Headed to Chicago and Milwaukee

Rob and I are hitting the road with stops in Milwaukee and Chicago. Hope to see everyone at the Open Houses. Since I will be out of the office for awhile, you can reach me on my cell phone listed on camp's Contact Us page.

Summer Camp Blues

The front page of the Tulsa World newspaper today was filled with images of the weekend ice storm in Oklahoma. Inside, however, was a great article about fighting homesickness at camp. The key, according to a study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics, is the parents' role in preparing their son or daughter before camp. Here are five key points quoted from the article by Lisa Smith:

1. Involve children in the decision to spend time away from home, so that the child has a sense of control.
2. Tell children that homesickness is normal, but that they can use strategies such as writing letters home, sharing their feelings with other people and thinking about the benefits of camp to help.
3. Parents should arrange for a practice time away from home before camp.
4. Don't make a pick-up plan or "a deal" with a child to bring him home if he doesn't like the experience of being away. This undermines the child's sense that a parent has confidence in his ability to be on his own.
5. Don't make negative or anxious comments about the separation to children.

In my experience, number four has been a common pitfall among anxious parents and campers. The key is to recognize your role as a parent in setting your son up for a successful summer away from home. If you are a first time camp parent, or even if your son is an old-timer, this is some great advice.

Join an Open House

Just as an ice storm is hitting Tulsa, my mind wants to wander back to the summer on Cass Lake. There's no better way to do that than by watching the new Chippewa Highlights DVD, now in the final stages of production. It will be ready for viewing at any of the Chippewa Open Houses. Make plans to join us to relive last summer's adventures and to share in plans for 2007. I'll be headed to 11 cities, with Rob and JP joining in the fun at some of them. Check out the dates, times and locations here: http://www.campchippewa.com/campfairs.html. Join us!

Mary's New Summer Home

CJ and Mike Endres were up at camp over the holidays and took a few photos of the new cook's cabin. This is where Mary, Ada. Margie, Roxy, Gina and Becky will be next summer. It's just behind Knutson Hall next to Tamarac/Trillium cabin. Looks great!

Coolest Places I’ve Been With Camp. Part 1: Northern Most Point of Wisconsin

As you all know the three tenets of Camp Chippewa are: Adventure, Tradition, and Character. While tradition and character are great, adventure is what stirs the soul. In my guest blog I will highlight some of the many cool places I have been lucky enough to go to with camp. My apologies to those who have had to endure the many pit stops and long-cuts to see some of the Northwoods finest roadside, lakeside, and riverside attractions.

On a hiking trail just below the Devils Island lighthouse in the Apostle Islands is a true one of a kind landmark: The Northern Most Point of Wisconsin. Nowhere else in the world can you find the northern most point of Wisconsin, not even in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From this vantage point, looking north, you realize that Lake Superior really lives up to its name, more so than any of the other Great Lakes (especially Huron). It’s freakin’ huge.

The Northern Most Point of Wisconsin isn’t the only thing to see on Devil’s Island. There is also Devil’s Island Lighthouse which was built in 1898. The lighthouse contains a rare Fresnel (pronounced fre-NELL) lens which was some kind of great advancement in lighthouse lanterns. Back in the woods behind the lighthouse there is an old tractor that along with the car that can be found on the portage into McCrea Lake on the Savant and the car on the portage out of Beaverhouse Lake on the Quetico fits in the “how in the heck did that thing get there” category.

The only downside to the Northern Most Point of Wisconsin is that you can’t actually stand there. Because of the precariousness of the ground, if you stand there you will fall 20 feet down into Lake Superior, making you the The Northern Most Wettest Person in Wisconsin.

Mary's Monster Cookies

What better way to start the New Year than with one of Mary's best cookie recipes...her Monster Cookies. Mary has written down many of her recipes for us, so be sure to check back for more. If you have any requests, let me know.

Monster Cookies
3 eggs
1 stick of margarine
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
1 3/4 cup of flour
3 cups of oatmeal (quick)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 teaspoons of soda
1 1/2 cups of peanut butter
3/4 cups of chocolate chips
3/4 cups of M&Ms

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees. Be careful not to overbake. Makes about 25 cookies.

Seasons Greetings!

With the New Year just around the corner, Natalie and I, along with JP and Cammy, wish you all the merriest of holiday seasons. Camp is only six months away and we can't wait!

Winter Images

A couple of years ago during a holiday visit to camp, this was the shore of Cass Lake. The ice had heaved three to four feet high along the shore just next to Cass Court. That's Natalie and my brother Roger.







The temperature reached -34 degrees during our visit. Roger peeled off this chunk of Cass Lake ice. I think he made a table out of it.

Philatelic Findings

Sometime last year as Natalie and I were labeling and stamping the CHIPS newsletter, I decided that I was tired of seeing those flag stamps. Don't get me wrong, those stamps are nice looking, but it became a bit boring to always see the same stamp over and over again. Thus, you may have noticed that each issue of the CHIPS newsletter arrives with a different stamp. My brother Roger and I used to collect everything from coins to comic books, stamps included. It was fun and maybe that's why I like the myriad of different stamps that are available. If anyone is out there collecting stamps now, I'll do my best to send you something new every couple of months.

Return to the Seal River

The rumors are true! Summer 2007 will mark a return for Chippewa canoes to the Seal River in northern Manitoba for the first time in 12 years. Pretty amazing. A talented crew of senior campers are returning to paddle the Seal. This is the northernmost trip that Chippewa offers, culminating with a paddle on Hudson Bay. A real adventure is ahead.

No Electric Outlets Around Here

A fellow camp director recently recommended a book by Richard Louv called Last Child in the Woods. Mr Louv is an advocate for children finding experiences in the outdoors and he links many of today's childhood difficulties to the absence of nature in childrens' lives. On one of the early pages he has included a quote from a fourth grader:

"I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electric outlets are."

I can't wait to get back to camp.

Ordering Canadian Trip Maps

I'm often asked if campers can order a set of maps for their Canadian trips. The short answer is : absolutely. In fact, I think it is a great idea to bring a set of maps with you to camp if you know which Canadian trip you are headed out on. Though we try to provide a copied set for each sternman on our longer trips, I always liked having my own set that I could mark with portage points, rapid notes, campsites and other points of interest. Even if you aren't able to get maps before a trip, you can always order a set after your trip. (Hey parents, what a great gift idea!)

Several companies offer maps, but I have found World of Maps (800-214-8524) one of the most reliable and easy to deal with. To order your set, you will need to know the map index numbers and scale size. That can be a bit tricky, but lucky for you, this camp director can find those for you. As time goes by, I'll be posting the index numbers for our more popular trips. Maps cost between $8 and $12. To get us started, let's look at the Bloodvein.

Bloodvein River Trip map numbers:
For large scale 1:250,000 maps
52N (Trout Lake)
52M (Carroll Lake)
62P (HLCLA)

For smaller scale, more detailed 1:50,000 maps. (We typically use 1:50,000 maps on all but our Hudson Bay trips)
52N-4
52M-1, 2, 7, 6, 5, 12
62P-9, 8, 10, 15

Have fun!

The Blog Has Arrived

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Camp Chippewa entered the blogosphere, so here we are. Actually, it was a fairly simple decision since this is an easy way to share news about camp. What kind of things will you find here in the coming weeks? Well, plan on seeing general updates about what's new for the coming summer, ideas for finding information about canoe trips, equipment suggestions, Mary's recipes, travel information and, of course, an occasional rant from me, the camp director, or maybe even JP or Rob. In other words, lots of good stuff about anything related to camp!

Check back often and we'll be sure to keep the information flowing. Fair winds a-stern!