Dear Treetops Families,
It was wonderful to host so many of you on campus last weekend! Whether you watched your camper on horseback down at the riding ring, made a tie-dye t-shirt at the Craft Shop, cooled off in Round Lake, took out a sailboat or canoe, or cooked up a special treat in the TLK, I hope you had a lovely time walking in your child’s footsteps. The confidence and pride our campers have built over these past weeks at Treetops was evident as they walked their visitors to our different shops, toured through the Forest or Children’s Garden, sampling berries and herbs as they went, or pointed out the many rocks around campus, proclaiming their various names. Our campers have made a home here in these last five weeks and it’s heartening to see how comfortable they’ve become here, and the ownership they take of this special place.
As campers gain confidence at Camp, we encourage them to push themselves and meet their own edge, a boundary that differs for each of us. This week kicked off with a prime example of that: Senior Camp Chicken Harvest. This annual tradition is an important challenge-by-choice activity in which all campers are encouraged to participate as fully as they can. The process begins the night before when our farm team sets a reverent tone and explains the importance of this community event. As an educational farm, committed to sustainable and humane practices, campers and staff understand that this harvest is necessary in order to provide food for our community. The day is appropriately somber, and we are always impressed by the way our campers support one another with maturity and grace.
This week we also sent out our longest and most challenging expeditions of the summer: our five-day trips. Two groups of our Super campers had the opportunity to embark on these trips during which they can put their wilderness skills into practice. In addition to the physical and mental challenge and exertion of spending five days and four nights on the trail, campers and staff must carry all of the food and equipment they need, and learn the important role they play within the group, as well as the necessity of working together to reach a common goal.
Campers are entrusted with important tasks such as determining the best route, setting up the campsite, and preparing food—a reflection of our belief that children can do hard things. Arduous canoe portages, torrential rain and thunderstorms, knee-deep mud, a near-constant assault from mosquitos and black flies, and working through the discomfort of blisters and other ailments, are just some of the challenges that campers encounter and learn they can overcome, with the help and support of their friends and counselors. Staff who were former campers recall returning “home” to Camp after their five-day trips, and the feeling of being welcomed back by their summer community with open arms, as some of their fondest memories of the Treetops experience. We know our campers, too, will one day look back on these cherished moments with a similar fondness.
Junior campers also had the opportunity to join many off-campus trips, including hiking overnights up Colden and Skylight, two of the Adirondack High Peaks, as well as an overnight canoe trip from Axton Landing to Moody Pond. Each trip offers a chance for campers to stretch themselves a little further as they try out new interests and practice skills they’ve gained over the summer.
Back on campus, some junior campers also had the chance to venture out on trail rides around Dexter Pasture and through the Sugar Bush; others were excited to have the chance to rock climb at the Crag. Contrasted with various physical challenges offered this week, we also had a healthy dose of whimsy, as Thursday was Backwards Day! Our younger campers were challenged to think of all the ways they could approach the day, including spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast, and ice cream pie before the main dish at lunch, adjusting their attire to be backward in every conceivable way, and traveling backward from one place to the next, just to name a few. After the heat of the day, junior and senior campers came together at the lake for an all-camp general swim for evening activities, a refreshing way to close out the day.
As the sun begins to set a little earlier in the evening and the green of the maple leaves becomes speckled with hues of yellow and orange, we are reminded that our time within this special summer community is winding down. With this in mind, we commit to cherishing these days, these friendships, and the natural beauty of our Treetops home.
With gratitude,
Hannah Edwards
Camp Treetops Director