News from Camp: May 1, 2018

by Jane Sanborn on May 01

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May is a busy, exciting month here at camp. In a week or so, the tents will go up along the Big Spring ridges. All the Big Spring buildings will be opened up, cleaned, and prepared for summer. Returning campers and staff will notice quite a few facility improvements including the BS office, the BS kitchen, new roofs on HKL, MOPQ, and STUW Ridge washhouses and the exterior of Red Cloud.

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 plant flowers, order crafts supplies, organize the backpacks & tents, and put the final touches on all of our facilities and programs. We’re excited to show off a brand new Jumping Juniper cabin and have also made improvements to the south side of the Lodge.

Maren, Sarah, Bri and Oliver 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 and even a few tiny green leaves now; the bluebirds and robins are back, and a herd of deer has been hanging around Big Spring and High Trails. We have had some good of moisture during the past month—the grass is beginning to turn green and we are watching for the first Indian Paintbrush and wild Iris to appear. The first hummingbird has been sighted and a couple of porcupines have been seen lumbering along the road at night.

Later this month, we will begin staff training for our ridge leaders and trip leaders. During the Memorial Day weekend (not a holiday here) we will do a leadership training session with our senior leadership team followed by a day of driver training. On Monday and Tuesday, any members of our trip-leading 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, May 30, 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…

2018, our 70th summer, promises to be fantastic, and we can’t wait to begin!

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Jane Sanborn
About Jane Sanborn

Jane began her career as a counselor at High Trails and has worked with the camps and COEC since graduating from Colorado College with a degree in English and Education. She served as the Director/Program Director of High Trails from 1970-99, and as the Executive Director of COEC for many years. She retired as Executive Director in October 2017, and assumed the role of Director of Development. Jane is also active in the American Camp Association and has served in many leadership roles. Currently, she is the Program Chair for the ACA National Conference and sits on the National Public Policy Committee.