Friday, March 28, 2008

Canada and Passports

The summer is coming quickly, which means that our campers will soon be exploring the waterways of Canada. As a reminder, the regulations for entering and departing the United States from Canada have changed. Because of these changes, Chippewa has adopted the following requirements for our campers:

· If your son will be on a Canadian canoe trip (heading into 9th grade or higher in most cases), camp requires that your son have a passport for camp.
· If your son will participate in the Hook Island program (6th and 7th grades, and possibly 5th grade), camp asks that you send a passport if your son has one, otherwise to send an original or certified copy of his birth certificate.
· In all cases, a Canadian permission form is required. It can be found on our website.

Have questions? Be sure to give Michael a call - 800-262-1544.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Mosquito Secret Revealed...

Brian Endres recently sent me an article of interest to our Canadian voyageurs. If you have ever paddled to Hudson Bay, you have seen a few mosquitoes in your campsite. Among your weapons: mosquito repellent with DEET.

Well, the secret of DEET's effectiveness has been revealed. Check it out at National Geographic online.

Friday, March 21, 2008

A Glimpse of Knutson

It strikes me that I have yet to share the 3D architectural renderings of the new Knutson Hall on this blog. So, take a sneak peek into what the summer holds...


Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Some Thoughts on Rain Gear

As the summer draws nearer, it's time again to start thinking about packing for camp. In particular, about the gear you pack. In the past, I've written posts about bedding and sleeping bags (see post links below). This time I thought I'd tackle rain gear.

The biggest hint I can give is to avoid ponchos. Ponchos don't seem to hold up well to camp wear-and-tear and don't provide much protection from the weather. A good jacket and pair of pants are far better.

Rain gear can be either a coated nylon (non-breathable) or laminated nylon (breathable). Gore-tex is a recognizable name for breathable shells (jackets), but tends to be more expensive, while coated nylon, non-breathable jackets tend to be cheaper, but not quite as comfortable.

If your camper is headed out on a Canadian canoe trip, I highly recommend a lightweight, breathable shell jacket and pants. If he is not, coated nylon shells work just fine. Some popular breathable jackets are made by Patagonia, REI, Sierra Designs and Marmot, with prices ranging from about $120 to well over $300. For coated nylon, Sierra Designs and REI has great jackets starting at about $30. You can also find great discount deals on jackets at Campmor or Sierra Trading Post.

Again, the key is to identify your camper's needs. If he is primarily in camp and will have only a few shorter trips or a trip to Hook Island, coated nylon shells are great. If your camper is headed out for a week or more on a Canadian canoe trip, however, I recommend waterproof breathable jackets for his comfort. These shells are more durable and offer better protection from the elements. These jackets will likely last for years (I've had mine for over 11 years now.)

Hope this helps demystify things a bit. If anyone has any specific jacket names to recommend, please share your comments below. Of course, since it never rains at Camp Chippewa, maybe we should all just pack swimsuits instead.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Coolest Places I Have Been With Camp.
Part 3: The Paper Mill


Chapter 1

1. Sorry it has been so long since I last posted, I lost the "P" key on my computer and couldn't type "paper mill"

2. Sorry if you were present when I gave the trip report for the paper mill tour and are now reading this. This will not stack up. I would like to take this time to remind everyone that my trip report was the highlight of two camper's summer at the final campfire (yes counselors keep track of these things).

3. Sorry this will be so long.


For everyone who has packed up in a camp van and headed north to Canada, you have certainly passed the Boise Cascade paper mill in International Falls, MN. For those of you who have been, you know what I am talking about. For those of you who have yet to make the trip north, close you eyes and picture the biggest building you have ever seen. With your eyes still closed, take a deep breath and imagine the most rank smell ever (something like Athabasca cabin's laundry bags after a trip to the bay). So you get the idea, big building, bad smell, I've always wanted to go. Let's do it.

A few summers back, Charlie Kornman and I, were taking a group of campers (they will remain nameless to protect identities) to Hook Island, when we decided to fulfill our life long dreams of stopping at the paper mill. We pulled up just in time to catch a free tour, so we donned our hard hats, safety goggles, and those big ear cover things you see on the guys who guide planes to the terminal, and headed inside. As soon as you walk into the door you are struck by the strangest of sensations, it DOES NOT smell inside. Yes, you read that correctly, NO STANK on the inside. After getting over the shock of a clean smelling factory we proceeded to...

Color paper. Not much really happened here. Some big vats that you could look down in and see dyed pulp being stirred and prepped for the crazy process that turns a mushy mess into paper. Basically it was like looking into a washing machine. Next time your folks do the laundry, look into the machine and imagine it much larger, or you much much smaller, and you will get the idea.

Stay tuned...

Monday, March 10, 2008

Knutson Hall Progresses

Knutson Hall continues to take shape in time for the summer. As we await the new timber trusses for the dining hall portion, work continues around the building.

Native red pines frame the entrance

From inside the dining hall looking towards camp

A view inside Mary's kitchen

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Teddy Mundt's Antics

Counselors sometimes do crazy things. Not surprisingly, counselor Teddy Mundt has chosen to jump out of a plane to fall a few thousand feet back to earth. Luckily, he landed in one piece since he plans to be back at camp again this summer. He sent these pictures.


Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Boys Being Boys, Girls Being Girls

A parent recently passed along an interesting article in New York Times Magazine by Elizabeth Weil. The article details a growing movement in schools that promotes teaching boys and girls separately . It's interesting given the all-boys philosophy at Chippewa. Check out Teaching Boys and Girls Separately at nytimes.com.