won’t be long before we begin to see Indian Paintbrush and the spectacular wild Iris in the field in front of the Witcher house. The first hummingbird has been sighted and four deer are hanging out in the field below High Trails, eating green grass as it pops up.
Late this month, we will begin staff training for our ridge leaders and trip leaders. During the weekend before Memorial Day (not a holiday here) we will do a leadership training with our Ridge Leaders and Wranglers. On Monday and Tuesday, any members of our leadership staff who do not have current certification in Wilderness First Aid will take that class taught by instructors from the Wilderness Medicine Institute. On Wednesday, we’ll be providing more first aid instruction. On Thursday, May 31, we’ll provide a full-day driver training course and our entire staff will arrive for a 10-day training period before the first campers arrive. And on June 10, first term campers arrive and we’ll be off…..
We are still accepting enrollments in some age groups and terms at Big Spring so let us know if you are interested in receiving our brochure and DVD. Summer--2012 promises to be a fantastic experience for everyone!