Summer Camp

When I was younger, I attended a day camp in Ann Arbor called Camp Hilltop. And as you can imagine, it was at the top of a very large hill surrounded by woods. I spent many years there and absolutely loved it. I eventually went to Camp Al-Gon-Quian, a sleepaway camp on Burt Lake. There are certain things about these two camps that I remember, and it was my experiences that led me to take a summer camp job during college. I worked at two different camps and both had profound impacts on me. 

I knew that when I had kids I wanted to send them to camp. There is nothing better than being outside all day long with new found friends. All three of my kids have attended camp. For one, it was not his thing. But it was for the other two. 

Both of my girls go to an all girls camp, Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha. It is located on Arbutus Lake in Traverse City. One of my favorite things about this camp is it builds strong girls into women. It is also a trip camp. The older you get, the harder your trips are. My youngest chose to go for two weeks this year. She spent most of her time at camp but was able to experience a two night, three day trip canoeing down the Au Sable River. She had a great time, but she is a two-week girl. 

My other is not. She would spend her whole summer there if I let her. She has already been there for four weeks and will go back for another two. Over a two week period, she backpacked 113 miles on Isle Royale. On our drive home yesterday, I heard it all. The stories. The moments. The memories that were created. 

Her cabin consisted of two counselors and eight campers. She spent the first few days at camp experiencing everyday camp life and preparing for her trip. Then they were off on their journey. She has been looking forward to this trip for years, and it was everything she imagined. We received a few letters from her that documented her trip. One of my favorite lines was, "Day 7, Today we hiked 11 easy miles." I am not sure if I would call hiking 11 miles easy with a 40 pound pack on my back, but kudos to the counselors who provided an experience for my daughter and her cabin mates where 11 miles is easy. 

One of the things that happened during this trip was writing. Each evening someone different would write in the trip journal. At the end of camp there is always a big banquet. Each girl in the cabin received a copy of this journal as proof of their amazing feat and as a memory of their time together. 

I am so glad that camp found me as a kid, and I am glad that both my girls have found a home at Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha. 

Isle Royale Trip Journal