Weekly Update: June 21, 2026

Happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate being a dad and Happy Summer Solstice to everyone! We hope you all have had a great weekend–we definitely did–and we have even more cause to celebrate: (fingers crossed) we have not had any new cases of the stomach bug since Friday morning!

Will Mitchinson, a counselor on STUW ridge at Big Spring commented today, “It feels like everyone has finally settled. This afternoon, my guys just sat on the floor and played cards–with a regular deck of cards–for over an hour and a half. There was no posturing, no off-color comments, just the game, the wind blowing through the tent and their conversations that went from talking about the week to quiet focus on the game. It is the kind of quiet focus none of us get anymore. It was amazing.”

For the kids in “staycation” (quarantine) this week, the time to write letters, read, nap, chat with others and play games was, “BORING…but not TOO bad!” The ability to have a full-stop pause and to be with your own imaginative, rambling mind feels very “retro”–but that actually happens at camp a lot. Kids look forward to time in their hammocks, to looking up at the stars, to reading real letters (or one-way emails) from each of you as the warmth of the day rapidly cools to a Colorado crisp evening–just as it has tonight.

One of the best parts of Sunday Vespers is the hike up to either B-Bluff (High Trails) or Little Blue (Big Spring). The sun is dipping deep in the west and the bottoms of the clouds are illuminated while the bluebird blue sky moves towards a pale blue. The yellows and pinks of the sunset grow richer as the sun falls–and the heat and busyness of the day releases to the cooling air and darkening shadows. Today the wind blew like crazy…but tonight, all is still and quiet. The whole camp exhales as we sit together and sing–and then we walk together, out of this week, and into the next.

Even though we had a virus on our minds (and elsewhere), we still had a great week full of incredible trips, funny stories and “peak” moments. We had fun dance parties at both camps, we Hiked the Pike, we climbed mountains, rode horses, paddled canoes, floated the river and we said goodbye to our 1st Term Sanborn Junior campers (we miss you all!). More than anything, though, everyone is REALLY looking forward to the week ahead: High Trails Long Trip week and a series of awesome trips and brand-new in-camp activities at Big Spring that will take advantage of not only the main camp area…but the 6000 acres that we call home.

Before we completely leave the week behind, we do want to applaud our entire senior leadership and medical teams for their “can-do” attitudes and “death-to-the-virus” zeal. Yet we really want to shout out our Big Spring staff members: never before have we seen so many young men and emerging adults lean into their roles as caretakers, advocates and supporters. They were cleaning up vomit at all hours of the night, transporting kids to and from trips, putting on gloves and masks and gathering soiled linens, serving buffet after buffet after meals–even before they had eaten themselves and genuinely feeling bummed that some of their campers were sick. So, if you have an extra postcard this week–or just want to throw a line in your next email–please give them some props. These men are not men because of their outdoor prowess or swagger, these men are men because they understand the importance of taking care of others.

AND, after so many updates this last week, we will let the photos from this week tell the story…but, fortunately for you, they won’t tell the WHOLE story. Enjoy!