Headed to Camp

The summer has arrived and camp is almost here!

I will be in transit from Tulsa to Cass Lake from Tuesday until Thursday. If you need to contact me, please call my cell phone which is listed on the camp's "Contact Us" page. I am not quite sure how often I will be able to update this blog during this summer because of our unreliable and slow internet connection. However, I will be sure to keep you posted on the plans for the blog once I arrive at camp. Check back soon.

I'll see many of you at camp in a couple of weeks!

Photos from Tri-City Challenge

In early May, Chippewa campers and counselors met in Sandwich, Illinois for a unique triathlon. Here are a few photos from the event. (For the complete story, read this post or for the results read this one.)

The Chippewa competitors prepare for the race.

Left to right are Matt Hudson, Sam Campbell, Mario Sgro, Adam Jeffers, Jonah Mueller, Thomas Beadle and Grant Campbell.

Sam and Thomas take their canoe to the start.

Grant, the organizer of the two Chippewa teams, arrives at the bike to run transition.

At the finish, Sam, Matt, Adam and Thomas await the remaining team members. Thomas took top honors among the Chippewa guys, followed closely by Adam.

From Far and Wide...

72 years ago, camp opened its doors for the first time, welcoming five boys from Tulsa, Oklahoma. For many years, Tulsa was the only source of campers. Jump ahead to 2007 and I am amazed at the number of states and even foreign countries from which our boys and staff arrive. In fact, over the last five years, campers and staff have come from 36 states and 12 countries around the world. This summer, we'll add a new country to the list, as two boys will be coming from China. Isn't it remarkable how far the Chippewa family reaches? I am just delighted to see Chippewa's diverse camper list grow to places as far away as Beijing.

Mary's Apple Butter

It's time for one of Mary's favorite recipes to be revealed...her famous Apple Butter spread! Be careful with this recipe, however, as it produces enough apple butter to feed a small army.

Apple Butter
1 1/2 gallons of apple sauce
6 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix ingredients well and pour into shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 hours. (Mary adds that you should remove it when it "turns to apple butter.") Makes 5 quarts of apple butter.

New Canoes on Order

Just as the sailors will be enjoying new equipment for their fleet, so will the canoeists. Just ordered from Wenonah canoe works are three Spirit II canoes. The Spirit II is a light-weight Royalex, has three ash thwarts and is an all-around canoes like the Penobscot, great for flat water or white water. No doubt these beautiful new boats will find their way to the Canadian trails this year.

And The Winner Is....

On Sunday morning, the Fox Valley Triathlon began on the shores of the Fox River and ended in the town of Sandwich, Illinois. In between, two hours of canoeing, biking and running. When the dust settled, it was Thomas Beadle who edged out Adam Jeffers for first place among Team Chippewa. It was a proud showing for the Chippewa campers, who took three of the top four finishes.

Following the race, the group retired to Brothers restaurant to sample the "World Famous Beef Roll" in the town of Sandwich.

It was a great race, and we'll be sure to watch the race website for final overall standings of Team Chippewa. Congrats to each of the triathletes (Thomas Beadle, Matt Hudson, Sam Campbell, Jonah Mueller, Adam Jeffers, Grant Campbell and Mario Sgro) for an outstanding race. Special thanks to Grant for organizing the team. As the camp director, it is wonderful to see the great camaraderie among the campers and staff of Chippewa, whether at Cass Lake or in Sandwich, Illinois. No doubt, many more "beef rolls" await our guys following the race next May.

Chippewa Team to Compete on May 6th

A year ago, two campers and two counselors from Chicago competed in the Tri-City Challenge triathlon near Sandwich, Illinois as Team Chippewa. Once again, Chippewa faithful will be canoeing, biking and running at the Challenge just southwest of Chicago.

Sam Campbell, Adam Jeffers and Matt Hudson will join returning triathletes Thomas Beadle, Grant Campbell, and Jonah Mueller at the 2007 event Sunday, May 6th. The first segment of the race is canoeing for 5 miles, the second is biking for 13 miles, and the final segment is running a 5K. If you are interested in joining the competition, be sure to contact Grant Campbell soon. If you need his information, please feel free to email or call me.

I'll be headed up to cheer everyone on and for a traditional stop at Sandwich for new t-shirts. Word on the street indicates that a few bets may have been made on the top finisher. My money is secretly on Thomas Beadle.

Sheets and Blankets

For all of you parents out there, I thought I'd pass along a few thoughts about sheets for camp. Every year, I receive several calls asking to help clarify what sheets and blankets are best to pack for camp. The equipment list suggests that you pack cot-sized sheets, preferably non-white, flat sheets. Admittedly, these can be a bit hard to find. One place to find them is Campmor, though they only offer white sheets. These white sheets will work fine and are pretty cheap. Cot-sized flat sheets are much easier for your son to handle while at camp. Twin-sized sheets seem a bit too large when making the bed as part of the morning inspection, though they can work if twin sized are your only option.

Regarding blankets...fleece blankets have been a big hit with parents in recent years. In the old days, wool blankets were the typical choice, but fleece blankets are lighter, pack smaller and are just about as warm as wool. Either wool or fleece make great camp blankets, while large comforters are less desirable. Morning inspection is a daily routine, and a tidy area with a well-made bed is part of the checklist. The fleece and wool blankets simplify this morning routine.

Please remember that we do not rent sheets or blankets at camp. Also, be certain to mark all of the bedding with your son's name. Don't hesitate to call or email with any questions.

Planet Earth

Natalie and I have been watching the Discovery channel series called Planet Earth. Last week, one of the episodes was about forests. Much of the footage was shot in the northern forests, like what we see in Canada and have at camp. It truly is wonderful that Cap staked his claim in the Chippewa National Forest in 1935. As time goes on, being in a national forest will help limit the amount of development on and around Cass Lake and help preserve those huge red and white pines around camp. Those trees are a beautiful sight on the walk down to Buck Lake.

America's Cup Sets Sail

Without much fanfare in the US, the 32nd America's Cup is underway in Valencia, Spain with the commencement of the Challenger series. A quick check of the leader board finds the US team, BMW Oracle, leading all challengers. Most predict this to be one of the closest America's Cup in history, so it will be fun to watch the progress over the next several weeks. So far, the races have been plagued by little wind, and several races have yet to set sail. We'll keep an eye on BMW Oracle as the racing unfolds. In the meantime, we'll look forward to racing our new sailboat in the Kamaji regatta this summer!

Weekend Trip to Camp

I was walking Moby around my neighborhood yesterday when I heard the unmistakable song of the white-throated sparrow. Anyone who has been in a canoe in Canada recognizes its distinctive whistle. Hearing it in Tulsa undoubtedly means that the sparrow's migration back north has started. Of course, that means our migration back to camp is just around the corner.

JP, CJ and I will be headed to camp this weekend for a quick pre-camp planning trip. Many new exciting plans are ahead for camp and we'll be laying the groundwork for a few new projects during the weekend. Also, CJ will be working with his beehive preparing it for the summer months. Summer is almost here!

JP's Stories for Your iPod

Just in case you hadn't noticed, you can now download camp stories for your iPod. Currently, we have two stories posted, both read by JP. The Legend of Cedar Island and a story about the mameguesu are on our website. Click here to view our downloads and to add one of JP's stories to your iPod.

Coolest Places I've Been With Camp. Part 2: York Factory, Manitoba.

About 350 miles northeast of Norway House, Manitoba (as the canoe paddles, not as the crow flies) is York Factory. Located at the mouth of the Hayes River, York Factory was the long time North American headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company. Yes, the same Hudson Bay Company that Natalie and Cammy work for. As it sits on its banks over-looking the Hudson Bay and the Hayes River, York Factory is now a National Historic Site of Canada as well as an archaeological site. York Factory also plays host to literally dozens of tourist each year.

I went to York Factory in 2003 on the Hayes River trip with Sam Thiessen and 4 or 5 campers (their names elude me). As you approach York Factory, it sits 50 to 70 feet above the river on the bank, giving it that regal "don't mess with this fort" look. What is so great about the trading post now is it is a museum, so you can walk the grounds, learn the history of the area, the fort, the people, and touch everything. That's right, a museum where you can touch whatever you want. Items on display are essentially the items that were traded here at the post, not including pelts. We also climbed up into the lookout tower where people have been signing their names on the wall since as far back as at least 1929.

The highlight of York Factory was using one of the original branding irons used to mark goods. After deciding not to brand our biceps, the park staff was kind enough to brand the lid of one of our wanagans. The lid looks so cool now with its big YF emblazoned on it. Miraculously, the lid survived the trip house fire the following winter and will soon be on display in the new trip house.

One final note: On the flight out of York Factory, you fly over the Nelson River and a hydroelectric dam that is freakin' huge. As it turns out, this dam is the main supplier of electricity for the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. How they get that electricity from Northern-nowhere Canada to the Twin Cities is beyond me. I just don't understand electricity at all.

Bloodvein 2006 Photos

In case you hadn't seen them, the Bloodvein 2006 photos were posted a while back on the camp website. Thanks to Thomas Beadle who took most of the pictures. You can see them by going to the Chippewa Photo Albums page.

Thomas Beadle took this great photo last summer on the 'Vein!

Martin Strel Does It Again

Some of you may recall that in 2002, we headed out into the middle of Cass Lake in kayaks and the Chips Ahoy to see Martin Strel, the Slovenian swimmer, on his way to set a new world record by swimming the entire length of the Mississippi. As he passed through Cass Lake, CJ and some kayakers paddled alongside him while some of us watched him from the pontoon boat.

Over the weekend, Martin Strel made news again, crushing his previous world record by swimming the length of the Amazon. Amazing! You can find more information on Martin's website and on Wikipedia.

Martin swimming across Cass Lake in 2002

Spring Break at Camp

For all of you guys that recently returned from the beach during Spring Break, be happy you didn't head to camp. Today's high? 17 degrees. Low? 0 degrees. A little chilly for dip time!

About Sleeping Bags

I often receive calls or emails asking to recommend a sleeping bag for camp. With such a huge variety of bags available, it can certainly be a bit confusing. So, here is a short synopsis of considerations when you are hunting for sleeping bags.

When looking for a good bag for camp, it should be compressible (in other words, it stuffs into a smalls space) and sufficiently warm (which I'll discuss more below.) You will want to avoid large cotton sleeping bags that are rolled up. They are simply too bulky and a disaster when they become wet. Most of the sleeping bags you will consider should have a nylon exterior.

Next, be aware that good sleeping bags are generally placed in one of two categories: down or synthetic. This refers to the stuffing of the sleeping bag. Down is the most effective insulator and longest lasting stuffing, but it is more expensive. Synthetics have become pretty darned nice over the last several years with products like Qualofil and Lite Loft, but it is a bit heavier and doesn't compress quite as small. The good thing about synthetic bags is that they dry faster and are cheaper. Salesmen will tell you (as I used to do when I was a salesman at a backpacking store) that you can also stay warm in a wet synthetic bag, but the reality is that nobody wants to sleep in a wet sleeping bag, whether it is down or synthetic. It's simply too uncomfortable.

So which do I recommend? Depending on your age and camping experience and goals, I lean towards down. It may cost more, but if you feel that you can keep your bag dry, the bag will last forever and will keep you comfortable. If you are a bit younger and are not sure if you will do much overnight camping in the future, go for synthetic. It will last a long time and will dry much faster if it gets wet.

Finally, the temperature rating of the bag should be between 2o degrees and 40 degrees. This is the temperature above which the bag will keep you warm. My experience has been that even a 30 degree bag can make me hot in most camping situations.

For easy reference, here are a few bags I recommend:
Down Sleeping Bags
Marmot Arroyo
Marmot Arete

Synthetic Sleeping Bags
North Face Cat's Meow
North Face Equinox
Kelty Light Year

Good luck and don't hesitate to call me with any questions.

Website Updates

We just updated the camp website with a few new items. Parents will be happy to know that we are adding the Health Form to our Forms page so it can be downloaded at any time. Also, we have changed the tour page so you can take a tour around camp. Click the photo to check it out...

"Hi Mom, Camp is Great!"

Last year, Deb Mallin wrote a wonderful article about being a mother of first year campers. If this is your first summer as a camp mom or if you aren't sure whether your son is ready for camp, please take just a moment to read "Off They Go--A Mother's Guide."

New Vessel for the Fleet

Sailors, get ready to high-side this summer. Just purchased : a stunning 1998 Melges X-boat for the Chippewa sailing fleet. This is a beautiful boat that was used mainly for racing. It will certainly be ready for the regatta this summer at camp if any of you skippers are up to the task.

Before it can set sail on Cass Lake, however, we'll need a name. Any ideas?