Coppercreek Camp

Meet Dani Trynoski!

2011-05-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a self-proclaimed nerd who has a sneaky suspicion that I was a jousting medieval knight in a former life. Obsessed with horses and medieval history, I will be at Coppercreek Camp for the first time as a riding instructor this summer. I compete in 3-Day Eventing when I'm not reading about castles, Vikings, royal treasure or other interesting things.

I also like hiking, camping, singing and telling stories and I'm excited about the possibility of doing all of these things and more at camp this summer. I am a horrible terrible no-good very bad artist, so don't ask me to draw anything unless you like stick figures with bad proportions. I currently live in Las Cruces, New Mexico where I am the resident expert on shelving paperback novels in the local used bookstore.

I spend all of my spare time at Red Sky Farm riding young horses for Susie Whelpley. I look forward to meeting everyone!

Meet Erica Stichter!

2011-05-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

My name is Erica Stichter. I am really excited to finally get to work at Coppercreek, I have wanted to work at camp since I was a camper. I was a camper every year for about 8 years, from Billabong to FBI (Don't know if the names are still the same.)

Right now I am finishing up college at University Nevada Reno. I am majoring in Political Science and minoring in Renewable Energy. I plan on getting my masters in Social Work.

I love everything outdoors! I love backpacking, hiking, snowboarding, horseback riding, ect.... I dabble in a lot of other things and love learning and trying new activities. This summer I am looking forward to meeting everyone and making new friends with counselors and campers.

I grew up in Lake Tahoe so the mountains and outdoors have always been a big part of my life. I love meeting new people, even though I tend to be a little shy I make friends quickly and am always ready to have fun and come up with activities to have a good time. Hope to see and meet everyone soon and look forward to it! See you in June!

Meet Gabby Lichtig!

2011-05-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

My name is Gabby and this is my second year working at Coppercreek Camp! I am very excited to get back to camp because camp is like a second home! This year I have studied abroad in New Zealand and I have had many adventures!

While I’ve been in New Zealand I have done A LOT of hiking and Kayaking! This country is so beautiful and so many amazing things to do outdoors. I love just hanging out in nature and I have found that hiking and finding new places to explore is some of my favorite things to do!

I am very excited to be at camp again because I love to be silly and camp is the perfect place to do so! I love talking to people and I love meeting new campers!

One of my favorite adventures in New Zealand was a five-day horse trek that I did across the North Island of the country. We started on the west coast of New Zealand and trekked 75 kilometers to the East Coast! We rode for 6 hours everyday! On this treck I rode Bon Bon, a super standard bred. We crossed mountains and galloped across untouched beaches! It was absolutely breath taking.

I have a complete love for animals. I love dogs, horses cows and most other animals too! I am a vegetarian and I an excellent pet owner!

As well as having a love for animals I am an equestrian! I have been riding my entire life and competing in Hunters and Jumpers since I was 13. I am now on my Equestrian Team at Miami University. Riding has been a huge part of my life and it always will be!

As well as riding I also really like to climb on rocks, sing, eat potatoes, play the ukulele, paint, my camel back, boondoggle and try new things!

I can’t wait to meet all of you soon this summer!!!

Meet Erin Calfee!

2011-05-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I’m Erin and I’m 22 years old. I grew up in Davis, California. The first time I moved away from home I was 17 and went on exchange to Germany. Eight months later I moved to Providence, RI, where I now go to school at Brown University where I study history. I’ll be graduating this May right before coming to Coppercreek!

Rhode Island is great, but I always come home for breaks because I love spending time outdoors in beautiful California. In the winter I ski up in Tahoe and in the summer you can find me hiking in the mountains or floating down the river.

I started kayaking with my dad when I was 14 and fell in love with the river. For two summers in college I worked as a raft guide on the South Fork of the American River. Last summer I got a job in Providence researching Native Americans in colonial New England with a professor (very cool stuff!). I didn’t spend my whole summer in the archives though. I also went on a 20-day self-supported kayaking and rafting trip down the Grand Canyon with family and friends! We had creek exploring, rattlesnakes, mucky-muck wars, unexpected June rain, beautiful sunsets, unbalanced coyotes, and VERY big whitewater…ask me all about it!

I am a very silly person and I love to laugh. At Brown I’m part of an improvisational comedy acting troupe which means that I have 4 hours of scheduled silliness every week! Tell me your jokes and riddles and show me your silliest dance moves and animal impersonations!

I look forward to meeting all of you!

Erin

Meet Sam Sigal!

2011-05-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! My name is Sam Sigal and I am very much looking forward to returning for my second summer on staff at Coppercreek!! I a

m from an interesting state somewhere in between Pennsylvania and New York known as New Jersey. No, I do not have a New Jersey accent, but I do at times pretend I belong to the Soprano family.

I am currently majoring in Radio and Television Production at Rider University, aspiring to be a radio announcer. I also am a student manage for my school's Division 1 Men's Basketball team. My hobbies are sports, being goofy, movies and nice long walks on the beach...

I first came to Coppercreek for the artist formerly known as Family Camp. Through the years I attended traditional camp, and participated in Trek, the CIT program and was a Junior Counselor. After a few years away I was thrilled to return this past summer as a counselor!

I am looking forward to returning to camp and continuing my reign as the costume-dressing CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, as well as the dancing queen CHAMPION OF THE WORLD and the hurts-himself-while-trying to do the limbo CHAMPION OF THE WORLD and the PRETTIEST CAPTURE THE FLAG DRESSING CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

At Coppercreek, I also have been known to dabble in drama, riflery, bingo-officiating and a

couple covert operations I am not at liberty to discuss. However, I cannot wait to see all of you in only a few short weeks!

Meet Emily Westphal!

2011-04-30T12:02:00.001-07:00

Welcome Home, Emily!

Some people at Coppercreek say I have accent, but I don’t really hear it. Apparently us Michiganders have a bit of a Canadian or Minnesotan twist to our voices. You’ll have to wait and hear for yourself.

Hello there to old and new friends! I’m Emily Westphal, from Gaylord, Michigan. My first summer at camp (thanks to amazing camper Marissa) I earned the nickname of Emma D, and it stuck around. I am very excited to say that this summer will be my third year at camp. I came to Coppercreek on a whim, to live in a new place. I never knew that I would be coming back three years in a row calling it my summer home.

Outside of California, when I am home, I am a certified K-12 Art Teacher. Currently, I am a long-term sub in a high school art room, but I am on the search for the perfect classroom to call my own this fall. I would love to find a job in Michigan, but I am willing to move to a new state as well. When I am not working, I enjoy painting, reading, watching movies, snowshoeing, and spending time with my beautiful one-year-old niece, Rita-Marie.

My favorite place at Coppercreek is the high ropes course. I am not only a course supervisor, but a platform supervisor as well. The platform is the best spot at camp. I am always in awe of the beautiful view of the property and feel thankful to be a part of Coppercreek when I am up on the platform.

In addition to the high ropes course, I am also an instructor for the rock-climbing program. After practicing techniques on our rock wall, the best part is going on our overnight trip each session with a group of anywhere from 5-15 campers. I can also be found leading arts and crafts, playing sports, singing songs on stage, being a cabin counselor for some inspiring young ladies, and taking photos of the every day happenings at Coppercreek.

Every summer, I like to set goals for myself. In the past two years, I have met the following goals already –

Getting up on a wakeboard
Riding a horse for the first time ever (Thanks to our wonderful Riding Staff)
Shooting a 22-rifle

This summer, I would like to add learning to play guitar, trying kayaking, singing more campfire songs, and going on more mountain bike rides to that list. I cannot wait to get back to Greenville, and have another amazing summer. See you there!

Meet Greta Dedmon!

2011-04-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Meet Greta Dedmon

My first summer at camp must have been about….. 1982. My Coppercreek history goes a little something like this: Camper – TC – Counselor/horse staff. I think I spent 6 or so summers here. It could be said that this is my happy place! Now my experience is coming full circle, as I join you to teach Arts and Crafts while my son, Josh, is a camper.

Before you ask, yes I could tell you stories from back in the day – but I’m sworn to secrecy. I did know Lornie way back when… in fact she was my counselor! And Papa John was a very important figure in my summer life. If you ask anyone who knew me then – I spent about 23 of every 24 hours at the horses. This camp taught me so much about life and I can talk about that for days!

Currently I live in San Rafael, CA with my husband and 2 of our 3 boys – they are 18, 14, and 8. (The oldest is off in college) As a family we enjoy many fun activities together including boogie boarding/surfing, mountain biking, fishing, baseball/softball, horseback riding, beading/jewelry making, travelling, and camping.

It’s my pleasure to bring my creativity and spunky personality to camp this summer. I love to dance, dress in costumes, ride horses, swim, waterski, canoe, ride bikes….. really about the only camp activities I’m not into are climbing (super don’t like heights) and skateboarding. Since I was about 8, I’ve been making beaded jewelry. So look for my well-stocked beading kit during Third Session! If you have any beads you want to bring – please do so! Counselors are encouraged to participate as well.

With the help of my favorite artist, Emily Elders, I will be offering some really fun and creative projects for all of you. I’m also bringing some fabric and a sewing machine with me so we can make some really great costumes for campfires and dances too.

I look forward to meeting you and having tons of fun this summer.

Check out A&E's Strange Days with Bob Saget featuring Coppercreek Camp!

2010-12-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

The episode of Strange Day's with Bob Saget featuring Coppercreek Camp aired last night. We were thrilled with the result and hope you will take the time to watch it. This clip in particular really touched all of us! We think Zach sums the Coppercreek experience up more eloquently than any of us could have!

Happy Camping!

http://www.aetv.com/strange-days-with-bob-saget/video/?bcpid=670670891001&bclid=700000493001&bctid=700809028001

Coppercreek on TV!

2010-10-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

Check out the link below. We don't have a specific air date for "our episode", but we'll be on the look out and we will let you know.

http://tv.broadwayworld.com/article/AE_Presents_Strange_Days_With_Bob_Saget_121_20101014

Enrollment Update and Fall Special!

2010-10-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of our Coppercreek friends!

What a crazy Fall! Sutter and Ryleigh both started new schools; Sutter at UC Davis and Ryleigh at Glenshire Elementary in Truckee. We've had groups here at camp virtually every weekend as well. It is always so fun to share our little corner of the world. Now, as the dust begins to settle and winter is right around the corner, we decided it was a great time to update everyone on our current enrollment and offer one last special.

PROGRAMS AT OR NEAR CAPACITY:

COUNSELOR IN TRAINING

SESSION 2: 6 Spaces Remain for Either Boys or Girls

SESSION 3: 3 Spaces Remain for Either Boys or Girls

TREK

SESSION 2: FULL FOR GIRLS WITH A WAITING LIST and 1 Space for a Boy

SESSION 3: 5 Spaces Remain for Either Boys or Girls

OUR LAST FALL ENROLLMENT SPECIAL FOR THE YEAR...

Take 10% off next summer's camp when you pay in full or sign up for one of our monthly payment options by November 15th.

And, finally, here are a few of the great photos from this summer. If you haven't had a chance to visit our dotphoto site and check them out, please do.

Happy Autumn,

Becky

Monday June 28th's Daily Schedule

2010-06-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

What is in store for Coppercreek today....!

7:30 MUSIC
7:45 WAKE UP
8:00 BREAKFAST
8:30 CABIN CLEAN-UP
9:00 Everyone to Campfire for campfire stuff
9:15 HORSES: HORSES! HORSES! :
Anna K, Joe, Agnes, Meredith M, Tamsen, Ellen D, Gretel, Sarah
Cochran, Emma G, Marissa
BARN RATS:
Emma G, Taylor, Annalise, Max U, Kyle, Gretel, Laura, Marissa, Andrea
BOULDERING-SWIMMING DAY TRIP: Emily, Chris, Sean
Kevin O, Brett K, Owen, Michael A, Savannah, Emma A, Agnes, Camille,
Taylor K, Reilly
SMALL ANIMALS: AJ, Becca, Shyanne, Dani
SKATEBOARDING: Ryan, Sean
ART: Emily B, Taehli, Chloe, James
ARCHERY: Lucy, Casey, Bryan
CLIMBING WALL: Cynthia, Adelaide
NATURE: Mandy, Justin
SOCCER: Andres, Todd, Matt

10:15 HORSES, HORSES, HORSES
Maudesty, Andrea, Ryleigh, Taylor K, Sarah Cummings, Cead, Meredith K,
Brooke, Laura
ART: Emily B, Justin
CLIMBING WALL: Cynthia, Adelaide
RIFLERY: Mark, AJ, Bryan, James
SKATE RAMP: Ryan, Sean
LACROSSE: Mandy, Casey, Shyanne
FRISBEE GOLF: Taehli, Dani, Chloe

11:15 HORSES, HORSES, HORSES
Barritt, Salome, Jazmin, Kyle B, Chance, Owen, Krista, Annalise,
Max U, Lia
SLINGSHOTS: Andres, Dani, Bryan
SARDINES IN THE CABIN AREA: Taehli, Casey, Chloe
BMX: Adelaide, Mark, James, Todd
FRISBEE: AJ, Matt
ART: Emily B, Becca, Shyanne

12:15 TABLESETTERS
12:30 LUNCH

1:00 REST HOUR
LAKE GROUP: Ryan, Cynthia (Please drive the Expedition), Matthieu
Sarah Cochran, Laura, Marissa, Gretel, Kaitlin
MOUNTAIN BIKE OUTPOST: Kevin, Mandy, Cody, Adam
Max B, Ryan K, Peter D, Michael O
2:00 POOL: LUCY, Adelaide, Ellen, Dani, James
CABIN AREA GAMES: Andres,Todd
MUSIC: Rebecca, Justin, Casey
DECK FUN: Gabby, Christeen, Shyanne, Sean

3:00 MINIATURE HORSE DRIVING: Caroline, Ellen
Max U, Annalise, Montana, Kyle
POOL: ADELAIDE, Meredith, Casey, Shyanne, Sean
CABIN AREA: Christeen
NATURE: Mark, Bryan
RECON: Andres, AJ, Justin
DECK FUN: Becca, Chloe, Todd

4:00 SADDLE CLUB: Rebecca
MINIATURE HORSES: Caroline, Ellen
POOL: MEREDITH, Andres, Bryan, Justin
WATER BALLOON VOLLEYBALL: Gabby, Taehli, Todd
SMALL ANIMALS: Lucy, Chloe
CABIN AREA: Becca
GOLF: Mark, Sean
DECK FUN: Lia, James, Dani

5:00 FAMILY HOUR

5:45 TABLESETTERS
6:00 DINNER

7:00 TWILIGHT TIME
8:00 VESPERS

9:00 CABINS
9:30 LIGHTS OUT

2nd Annual Coppercreek Alumni Reunion! Sept. 16-19

2010-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

2nd Annual
COPPERCREEK CAMP REUNION!

September 17-19, 2010
Friday-Sunday

Open to anyone who ever attended as a camper or worked at Coppercreek Camp, their significant others and little ones. Relive summer memories, stay in the same cabins (well, almost the same), swim in the pool (it is definitely the same), sneak out… (there will be no Rat Patrol!)…visit Vespers, sit at campfire and sing Country Roads one more time or just relax on the back deck and toast Keddie Peak. The “Sleeping Indian” is still beautiful. Adults- $225.00 (for the weekend) Children ages 5 – 10 $75.00 (for the weekend) Children 4 and under are free.

***All proceeds will go to the Coppercreek Memorial Fund to provide camperships for needy children.***
This covers all meals and lodging – Please bring your choice of beverage or alcohol. Iced tea, lemonade, and wonderful, “ole Kool Aid” will be provided. We have refrigerator space and an ice machine now! Wonderful Coppercreek spring water is still as refreshing as it was years ago. We are planning evening campfire programs so come prepared to share your favorite camp song and put on a skit or two. If you play a musical instrument; bring that too! You can reserve a cabin or bunk. The old, metal army bunks have been upgraded to built-in bunks so when the person above you gets up to visit the Shower House at 1:00 am, the entire bunk doesn’t wobble. You are also welcome to pitch a tent or bring an RV. There is plenty of space. We can accommodate around 150 people so get your name on the list soon! The cabins will be booked on a first come, first served basis. Just fill out the attached PDF and mail it in with your payment. We can also take credit cards. We can’t wait to see you! Internet Address: www.coppercreek.com Phone: 530-284-7617 or 1-800-350-0006 E-mail: becky@coppercreek.com or lornie@coppercreek.com PO Box 749 Greenville CA. 95947

Here is a link to the "official" enrollment form:

http://files.me.com/beckyhogland/1r1w85

Spring Newsletter!

2010-06-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Check out the Coppercreek Tracks, June 2010!

http://files.me.com/beckyhogland/x0ubak

Only 14 days until our first campers arrive for 2010.

Meet Christeen Perkins!

2010-05-31T13:21:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone I'm Christeen Perkins. I will be working at Coppercreek this summer as part of the equestrian staff. This will be my first year at Coppercreek and let me tell you I am super excited and can not wait to meet all of you!

Horses have always been a major part of my life. The majority of my time in the saddle I have been show jumping. I have also spent time competing in barrel racing. And of course I love a good trail ride with friends and family. There is nothing like being out in the open on the back of a horse with the people you love. I have been riding for as long as I can remember and can't wait to teach you all I know and hopefully gain some new knowledge from all of you.

Over the years I have been at a few summer camps myself.

While the horses were always my favorite camp activity rock climbing and the ropes course have always been a close second. My other favorite part of camp was the camp fire. I'm sure we will be experiencing a few of those together this summer.

Some other facts you might like to know about me are: I love to sing and when ever I hear music I usually do, I love meeting new people and learning about their lives and their interests, I always figure out how to have a good time no matter what I am doing and I believe life is too short to do anything but enjoy it.

Enjoy the last few weeks of school and I will see you all soon!

Christeen

Meet Rebecca Hale

2010-05-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! My name is Rebecca Hale and I come from a tiny town called Holywood in

Ireland

! I live half a mile away from where the Titanic was built so I'll try and bring some photo's with me! I am so excited to spend my summer in the States as I have never been there before! We don't really have summer camps like they do in

America

and ever since I saw the film The Parent Trap I wanted to go!
I am 20 years old and am studying English at Queen's University in Belfast and I want to be a teacher when I grow up! I will be a horse-riding instructor at Coppercreek-I just had a look at the pictures on the website and the horses look beautiful!

I am really tall-I'm just under 6ft! I love to sunbathe, play sport (especially athletics), read and sing! Last year I entered the X Factor, which is the British version of America Idol, with Simon Cowell and got to the third round, so I'll love singing round the campfire!
I am so excited to meet you all soon and I know we will have the best summer ever!

Meet Josh Pocus!

2010-05-19T20:19:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, my name is Josh Pocus. I go by either Josh or Pocus whichever is easiest to remember. I am really excited about working at Coppercreek camp for the summer. Although this will be my first summer camp counselor job, I have been in and out of summer camps since I was 10 years old and have always wanted to be a camp counselor.
I served in the U.S. Army for 4 years and now I am a student at California State University Sacramento working towards a degree in photography. I am a very outgoing and optimistic person. I love being outdoors and enjoying Mother Nature’s beauties. My dream home would most likely have to be a tree house like in the old Swiss family Robinson movie.

In my free time I like to get out and travel. I go hiking and camping a lot with my family and friends. Trinity Alps wilderness in northern California is by far one of my favorite places to hike. I snowboard in the winter time and downhill long board in the summer. I love to ride dirt bikes and compete in motocross races.

I grew up around music and I am currently learning to play the guitar. I have made a homemade didgeridoo and other interesting musical instruments I attempt to play. I love to cook especially for other people and so far I have gotten positive reviews from friends and family. I have traveled to over 14 different countries and I plan on eventually visiting them all.
When I am not able to travel and free of academic studies I grab my camera and walk around the river in Sacramento and take pictures of wildlife. Before camp starts, my siblings and I are going on a week long hiking trip to Kings Canyon.

I am looking forward to working with all of you this summer and will meet all of you soon.

Meet Chris Petersson!

2010-05-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I am Chris Petersson and I can’t tell you how excited I am to work at Copper Creek as the rock climbing instructor this summer.

I am 21 years old and have always been one to seek out new things to see and experience. This urge to see and experience is what has brought me all over the world and also, along with my love for kids, is what motivated me to get a job at Copper Creek this summer.

I have always had a love for the great outdoors and all the amazing learning opportunities it has to offer and for a while now have dreamed of getting into outdoor education. When I heard that Copper Creek was looking for a rock climbing instructor I was quick to jump on board knowing that this would be a great step in the right direction of where I want my life to go.

I grew up in Cambridge, MA and still use my mum’s house there as my home base when I am not out seeing and experiencing this amazing world. I am a graduate of New England School of Photography and have always dreamed of being a high school photography teacher someday when I am ready to settle down. Having worked for many different newspapers and online publications, I am a published photographer but I much prefer working on my personal projects, which I have used for some different gallery showings.

I love to travel and have gone on many different adventures from working on a documentary project in Guatemala for weeks to hitch-hiking all over New Zealand for 5 months. I have worked all sorts of jobs from managing a tiny movie theater to being a sales associate at Eastern Mountain Sports and pretty much everything in between. I worked at summer camps in the past but never have I worked at a sleep over camp so I am looking forward to the new experience.

I am a fun loving guy who never has had any problems making friends with new people, in fact my mom often tells me I have too many friends but this cant be true... one can never have too many friends!
I learned how to rock climb just about 5 years ago as part of a National Outdoor Leadership School program where I spent 3 months living out in the wilderness learning many different aspects of outdoor recreational sports. After the 3 week intensive rock climbing section, I was hooked and have been climbing ever since. I have done everything from top-roping in gyms to traditional multi-pitch lead climbing.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about the mental and physical benefits of climbing and look forward to sharing my knowledge and excitement with all of you. I’m sure you will all be amazed to see how much rock climbing has to offer, it’s not only is a great physical sport but also is almost purely based on mental focus and determination. Rock climbing is an unbelievable way to have a blast in the great outdoors and also a means to learn a ton about yourself and everyone’s limitless possibilities.

I have always been one to give it my all and this summer will be no exception. I am going to try my hardest to do my part in making this an amazing summer for everyone at Copper Creek, on the ropes and with my cabin alike. I look forward to making tons of new friends to have fun with and also sharing my knowledge and perspectives of this world in hopes that everyone will leave at the end of the summer, a bigger and better person.

Can’t wait to meet all you wonderful people!!

Live, Love, Learn

Chris Petersson

Meet Cindy Gentry!

2010-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I'm Cindy Gentry and I'm very excited to once again be leaving my home here in Washington State to travel to my home in California - aka Coppercreek camp. I've worked many jobs in my 25 years of life, ranging from helping teenagers plan trips around the world with a youth ministry, to scraping algae from fish tanks in a pet store. Nothing I've done so far has compared to being at Coppercreek though, and this will be my fifth summer as a counselor.

Some of you may remember me as the red-guitar-wielding counselor, or the counselor who was WAY too excited about bugs and baby goats. A lot has changed for me this year, as I got to experience my first year as an official veterinary student at Washington State University. One thing that definitely has NOT changed, however, is my love for our furry, four-legged friends.
Thankfully there are quite a few of those at camp.

Some of my favorite activities (aside from those just mentioned) include horseback riding, hiking, camping (yeah outpost!) archery and photography. At home I love to garden and spend lots of time taking care of my pets. I'm not terribly crafty but I do enjoy art (thankfully, Tie-Dye is foolproof!) and I LOVE anything theatrical. I was very fortunate to get to help the campers put on last summer's fantastic play; hopefully we'll get to see another one this year!

Aside from all the great activities though, my favorite thing by far about Coppercreek is getting to see so many old friends and meet so many new ones each year. And, of course, bbq night. ;) I hope to see you there!

Meet Sam Sigal!

2010-05-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

My name is Sam Sigal and I am from Princeton, New Jersey. I was born in San Francisco, and didn't move to the East Coast until I was ten. I have always considered myself more of a Californian than an East-Coaster (one of the many reasons I am excited to work at Coppercreek!)

I will be a Junior in the fall at Rider University studying Business and Leadership Management with a minor in Sport Business. I spent the past two years at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, where I was a student manager for the men's basketball team, something I will continue to do at Rider.

Although I haven't done much acting in college, I was in various plays in high school. For one production I was cast in, I had to opportunity to go to England and perform at a high school near London. I spent this past summer working as a boardwalk carnie and arcade operator at a boardwalk on the Jersey Shore (yes THAT Jersey Shore, but the boardwalk I worked at was in the next town over from the one featured on the MTV Show) . I was also a counselor and coach at youth basketball camps.

I practically grew up at Coppercreek. That is me second from the left. My family attended Coppercreek's Family Camp for the first time when I was just 5 years old. I have been a Traditional Camper, Trekker, CIT and JC but this will be my first year on staff. I am very excited for the new experiences this summer and can't wait to meet all of you!

Meet Meredith Malnick!

2010-05-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Meredith Malnick, though you may call me Mer or any other snazzy nickname you please. I am SO excited to spend this summer with all of you at Coppercreek. This will be my 5th summer and my first as a counselor at a place that many of you will soon call home.

I discovered the magical land of Coppercreek at 14 and have loved it ever since. This summer I will be teaching horseback riding, a passion of mine since I could walk, but have also done 4 week TREK, the CIT and JC programs here at camp as well as traditional camp. Currently I live up in Eugene,Oregon and am finishing my Junior year of College at the University of Oregon( Go Ducks!). Though English is my major I can speak a bit of Spanish, Italian, and a tiny bit of Hebrew.

My hometown is Los Altos, California, and in true Norcal spirit I love any place that has lots of trees (like Coppercreek).

I have been around horses since I was a baby,but competed in eventing (a combination of dressage, cross country jumping, and show jumping) which in my very biased opinion is the best combination of disciplines. Currently I am a member of my school's equestrian team, and we have traveled all around Oregon (and Canada!) showing this year.

When I am not galloping around fields and jumping solid objects, I have dabbled in rock climbing, running, and 80's dodgeball (the neon colors give you supreme dodging abilities). I am passionate about living life to its fullest (think Baz Lurhman's song Sunscreen) so that the only wrinkles I will have when I am older will be laugh lines. I can't wait to meet all of you and teach you the art of feeding horses carrots (and horseback riding).

Meet Gabby Lichtig!

2010-05-05T20:15:00.001-07:00

Hey Guys!!! My name is Gabby and I LOVE Coppercreek!!! I especially like the ponies, people, and trees at Coppercreek! Actually I love everything about Coppercreek! I went to Coppercreek as a camper for about 10 years and I am ready for more! I am so excited to be a counselor! You don’t even know! Running around in dirt with horses and ponies sounds like a dream to me! Anyway! I also do some other things other than ride around on ponies!

I love to eat!!!!! And I love dancing around and singing very loudly and awesomely in my car or my room or with my friends. I also love to tan on the roof, rock climb, bike ride, go for runs in the snow, make snow men, PLAY FRISBEE! And I absolutely love all dogs.

I am very random and I am usually smiling! I am one of the tiniest people ever and I love that! I also like to make movies on my video camera and I love to swing on swings in parks! One of my other favorite activities is playing catch! My favorite foods include Matzo Ball soup, strawberry ice cream, pirates booty, and POTATOES! I love potatoes!

I am 19 and I go to Miami University of Ohio and LOVE IT! But I can’t wait to be a counselor back in California! My favorite parts about Miami is the equestrian team, the awesome people and the green grass that is always perfect here! I also like to run next to the river in woods. I get lost a lot!

I am very excited to meet new people and have another great camp experience!!

Meet Zach Hunter!

2010-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
My name is Zach and I am so so excited to work with Coppercreek this summer! Before I got word I was going to be a counselor at Coppercreek, time was flying by. Now that I have a date to wait for, time is going so slow!

This will be my first year working at Coppercreek. I am 21 years old and I come from the oh so wonderful Midwest! I was born in Kansas City, Kansas then moved to Kansas City, Missouri at age 6. We lived in Missouri until my 6th grade year when my family moved to the small town of Cameron just north of Kansas City. Cameron has a population of about 9,000. I refuse to classify myself as a city kid or country boy, I am a bit of both! I absolutely love nature, the pureness of the outdoors absolutely fascinates me.

I love all sports,and my favorite is baseball. At the end of high school, I received a baseball scholarship to Ottawa University in Ottawa, KS. I decided to focus more on my academics and put baseball on hold for a bit. I attended Missouri Western State University for a year, then transferred to the KC Metropolitan Community Colleges. I have 4 goofy brothers,2 beautiful sisters, 2 amazing parents, awesome friends, what more could I ask for? In a nut shell, that is about all for me!

Oh..and if there is a White Castle near camp, I will probably go bankrupt!

Meet Deedee Presser!

2010-05-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys my name is Meredith, although I have been called Deedee as long as I've had a working memory for reasons beyond my comprehension. I hail from one of the biggest states in America-Connecticut. Suffield, CT more specifically, home of the graham cracker! I am 24 years old and graduated from Miami University (the one in Ohio, not the cool one in Florida) last August with my Master's in Kinesiology and Health, which are essentially just fancy words for sports. I've played softball, basketball, soccer, flag football, dodgeball, racquetball, tennis, broomball, rugby, and skied on semi-organized teams at some point in my life. If you can't tell I really like sports and being outside. Traveling and meeting new people are two more of my passions in life. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro last June and it was an experience that I will never forget-also one that I never need to do again, I cherish oxygen too much. I also got to camp in the Serengheti on that trip and when the wildebeest and hyenas weren't scratching at our tent it was quite serene. I've been whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, bungee jumping in New Zealand, swam with stingrays and dolphins in Grand Cayman and Mexico, climbed the Eiffel Tower, rappelled off of a cliff in Israel, played Gladiator with my brother in the Coliseum, and lost a game of tic tac toe to a chicken for the chance to win $10,000.

I've got a lot of useless skills that I acquired in my 24 years including but not limited to: spinning a basketball on my finger, juggling, making origami that nobody wants, speaking Spanish and French at an elementary level, playing approximately 65% of several songs on the guitar, and napping in any and all situations.

Most recently I worked as the sport staff on a cruise ship and had an amazing time. I was responsible for belaying at the rock wall, renting out skates, parading down the promenade in very eccentric costumes, and hosting a variety of sport tournaments-I challenge any of you to a game of ping pong. I met some remarkable people on the ship and can't wait to meet everybody at Coppercreek for an amazing summer.

Meet Emily Ballestrini!

2010-04-29T12:05:00.001-07:00

Hi. I’m Emily, I was a camper myself back before the flood – and the fire! I’ve been all over the world since then (and a few times before, it’s true) and this is the one place I really, truly have not been able to resist returning to.

Think of me as a salmon, only with a longer, more convoluted life-span? I’m returning this summer for the first month with the glorious title of Artist in Residence and my three children (that’s where the longer, more confusing salmon analogy returns. If I really were a salmon, I’d be long out of the picture, possibly as decorative fodder on a bagel. I’m grateful for small favors. And robust flavors…).

My chosen arts are relief prints and book arts, with occasional forays into paper engineering (but not origami: that’s a whole different universe!) and animation. I chew ice year ‘round. I think of this as a bad habit that I’m not sufficiently interested in breaking.

I’m also a big fan of naps, and I’m looking forward to having a defined Rest Hour after lunch again – I’ll be sad if that’s been consigned to the dust heap of history!

Meet Adelaide Baber!

2010-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Who is Adelaide Baber?

Well, let me enlighten you. Many of my campers call me “cool-aide” because that’s often times how I introduce myself because it rhymes with my first name. I am one of the few “home-grown” counselors, so I figured what better way to tell you how I got to where I am now than through a fun little story with pictures. Yes, you get to see pictures of me through several stages of life from the cute to awkward to being a counselor. J

The Story of Adelaide Baber as a Coppercreeker…

Once Upon a time there was ten year old little girl named Adelaide who adventured to a faraway place called Coppercreek. She spent her first 2-weeks away from home in a cabin called Billabong.

Every summer, Adelaide could hardly wait to find out who her counselor was and to reunite with old camp friends…

She grew so fond of Copprecreek that she wanted to spend as much time as possible there… soon 2-weeks turned into 4-weeks.. and then an additional Horsemastership Session to end the summer.

At 13years old, Adelaide got to go on her first ever backpacking trip that was 3days and 2nights in Lassen National Park. She fell in love with the outdoors.

Although Adelaide was very adventurous by nature she was “deathly afraid of heights.” However, with the support and encouragement from counselors and fellow campers she overcame her fear and climbed to new heights.

In 2004, Adelaide participated in the 2-week Trek Leadership program and got to go to the Lava Beds to go caving, 4day backpacking trip, and white water rafting down the Trinity River.

Adelaide had such a great time on 2-week Trek that she went on 4-week Trek the following summer. A few highlights of the trip were an 8-day Backpacking trip in the Trinity Alps and a 4day white water rafting trip down the Klamath River.

The summer of 2006, Adelaide was a Counselor in Training (CIT). It was strange for her to be back in camp after spending the previous summer on Trek, but she fell in love with Traditional camp all over again. She was ecstatic when she was invited back as a Junior Counselor for the following summer.

As a Junior Counselor, she got to go on outpost with campers and run some activities.

Best of all, she and her long time camp friends got to spend one more summer being silly and entertaining campers.

Before the little girl knew it she had grown into a young lady, and 8 summers of making lifelong memories and friendships at Coppercreek had flown by. She was now a high school graduate and worst of all… an Adult!

The highlights of her summer that year were not nearly as exciting as her previous ones at Coppercreek but they; included, working at her Granny’s clothing store, wakeboarding, working as a counselor at a Leadership Summer camp, and dropping her little sister off for her first 2-week Trek experience.

In the fall of 2008, Adelaide moved into college at the University of the Pacific.

Although she had moved away from home she still kept in contact with her family by running races with her Mom. They even ran the San Francisco Women’s Nike Marathon!

Adelaide found that she could dress up silly like she use to for camp dances at some college functions. Like in this picture that was taken at a 80s themed event. That night brought back a lot of great camp memories!

Adelaide had an amazing first year of college, but missed all of her great times at Coppercreek. So she made the best decision of her adult life and applied to be a counselor.

She got to spend her mornings with the “Barn Rats,” feeding the small animals, and mountain biking. Then spent the afternoons lifeguarding at the pool or driving the boat and teaching campers how to wakeboard, waterski, and/or kneeboard. But, best of all she got to be a cabin counselor to little girls just like she was once upon a time.

Hi Everyone!!

I hope you enjoyed my story and pictures of my years as a Coppercreeker! I’m already counting down the days until First session begins and can hardly wait to see all the old and new faces! My 2^nd year of college has been great and gone by a little too fast. People keep telling me that as you grow older the faster time goes by and I’m not sure if I like that or not. I hope that all of you are having a fantastic school year and are just as excited as I am to try new things and go on fun adventures this summer!

Love Always,

Adelaide or “Cool-Aide”

Meet Sean Willson-Schafer

2010-04-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sean Willson-Schafer is a thinker, an adventurer, an entrepreneur, a lover of the arts and outdoors- but mostly Sean is a biology major on the brink of graduation and entry into the (gasp) real world!

Sean was born and raised up in Ukiah, CA, a small town in Mendocino county which is a little bit north of the Bay Area. During his childhood years, Sean fell in love with the redwoods and the coast, making sure to spend as much time as he could running around on the beach, creek-stomping and climbing fallen logs. This life-style made Sean fall in love with the natural world in turn influenced his choice of studies when it came to going to college

Sean has been studying at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR for the last four years and will be graduating at the end of this semester. He has been working on a biology major along with an art minor. Particularly Sean is interested in the ecological sciences and during has education has enjoyed courses in plant bio, micro-bio and marine bio. Currently he is doing a study for an ecology class that involves Western Hemlock seedling viability in local forests around Lewis and Clark- a.k.a Sean figured out a way to hike around the forests and get dirty for hours on end while getting school credit.

For his art minor Sean has mostly focused on various topics in art history while also dabbling in sculpture and drawing. When not working hard on his studies, Sean tries to enjoy the northwest as much as possible. Whether its exploring the nooks and crannies of Portland, hanging out on the coast, or aimlessly driving through the beauty of Oregon, Sean finds plenty of ways to relax or unwind from school.

He also just discovered the wonderful sport of cross-country skiing and is trying that out as much as he can. For life after college, Sean plans to find a research assistant job, but more importantly is really interested in the area of forestry and after the summer plans to come pack up to Portland and find a job or internship in that field. This is Sean’s 7^th summer at Coppercreek (2^nd on staff) and is excited to be returning to camp for a whole new batch of new adventures and to see old faces and meet plenty of new ones.

Meet Cynthia Yeh

2010-04-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

My name is Cynthia. My last name is Yeh. It sounds like the backwards of “hey!”

Even though it forced me to be in the back of the line when we had to stand in alphabetical order according to last names, I’ve always liked my last name.

This summer will be my first summer at Coppercreek and I’m stoked. We don’t have to stand in line in alphabetical order for showers and meals do we? Regardless, I’m still stoked!

I’m from sun shiny California and I was born and raised in San Jose (some call it Silicon Valley because we are the hub of the tech world).

Therefore, it makes sense that my daddy is a programming engineer and my mommy is a network engineer. Me, I studied Biochemistry and Environmental Science, and received my undergraduate degree at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

I had a fun time in SLO, made some great friends, learned how to be more independent, and got to try all sorts of new skills which I will attempt to hone at Coppercreek this summer.

To be honest, I’m not really great at any one skill. However, I love to learn and try new things. While at Cal Poly I tried out horseback riding. Here’s a picture of me and my horse Casey.

Also, throughout college I was a volunteer for Tricalifornia Events Inc, in helping organize triathlons in California. With them, I got to do many cool and fun things to prepare and run these races, such as kayaking around athletes, driving a forklift, throwing cement blocks from a boat, organizing 300 volunteers to be happy while doing unpleasant tasks, practicing teamwork and team building, staying up for 70 hours on adrenaline, napping on demand, and more!

While I may try to be hardcore and tough, I like being a princess sometimes too. I enjoy going ocean fishing for salmon just as much as I like to dress up for the Renaissance faire.

Or a ninja using a horse lead to climb a roof.

It doesn’t end there though; I’m older than I look! I am 24 years old now, which means it’s been over 2 years since I’ve graduated from Cal Poly, SLO. Right after college, I landed in Romania as a Peace Corps volunteer. It was something I was pursuing since I was 17 years old. Oh…but I’ve been wanting to be a camp counselor since I was 14 years old. I like to believe that some dreams take a while, but if you keep pursuing them, they’ll happen eventually.

Here I am with my Romanian cake. Teachers at a school presented me this cake for working with them on a project. Romania is where Nadia Comaneci (the gymnast who scored the first perfect 10 at the Olympics) was born, it’s next to the Black sea, and may also be recognized as being the host country of Dracula. He is a myth. I have been here 2 years, and I’ve been to almost all the castles here and I’ve not seen any sign of vampires. But…I never explored them at night…

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania, I work in the mayor’s office on community and economic development. I live in a small community of 5,500 people, and besides working at the mayor’s office I more often do small project in the community. Being a Peace Corps volunteer isn’t just about helping and teaching others, it’s just as equally about learning from the people I live with.

I’ve refined domestic skills such as learning how to make mayonnaise from scratch, and to pickle pairs of peppers and cucumbers to make pickles.

I’ve learned how to raise little energetic puffballs to become curious, healthy, and independent chickens and roosters. (She’s not a mutant- I pasted sunflower seeds to her head).

Examples of work I’ve done within my community would be:
I’ve partnered up with teachers to organize events for their students, such as dressing up to celebrate Halloween. (It was a special triumph that I coerced the teacher to dress up in a costume too!)

Most of the time, it was just me and kids hanging out together doing our own thing. Visits to the village river, Olympics week, or the Amazing Race, cooking Chinese food, we did all sorts of fun stuff.

No matter where I am, or what I’m doing, you’ll find that I love living life and I cannot wait to spend my summer at Coppercreek.

I can’t wait to meet everyone!!

Lucy Marshall

2010-02-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

My name is Lucy Marshall and I hail from a magical land far, far away. This marvelous place is the homeland for many wonderful things; you know, fish, chips, (yum), cup o' tea (any time, any place, anywhere), bad food (it's not so bad, easpecially marmite!), worse weather (um... yup, can't argue with that), Mary Poppins (and other great films such as Snatch...). If you hadn't already guessed, I live in England, or more specifically, London. This means I talk a bit funny, and no matter how hard you try, without noticing you will suddenly find yourself impersonating the way I say certain words. Just ask me to say 'banana' and you will see what I mean! I have just reached the grand old age of 24 and this will be my third summer at the fantastic Coppercreek camp and I am so stoked to be coming back!

So, a little bit about me. I was born in London and have pretty much lived in the same house ever since. It's is a pretty great place, very pretty with loads of great places to go and tonnes of amazing historical places to visit. We even have a castle in the town centre amongst the office blocks! It's pretty cool here. Everyone should come visit!

In the 'real' world (the world outside the fantastic-ness of Coppercreek), I'm working full time in order to fund a summer in California and then returning to University in the Autumn. I graduated in 2008 with a degree in History and English Literature and love nothing more than reading, writing and studying really old and boring things; like castles, that nobody else really cares about. This is one of the reasons London is so great, there is loads of history to keep me occupied! That's right, I'm a geek, but I'm going back to University to do my teaching year which should hopefully put my love for old boring stuff, and obsession with paragraphs and spelling to good use.

I love doing all sorts of 'cool' things, although not as often as I would like. This includes but is not restricted to, swimming, dancing, laughing, drawing, painting, reading, walking without any particular place to go, yoga, musicals, taking photos (mostly of clouds and trees), riding my new bike, travelling, thinking, star gazing, cloud spotting (California has some of the most amazing skies I have ever seen), climbing and kayaking. I also absolutely love everything Shakespeare ever wrote, I wish I had come up with the idea of Harry Potter first, I used to be a cheerleader at University, I use a hideous amount of adjectives when I write/talk and I enjoy rummaging through thrift stores for my clothes.

I miss everything about Coppercreek Camp. It is without a doubt my favourite place on earth. I miss the kids, the small animals, my cabin, the pool, high ropes, the scrapes and the bruises, camouflage, thumper, fancy dress, and even the food.Especially grilled cheese and tomato soup day. Last year you would have either found me at the pool all afternoon or running around after my lovely cabin of teenage girls, either worrying about them as if I were their mom (I guess I kind of was for a few weeks!), or having the most awesome fun ever with them as if I were their big sister. I can't wait to do it all again this year. I miss Friday night dances and I fully believe that rest hour should be instated in every work place. Summer can't come around soon enough!

Ryan McDowell

2010-02-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hello Friend!

My name is Ryan McDowell and I am 21 years old and I’m uber stoked (excited) to meet all of you. Where do I start? I was born and raised in the beautiful Indian Valley where Coppercreek is located, so as far as knowledge of the area goes I would like to think of myself as somewhat of an expert! Growing up I was a very active youth enjoying all sorts of sports; everything from golf, to kayaking, to football, to snowboarding. I guess you could say I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie with a great love for extreme sports and performing.

After high school I decided to try a more populated area, so I moved to San Luis Obispo (SLO) where I currently attend Cal Poly as a communications major. In SLO I stay pretty busy I am on the Cal Poly water ski team, work part time, and am in a ska band. When doing none of the above, I try to explore around the central cost or surf, or cook! I’ve got a couple years left in school part of which I hope to spend studying abroad.

This will be my second year as a counselor at Coppecreek, but my third summer under the employment of Coppercreek Camp, as I spent one summer in high school as the nanny of the infamous Ryleigh Hogland. At camp I specialize in the board sports so you can find me pulling kids on one of the boats out on Lake Almanor. Sun's Out Gun's Out!!!! I also like to spend a considerable amount of time on the skate ramp, teaching kids to drop in, or watching them show of their steez (style with ease). One of my favorite parts of camp is the Friday night dance party! I officially challenge anyone out there to a limbo contest, if limbo isn’t your style you can just belt out an Avril Lavigne song with me!

Soooooo, that is a Ryan McDowell overview. To learn more come see me in my natural habitat!

Kevin Reyes

2010-02-03T20:45:00.001-08:00

Hey all, my name is Kevin, or K-Rey, or Kreyola, and yes that last one is pronounced like the crayon company. I am super excited to be returning to camp for my second summer and I am definitely looking forward to seeing everyone there again as well.

Since this last summer I have been trying to keep busy with school, but find myself sometimes singing various camp songs to myself, and to the annoyance of anyone around me because they are tired of hearing about how they can't ride in my little red wagon.

I have officially become a Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration major.

I decided after last summer at camp that I would not be able to stand being inside a classroom the rest of my life. This is providing me with plenty of opportunities to get out there and do things now!

Before camp begins again I will have gone snowshoeing under the full moon, spent a day on the American River bike trail riding, attended two different challenge/ropes courses, and gone on a 3 day backpacking trip. I am definitely looking forward to another summer out there with everyone in the cabins again.

>I have continued to play my ukulele and have picked up the degiridoo as well. A very tough instrument to play for long if you do not know how to circular breathe, which I do not. I have been learning some more songs on the ukulele that are fun little songs, but I am still working on those ever classic campfire songs. I am still dancing, doing my breaking/popping, and am hoping to actually compete in at least one competition, or battle, before summer starts, which will be an amazing experience.

Emily Westphal

2010-01-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hello from the Great Lakes State. My name is Emily Westphal, and I am originally from the little city of Gaylord, Michigan. Yes, Gaylord. You are allowed to make fun of it three times, and then we move on. :) I will be happy to use the palm of my hand to show you where I'm from. What other state in the U.S. can do that?

At camp, I gained the nickname of Emma D. I am not sure why to be honest. My name is not Emma, nor is there a D in my full name anywhere. Either way, hearing it reminds me of camp, so it puts a smile on my face.

Excited is the perfect word to describe how I feel about returning to Coppercreek for my second summer on staff. Last summer, I was a cabin counselor and the co-instructor for the amazing TAPS rock climbing program. You could also find me a lot at the high ropes course and in the arts/crafts area. I fell in love with Northern California very quickly, and I guarantee that if you haven't yet, you will, too.

There is something new for everyone to try at camp. I, for one, learned many new things. I am a much more experienced camping expert, immune to bug bites, I can boondoggle like it's my job, and even rappel from the top of a rock face. The accomplishment I am most proud of, however, is finally getting up on a wakeboard after a dozen attempts or so. (Thanks to counselor, Ryan)

At home, I am studying to be an art teacher. I completed one semester of student teaching in an elementary classroom, and I will complete my secondary student teaching this fall. After that, I'll graduate, and be a certified teacher. My concentration within my degree is photography. I shoot freelance for senior photos, engagements, and just completed my first wedding as well.

I am a big fan of happy thoughts. Girls that were in my cabin know what this means. Basically, I try to find something from every day that I'm happy about or thankful for. Last summer, I kept a journal, and it's pretty fun to look back and see what all of my campers liked about their session.

Other happy thoughts in life for me are sending mail, traveling, volleyball, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and documenting life with my camera. I also enjoying creating any kind of art, road trips, star-gazing, and snuggling up to watch a good movie with friends. My family is my top priority over everything else. I recently became an Aunt and a Godmother as well!

I am counting down the days until I get to return to Greenville and reunite with my Coppercreek family. I look forward to making new friends and creating new memories as well. I hope to see you all there this summer!

~Emily aka. Emma D.

Storm- Part 2

2010-01-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

We get many requests to see camp in the snow. Mother Nature heard the call and produced for our camp families!

Snow Removal

The Dining Deck

Girl's Shower House

The Sand Volleyball Court! Perhaps, snow volleyball instead?

This one is for you, Jorge! :^)

What do you think, Amy? Care to teach a snow jumping lesson?

Cindy and Emily's Home Sweet Home

"Ya' all come back now!"

Storm- Part 1

2010-01-23T10:47:00.001-08:00

www.coppercreekalumni.blogspot.com

Head over to our other blog for the latest news from Coppercreek and read about "Storm- Part 1"!

Counting My Blessings!

2009-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

November and December are such busy months around here. We finish putting camp to bed, laying in supplies for the winter (it is tough to get hay delivered in the snow), attend the annual WAIC Conference(www.waic.org), and then you add in the holidays, school, and... Well, it's crazy! As if that wasn't enough, I start working for Northstar in November. I have managed the ticketing department there for many years. I just love the excitement, energy, and fun of ski season. But with the work around here, at Northstar, the holidays, and the driving back and forth, I sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses.

So, today, I am taking a moment to remember my favorite part of the day and sharing it with you: After homework time, and dinner time, and bath time, and reading time, and dinner dishes time, and pick up the toys time, when I walk in to each of my daughter's rooms, make sure they're tucked in and look at those beautiful sleeping angels. That's the moment, my very favorite one each and every day!

This moment here:

And this one, too:

Have a great day!

Veteran's Day 2009!

2009-11-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Craig, Ryleigh, Makenna and I headed down to Greenville at 11 am this morning for the Annual Veteran's Day parade. There are so many things I love about living in our small town. Today's parade was just another affirmation of many of those things. I believe the whole town came out for the Parade and Ceremony. The American Legion, the Boy Scouts, Greenville High School's band, the Quincy Elks Lodge, and of course our local Fire Departments were all represented. We sang the National Anthem, said the Pledge of Allegiance, and were able to express our gratitude to the brave men and women who have served and those who currently serve our country. We feel blessed and grateful for their and their families' sacrifices.

We hope you are enjoying this Veteran's Day!

Fall Fun and our Christmas Card Preview!

2009-11-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy Fall here at camp. We hosted several groups, including the AERC National Championship Endurance Ride. There were over 150 riders between the 2 days of the ride. Both the camp and ranch meadow were filled with horse trailers, horses, riders, and their crews! It was a wonderful event, and great exposure for our little town!

Lornie and Sutter have been busy with Greenville High School varsity volleyball. Lornie is coaching and Sutter is a starting setter. The team has had a very successful season and beat arch-rival Quincy last week! Sutter is also knee deep in the college application process. She and Lornie visited University of Oregon a few weeks ago and Sutter loved the campus. So far, the Ducks may be in the lead!

Ryleigh just finished Fall soccer season and is a busy 3rd grader. The rest of the Hoglands are enjoying the quiet of Fall. Craig is madly putting camp to bed now that group season is done, and Becky is starting back with Northstar a few days a week.

Here are a few more shots from our photo shoot this weekend.
Happy Fall!

Kenna loved the apples from the tree!

Our beautiful Sutter Butter!

2009-08-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

Reasons why we love Coppercreek
FBI 2009 4th session
Maddie Milligan, Emma Shupper, Jackie Monetta,
Savannah Bocknik, Lizzie Goulder, Kara Fellows, Ella Hormel

1. Someone else does your laundry
2. You get ice cream if your cabin is clean
3. Waking up to music
4. We choose where to go for activities
5. Your cabin is your family and your counselor is your friend
6. You meet people you never knew who happen to live close
7. You’re given chance to leave camp for things like the lake or the fair
8. No one cares what you wear
9. You make friends from anywhere
10. You never get bored
11. No worries. No stress. No pressure
12. You’re friends with people you’d never be friends with at home
13. There’s something here for everyone
14. You can dance like no one’s watching even when people are watching
15. You feel like you’ve been friends for a lifetime, even if it’s only been a few weeks
16. There’s always someone to cheer you on when you think you’re about to give up, whether on high ropes or at boondoggle
17. The food is amazing
18. The counselors love it here as much as we do
19. You hear songs throughout the year that remind you of camp
20. All counselors are different: loud, funny, quiet, crazy, understanding, neat, messy, happy
21. You can wear your PJ’s to breakfast
22. You can learn from anyone-campers or counselors
23. The shirts become collector’s items
24. If you look on a map it’s a tiny little place, but it holds a MILLION MEMORIES

Barn News for Second Session

2009-07-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe we have already finished one week of Second Session. The barn has been hopping with lots of girls on "ponies". The jumping arena has full lessons every hour. Amy has been working on bending lines and cloverleaf patterns to crossrails. In our middle arena, girls are working on their posting trot, two point and in a few lessons, their first cross rails with Sarah. Ellie, Princess of the Small Arena, has the girls of Treehouse already trotting up the hill in two point.

Our Barn Rats are very experienced this session and are quite good at keeping the horses moving in and out of lessons. The Rats get the horses out, tacked up, and connected with their rider at the beginning of lessons. At the end of each lesson, the Rats take each horse from the rider and "strip and flip" them as I say. They pull the saddle and bridle, sponge the horse off, fly spray them and then ride bareback back to their pen. That's the fun part!

Amy has taught a "how to longe a horse" lesson during her Specialty group and today she will continue on with bandaging. Sarah has Marissa and Laura working on their Level 4 ribbons for CHA and Ellie took the minis for their first spin this session. As always, Annie, our beautiful draft mare, is happily keeping our vaulters on board and looking forward to the Talent Show next Thursday night.

Pictures of all the riders will be up shortly on our website! Keep a look out!

Monday's Daily Schedule

2009-06-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

7:30 MUSIC
7:45 WAKE UP
8:00 BREAKFAST
8:30 CABIN CLEAN-UP
9:00 CAMPFIRE
9:15 HORSES: LORNIE, Kate, Amy, Sarah, Ellie, Taehli, Molly, Lia
Nathan, Curtis, Chance, Kyle, Ryleigh, Taylor K,Claire
2-HOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE: JORGE, Ryan
KAYAKING AT THE POOL: ADELAIDE, Karol, & Sarah F
CLIMBING WALL: Emily, Sophia,
RIFLERY: James, AJ
SMALL ANIMALS: Cindy
ARTS & CRAFTS: Ali, Chloe
SOCCER: Emma, Gina
NAMEBALL: Kevin, Monika

10:15 HORSES: The horse staff and Horses
Teal, Agnes, Grace, Michael S, Jennifer, Gretel, Cassidy, Laura,
Carly
MOUNTAIN BIKING CONTINUES
KAYAKING CONTINUES: ADELAIDE, Karol & Sarah F
CLIMBING WALL CONTINUES: Emily, Sophia, Taylor
WEIGHTS: AJ, Chloe
LACROSSE: Ali
ARCHERY: Cindy, Kevin
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Emma
ROLL CHECK: Monika, Gina
11:15 HORSES: The horse staff, including the JC helper
Andrea, Brianna, Salome, Taylor W, Mackenzie, Emily
Kayla, Mollie, Marissa, Gabby, Emma
KAYAKING CONTINUES: ADELAIDE, Karol, Sarah F
MOUNTAIN BIKING (ONE HOUR RIDE): JORGE, Sophia
BMX: Cindy, Emma
SLING SHOTS: James, Monika
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Ali, Chloe
CLIMBING WALL: Emily, Kevin, Taylor hangs out to help, too!
KICK BALL IN THE MEADOW: Gina, AJ
12:15 TABLESETTERS
12:30 LUNCH
1:00 REST HOUR
AFTERNOON LAKE: Lindsay, Ryan (Expedition or Buick)
Alcatraz!
1:30 LIFEGUARD FOR SWIM CHECKOUTS: Lucy
CITS & JCs to Pool go to pool for swim check outs
1:40 FBI, Alcatraz to Pool
1:50 Swamp, Treehouse to pool
2:00 Hotel Cali, Times Square
2:10 Club Med , Oasis, Graceland to pool
2:20 Battleship, Phules to pool
2:30 POOL: LUCY, Emma
CABIN AREA SUPERVISION: Karol
ARTS AND CRAFTS: Ali
CLAY: Sophia, Taehli
DECK FUN: James, Chloe, Molly
3:00 OPEN HOUSE SPECIALTY GROUP: LORNIE, Kate, Amy, Sarah, Ellie
CHA, SADDLECLUB, VAULTING, MINIS! Come Check It Out!
POOL: EMMA, Kevin
ART: Adelaide
CABIN AREA: James
FISHING AT THE POND: Cindy
BASKETBALL: Karol
DECK FUN: AJ, Sarah
CLAY: Emily, Lia
Roll: Taehli, Molly
4:00 RIDING EVALUATIONS: Riding Staff
Caitlin H, Jaycze, Alexandria, Dani, Chloe R, Ellen D, Evie,
Alexandra B
POOL: KEVIN, Ali
CLAY: Emily, Lia
CABIN AREA: Sophia
RIFLERY: Jorge, AJ
DRAMA: James
GOLF: Roger
SMALL ANIMALS: Adelaide
SWING DANCE: Cindy, Taylor
DECK FUN: Monika, Gina, Sarah
Mail Sorting and Delivery: Chloe, Sarah
5:00 FAMILY HOUR
Package Duty: Monika, Gina
5:45 TABLESETTERS
6:00 DINNER

7:00 EVENING ACTIVITIES
TEEN SOCIAL AT LYNNE”S POND: Steve, Lucy, Lindsay
CITs & JCs
CANOEING: Roger, Emma, Karol
FISHING AT ROUND VALLEY: Cindy, Ali
MOUNTAIN BIKING: Jorge, James
SOCCER: Sophia, Kevin, Ryan
CHARADES: Emily
9:00 CABINS
9:30 LIGHTS OUT

Barn News

2009-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Another lovely day at the barn. The campers are settling into lessons and the horses are taking care of business. A few notable moments- Chloe, Daniela, Emma G., Marissa, Laura, Carly, Gabby and Jayne all began canter work. The small arena campers reviewed their information from yesterday and will learn their two point position so they can begin trotting in a couple of days. The middle arena lessons focused on perfecting their position at the trot and in two point. The sounds of "heels down", "outside rein will straighten the horse's shoulder", "easy on Tulip's mouth", "thumbs up", "Hank loves pets!" rang out all morning while the Barn Rats kept the barn running by tacking up, cleaning the corral and doing barn chores.

Very exciting stuff!

Our first specialty groups met today. Ellie and the Saddle Club girls; Emma G., Ryleigh, Teal, Salome, and Grace, drew all over Phinney learning the parts of the horse. They finished with giving her a bath and making her pretty, white coat shine. Sarah took the mini drivers out for some ground driving lessons with Jiggy and Beauty. The campers who took part were Evie, Cassidy, Daniela, Chloe, Ellen, and Kyle.

Wow! It is already 10:00 pm and I still need to go close the alley gates, the barn door and check on the horses. Good night!

AERC National Championship Ride to Take Place at Coppercreek Camp!!!!

2009-06-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

We are honored to be chosen as the host site for this year's American Endurance Ride Conference National Championships on September 11th and 13th. Hundreds of riders will come to Coppercreek Camp, set up their campsites in our meadows and ride either 50 or 100 miles on their highly conditioned and trained horses. We have been hosting endurance rides for years. The past riders have loved our facility so much, they asked us to please host the National Championships. We just heard the ride received FEI approval making it an international level ride as well.
For more details, please follow this link to the AERC website ride details.

http://www.doublejoy.com/erol/Calendar/RideDetails.asp?rideID=4616

First day at the barn!

2009-06-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great first day at the barn. The instructors were very patient, fun and got the campers moving. The horses were well behaved, especially having 40 campers invade their world! (...well Daisy had to have her 10 minutes of running, bucking and throwing fits in the round pen before she could behave in the cross ties.) Our wonderful JC's, Molly, Lia and Taehli helped Ellie all morning in our small arena with our beginner camper riders.

Campers in the small arena learned how to lead their horse, mount, hold the reins properly, basic position and weave in and out of cones. Everyone in the large arena received a refresher on all of the above, emergency procedures and then did some trot work. Some even went right into finessing their two point. Out in the jump arena with Amy, Laura and Carly worked on walk, trot, canter, straightening exercises with their horses and waiting patiently for the loose horse, Patience, to be returned to her pen (she got out during pen cleaning...it is never boring at the equestrian center!). Emma and Marissa worked on trotting, bending, and working a figure 8 over poles.

We have to give a shout out to Evie and Alexandria who climbed on a horse for their first time ever! One more shout out to Agnes, who bravely mounted Felix for her lesson even though she was a little afraid. Nobody fell off, everyone had smiles on their faces and the riding staff breathed a sigh of relief.

We had our "specialty group open house" this afternoon where we highlighted the Mighty Minis, Vaulting, CHA Ribbon work, Saddle Club and Barn Rats. The campers will sign up tonight for which ones they want to be in. We watched JJ play with the huge, green ball which is bigger than him and took Jada and Willow for a walk.

A few campers missed their riding evaluations on opening day, so they did this today at 4:00 and they will start their lessons tomorrow.

Phew!

Staff Intros Part 3

2009-06-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

James Gorman from Ireland
Im James and i come from Belfast in Northern Ireland, this will be my second year at camp and im so excited for it to start. i enjoy most outdoor sport, climbing, running, soccer and wakeboarding because of camp.I love to travel and have been all over the globe sometimes living in different countries. I also work in a mental health hospital as an activity coordinator, and i love it. I do alot of other things as youll find out at camp. My last year at camp was one ill never forget thats why i had to return this year.

David Steven, Maintenance Staff
Hello im David Steven from Manchester, England home of the best football (Soccer) team in europe Manchester United hahah. This will be my first time to camp and America i am currently studying Computer Games Design at Staffordshire University but changing to broadcasting technology when i return.I have an Interest in outdoor activities and would love the oportunity to try out wakeboarding when available i am keen on learning different cultures and to travel.I will be on maintenance at camp and look foward to meeting you all!

Ellie Snape, Riding Instructor
My name is Eloise Snape, but everyone knows me as Ellie. I'm from a little town called Grimsby in England, but am currently living in Leeds with 4 of my friends whilst studying for my degree. I study Business and Human Resource Management at Leeds Metropolitan University. I will be part of the riding department at camp. I have been riding since the age of 6, and competing in showjumping competitions from a young age.I love horses and all animals. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my friends and showjumping. At camp I will be looking forward to trying and taking part in different sports and meeting new people. This will be my first year at camp and was only placed a couple of days ago, so am unsure what to expect!I'm looking forward to meeting you all!

Kevin Reyes, Counselor

My name is Kevin, and I am currently studying at CSU Sacramento. I am a liberal studies major, which basically is teacher prep for elementary school. I'll admit its taken me a little bit longer than I had hoped to get to where I am, but I am a firm believer in the journey is worth more than the destination. I'll be a junior in the fall.
I grew up near Monterey Bay, specifically in Salinas. When I was growing up, I spent alot of my time on a bike riding around the town, out on the agriculture fields and between my friends houses. I was active in sports playing baseball through elementary school volleyball in middle school. And in high school played volleyball, basketballand football.
That was then, this however is the now, I have recently taken up to break dancing with the Beats Rhyme and Culture club on campus. I am one of thee few "Poppers" of the club. Aslo within the club, I guess the technical position I haave taken is Web Master. Which reminds me I need to work on the events calendar for the club, but anyways. Also, because of my major, I am allowed a concentration in just about any field, and I have chosen to do mine in music. Interestingly enough, over the past year I have taught myself basic Ukulele chords on the Soprano Ukulele, and currently am working on learning the baritone Ukulele. Which is basically a guitar without the two lowest strings.

2009-06-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

CERTIFIED HORSEMANSHIP ASSOCIATION CLINIC

Last week, Coppercreek hosted their 13th CHA clinic certifying all of their riding staff as well as staff from other camps. The clinic goes over 5 days and the instructors have to demonstrate their knowledge of horsemanship, riding ability and teaching ability to two clincians. Each instructor must teach 4 lessons of varying levels to the class. After each lesson, they are critiqued for safety, effectiveness, and fun. The clinic can be stressful and challenging but raises the standard in group riding programs, making camp riding lessons worthwhile. This year, our clinicians were MJ Misailidis and Coppercreek's own, Lornie Allen. MJ runs a training barn in Ceres where she teaches riding lessons in eventing and dressage. We love to have MJ as our CHA clinician as she is very knowledgeable but never forgets riding your horse should be enjoyable and made as safe as possible. Graduating after 5 days, were 4 of Coppercreek's new instructors as well as Riding Directors from Gold Arrow and Tom Sawyer Camps.

Staff Intros Part 2

2009-06-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Staff began arriving yesterday for the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Clinic and Lifeguarding class. After weeks of beautiful weather, it is also raining and thunder-storming (of course)! I love the irony that is summer camp :)!

Here are some more bios for you:

Kate Hagan:

My name is Kate Hagan. I am a Junior at Oregon State University, studying English. I grew up in northern California and moved up Washington state at age 13. My family and I grew up attending Coppercreek's family camp, horsemanship and traditional camp. I have ridden horses all my life and competed in 3 day evening and hunter/jumper shows since age 12. I have also grown up swimming and currently just finished up my third competitive season swimming distance freestyle for Oregon State's women's swim team.

I am so excited to meet everyone and look forward to a GREAT summer!

Emily Westphal:

I'm from Gaylord, Michigan. I just finished all of my courses at Northern Michigan University majoring in Art and Design Education. My concentration within that major is Photography. I will be stepping out of the college classroom and into the elementary classroom as I prepare to student teach this fall in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am set to graduate this December.

At NMU, I worked with Housing and Residence Life as a community adviser (similar to an RA) and was avid in a program called the Superior Edge. My free time was taken up by rock climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, and photography. California will be a completely new experience for me. I am new to CopperCreek, and the area.

I am anxious to meet all of you, and explore CopperCreek!!

~Em

Signe Larson:

This will be my first summer at Coppercreek. I'll be lifeguarding mostly. I grew up in Portland, Oregon and I'm a junior at Oregon State University. My major is New Media Communications, focusing on sports broadcasting and marketing.

I'm currently the captain or the OSU women's swim team. That takes up most of my time but when I do get some free time I love camping, hiking, surfing, skiing, riding 4x4s anything outdoors!

I'm way excited for this summer and can't wait to meet you all!

-Signe

Staff Intros Part 1

2009-05-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

It's been a while since I posted. Makenna turned one, and camp has been very busy in the time I was away! As part of our welcome to our new and returning staff, we send around an e-mail and ask the staff to introduce themselves to one another. I thought you all might like to meet them as well.

I will post a few intros each day for the next week or so.

Ryan McDowell

My name is Ryan McDowell and I was born and raised in the beautiful Indian valley where Coppercreek is set. In high school I had the pleasure of watching over the infamous Ryleigh Hogland for a summer at coppercreek, but this will be my first year as a counselor.

Right now I live in San Luis Obispo Ca where I attend Cal Poly as a communication studies major and psychology minor. After graduating I plan to go to law school potentially to be an attorney.

I am on the Cal Poly water ski team and enjoy spending time out on the lake skiing and wake boarding, I got the opportunity this year to travel around the western united states competing in inter-collegiate tournaments.

Other sports I spend much of my time playing are basketball and football with some downhill skateboarding dashed in. I am a big music enthusiast and love to sing, play guitar and saxophone. I look forward to working with all of you this summer.

Amy Lewis

My name is Amy Lewis, an I am a senior Biology major at UC Davis. I am hoping to go to physical therapy school when I graduate.

I grew up in Newport Beach and enjoy sailing, surfing and most other beach activities. Outside of the beach I spend a lot of my time at the barn. I am captain of the UC Davis Equestrian team and my horse Lucky lives up at school with me (and occupies most of my time). I am also a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, play IM soccer, and enjoy running.

I am super excited to spend my first summer at camp and look forward to meeting everyone!

Adelaide Baber

Hey Everyone,

My name is Adelaide Baber and I will be a sophomore in the Fall at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Ca where I am majoring in Sports Management with double minor in Business Administration and Communications. At school I am very involved in several clubs on campus, a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, and also enjoy running half-marathons with my mom throughout the year.

I grew up in the Sacramento valley in a small town called Colusa . Growing up I spent the majority of my time with 4-H, riding horses, showing dogs, wakeboarding, and playing sports. I attended Coppercreek for 8 summers and took part in Traditional Camp, Horsemastership, Trek, CIT and JC programs. During my summer off from Coppercreek, I was a summer camp counselor for a non-profit leadership organization called the California Association of Student Councils (CASC).

I am extremely excited for my first summer on staff! See everyone in a few weeks!

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I hope you are all as excited about camp as we are!

Becky

Check out the ACA's new Public Service Announcement

2009-05-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Because of Camp.... Boy, there are so many things I could say to answer this question. Camp has made me a better Mom, friend, teacher, sister. Camp has enhanced my life and my children's lives in so many ways.

How would you finish the sentence? I'd love to hear from you!

Willow takes her first walk in the big world!

2009-04-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Jada's Baby Arrives!

2009-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Coppercreek's Newest Addition! She doesn't have a name yet, and we are taking suggestions! This beautiful little girl arrived yesterday afternoon about 2 pm. Lornie checked on Jada yesterday around noon, saw no signs of impending labor, so came down to do a couple of hours in the camp office. When she went back through the barn, this little baby was born and already trying to stand up. Jada had done it all on her own, without any help, despite the fact that Lornie had spent many sleepless nights watching the monitor and waiting for her. Oh, well, the most important thing is that baby and Mommy are both healthy and happy! We can't wait for you all to meet her!

Still No Baby....

2009-04-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting for Jada. The poor thing is as big as a house and as uncomfortable as all get out! We feel terrible for her. She quite literally waddles around her pen. Ryleigh has been taking her for a walk every evening in the hopes a little exercise will make the baby come faster. It hasn't worked yet! It is a cold, rainy, yucky spring day, but the good news is that it means Craig can burn pine needles and get some outside work done while it's cool. The warm Spring and Summer weather will be here soon. Becky is just about finished with her Northstar job. The resort is only open for one more week, then it will really be time to get serious in the camp office and get all of the spring mailings together. OH, Amy is coming to visit next week. We are all very excited to see her.
Hope you are having a lovely day! Send good thoughts Jada's way...
Becky

Home Visits!

2009-03-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
We just completed the last of our home slideshow visits/reunions and we couldn't have enjoyed them more. It was so much fun for us to be able to see some of our campers in their home environments and visit with them and their parents. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to the Cohen-Levinson family, the Milligan family and the Hill family who graciously opened their homes to us. We are so grateful!

PS No foal yet. We are still watching and waiting........

BARN NEWS! FOAL WATCH 2009

2009-03-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

We are on foal watch... Jada, one of our miniature mares, is due to give birth any day now. She is bred to Jiggy, our "dalmation" mini driving stallion, and we are very excited to meet this little guy/girl. The video cam is set up in Lornie's bedroom and about every hour, she rolls over to check out Jada's situation. When miniature horses are born, they aren't much larger than baby goats and they are cute, cute, cute!

Nikki, our Swedish warmblood mare, is due May 12th so we have a bit of time for her baby. She is getting quite large though and looks beautiful.

We had a scare a couple of weeks ago when Jiggy colicked during a bad snow storm. Lornie and Sutter rushed him to the vet an hour and half away. We didn't have our horse trailer so we folded up the back seat in our Dodge truck, pushed a hay bale next to the door and up went Jiggy. Fortunately, he has ridden in all kinds of strange vehicles for shows and didn't think anything of riding behind my driver's seat. We made a strange sight! He underwent colic surgery that night and after several days of touch and go (he had trouble with the anesthesia), Jiggy is home and doing well. What a relief! He just returned from having his stomach staples pulled. He has to have stall rest for 90 days but should be ready to pull carts by summer time!

Daisy's Winter Fun!

2009-03-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

Daisy, one of our lesson ponies has had the pleasure of spending this late winter/early spring with Laura S! Laura was looking for a pony to do some jumping shows on and she had ridden Daisy all last winter. Daisy was excited to leave the land of snow and ice for green grass and fun with Laura! Laura's family even bought her some new clothes as you can see from the attached photo. She is a very stylin' pony and is loving her winter job! Campers, don't worry, Daisy will be back to Coppercreek in June.

Only 86 more days until 1st Session.

Oh, also, no new baby yet. We are still watching, waiting, watching, waiting, watching, and waiting!

2009-02-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

February News

Enrollment Update
Help in Tough Economic Times
The Return of Horse Camp
One-Week Session Options

I know it's hard to believe, but in just 3 ½ months, we will open for our 45th summer of adventures! It seems like winter has just begun (maybe because winter has just begunJ), but we are starting to gear up and get serious about Summer 2009!

Enrollment Update: If you haven't yet enrolled your camper for this summer, here is an enrollment update. We are full for CITs in 3rd and 4th session. Both TREK and Junior TREK programs (2nd & 3rd sessions) are nearly full. For Traditional Camp, we have room in all sessions and age g roups, but things are getting very tight in 2nd and 3rd sessions in the 11, 12, 13 & 14 year old cabins for both boys and girls. If you haven't yet enrolled your camper, please give us a call. We still have "wiggle room", but now is definitely the time to make your decision about next summer!

Help in Tough Economic Times: We know the economy has hit some of our camp families hard. What a d ifficult time for our country! If your family is struggling to fit camp into the budget for this summer, please call us. We have received some generous donations to our scholarship fund, and we may be able to help offset the costs of tuition.

The Return of Horse Camp: Back by popular demand, we have added our 5-day horse camp to this summer's schedule for those campers who can't get enough horses in Traditional camp. This camp will be offered June 14th to 19th and will only be open to 25 campers. The price for this Equestrian experience is $1195.

One-Week Session Options: We have added one-week options back into our summer schedule. Your camper can attend the first week of First Session (June 21 to June 27) or the first week of Fourth Session (August 2 to August 8).

We can't wait to hear from you!

Home Visits

2009-02-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the Cohen-Levinson family for hosting our first Home Gathering of the year! Lornie traveled to LA this weekend for a camp fair and an afternoon visiting with former and future campers and their families. She had a terrific time and she loved the chance to see Tess and Mira, Ruby, Chris M, Danielle S and our new friend Evelyn on their home turf. They spent the afternoon watching our new slideshow DVD and visiting about camp. We have more slideshow reunions planned for February, March and April in the Bay Area, Las Vegas and Arizona. If you would like more specific information, please let us know!

ONLY 130 DAYS UNTIL CAMP BEGINS AGAIN!

Facebook, Old Photos & New Things at Camp

2009-01-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Coppercreek Families and Friends,
I have to admit, I have become a Facebook junkie. It is terrible, but true! I joined a few months ago to see what all of the fuss was about. In those few months, I have re-connected to high school, college, and the best part, Coppercreek friends, old and new. I have been amazed and delighted to hear from and see photos of so many people who were part of Coppercreek over the years. Facebook even has Lornie and I pulling out the archived photos, scanning and uploading them. There are some true gems in the cardboard boxes. I put about 30 up today and there are more to come. The most special thing about re-connecting to all of these Coppercreekers has been hearing how much Coppercreek meant and still means to so many! The walk down Memory Lane has been fantastic. If you would like to see more photos, please feel free to join us on Facebook. We also have an alumni blog coppercreekalumni.blogspot.com, and/or you can join our alumni group from our website. We would love to hear from everyone!
Big Coppercreek hugs,
Becky

Guess who's coming back to Coppercreek!

2009-01-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
We are busy this week at camp! It is the time of year when all of the preparation (staff hiring, booking new campers, planning projects and programs, etc.) for next year really begins. The exciting news is that we are starting to hear from the staff who want to return next summer. So, first a disclaimer, we haven't heard from everyone yet, and some of these staff are "maybe"s, but here is the list: Quillan, Jorge, Dave, Kari, Lucy, Lindsay, Sophia, Sean, Katie, James, Maggie, Laura, Cindy & Jonny! You can't miss this summer!!
Happy Thursday.
Becky

January News from Coppercreek!

2009-01-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We hope your holidays were spent with friends and family appreciating your blessings! We had a wonderful holiday season. After celebrating Christmas here at camp, Sutter and Ilana traveled with me to Truckee to spend the vacation working as ticket sellers at Northstar. It was fantastic. They got to live the "ski bum" life, and I had wonderful employees who I knew would be at work on time (since they stayed with me!). We all celebrated New Year's Eve on the mountain! Ryleigh, Craig, Lornie and Sutter skied. Taylor (a friend of Sutter & Ilana's) and Ilana snowboarded, Kenna and I hung out on the deck people watching and then we all watched the fireworks together at Northstar. I had the pleasure of bumping into Ryan Kirk on the mountain! It was great to see you, Ryan. I am really surprised we didn't see more of our campers. Please look me, Sutter or Ilana up if you ski Northstar. We would love to say hello.

Other happenings at Coppercreek:

Alumni Group

Our alumni group is growing by the day. We have almost 200 alumni registered so far. It has been such a pleasure for all of us to re-connect with so many of Coppercreek's former campers and staff. If you haven't had a chance to register yet, please visit www.coppercreek.com. We would love to get back in touch!

The Coppercreek Memorial Fund

We have recently established the Coppercreek Memorial Fund, a scholarship fund to give local children a chance to attend camp. For years, we have reached out to needy children in our community at our own cost. We would like to continue and grow the scholarship fund and are looking for help. If you or anyone you know might be interested, please give us a call or visit our website http://www.coppercreek.com/scholarship-donations.asp for more information.

Reunion Slide Shows

Lauren is putting together some Reunion Slide Shows. Her first one is scheduled for February 8th in the Los Angeles area. We are also looking for people who would like to host a slide show in Phoenix, Las Vegas, the Bay Area, and any other location, really! Please shoot Lornie an e-mail for more information. lornie@coppercreek.com!

So, there is the exciting news for now.

Happy Thursday!

Becky

Christmas at Coppercreek

2008-12-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Hello to all of our friends and family,

We are all feeling to blessed and grateful to have celebrated Christmas here at Coppercreek. Lornie, Sutter, Jared and Ilana came down to our house at 6:30 yesterday morning to see the surprises Santa left for Makenna and Ryleigh. We opened presents and enjoyed each other's company all day. Ryleigh received a little motorcycle from Santa which everyone but Kenna and I took a ride on! It was a glorious white Christmas, which is fun from inside, but makes feeding the horses a little interesting as you can see from the photos!

We wish you all health and hapiness and hope your day was as fun as ours.

Merry Christmas from all of us!

October Tracks

2008-10-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the October Newsletter!
Enjoy....

Dear Coppercreek Families,
I can’t believe it is already the middle of October. Where has this fall gone? We have had a very hectic couple of months with getting the kids back into the school routine, Lornie coaching the Varsity Volleyball team, and the normal clean up and break down to put camp to bed for the winter. Things are starting to slow down as the leaves change color and the days get shorter. We all are looking forward to the relative quiet (maybe!) of winter.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Thank you to all of the camp families who took advantage of the first tier of our Fall Enrollment Discount! We had a great response and are already looking forward to next summer’s adventures with your campers!!

PROGRAMS NEAR CAPACITY
Due to the incredible response to our early enrollment discount, we have several programs near capacity. They are:
3rd Session Junior TREK
2nd Session CIT
3rd Session CIT (ONLY 2 SPOTS AVAILABLE!!)
4th Session CIT
If your camper is interested in one of the above programs, and you haven’t enrolled yet, please give us a call. We will update you on our current availability and walk you through your options.
10% FALL ENROLLMENT DISCOUNT DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 15TH!
Don’t forget, there is still time for substantial savings on next summer’s camp experience! We are offering a second tier of our Fall Enrollment Savings. If you enroll your camper before November 15th and pay the tuition in full, you can take 10% off of next summer’s prices! For a 2-week session, regular tuition is $2425. 10% off would be $2182.50. For a 4-week session, regular tuition would be $4425, and 10% off would be $3982.50! We will also offer the 5% sibling discount for campers enrolled in Traditional Camp on top of these great rates. Please contact us if you have any questions.

NEW MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN OPTION
With our new on line system, we are able to offer a monthly payment plan for next summer. You can spread your payments out over the next 6 months with no interest charges. Simply go on line, fill out your camper’s application, and select the monthly payment plan option. You can choose whether we charge your credit card on the 1st or 15th of each month. It is totally up to you. We will charge equal amounts each month November to May!

HOME VISITS!
We have found that you, our returning families, are our very best advertisement. If you are interested in hosting a Home Visit, please let us know. We will be happy to travel to you, present our slideshow, and speak to interested families about Coppercreek Camp! We will also offer a gift from the camp store for each camper who enrolls. Give us a call to get on our calendar.

PHOTOS, PHOTOS, PHOTOS!
Did you know you use the same user name and password to access the on line photos as to sign up your camper for camp? We still have a few more photos to post, but there are plenty to peruse! If you no longer have your user name and password, please e-mail Becky (becky@coppercreek.com).

KEEPING IN TOUCH!
Our goal for this winter is to have most of our communication be electronic, mainly to save trees and some postage J. Your camper can sign up for e-mail information, too. Please log in to Camp Minder and give us their e-mail address. They will then be on our official list to get all the latest news from camp. Also, don’t forget to check our blog for news, events and general ramblings about camp. We plan to post updates at least once a week this winter. The address is Coppercreek.blogspot.com! Last, but certainly not least, Craig, Lornie and Becky are all on Facebook and we will post updates and photos there as well!

CAMPER AND PARENT SURVEYS
Our camper and parent surveys have gone electronic! Please visit the below links and tell us about your experience this summer. Our goal is to continue to improve our campers’ experience at Coppercreek and we need your feedback!
Parent Surveyhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vflN_2b6Q6jh2zdsoDnALxtg_3d_3d

Camper Surveyhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ePYA3qOUpVlYrw4Y4PbXPA_3d_3d

ENROLLED SO FAR..
We always receive many questions at this time of year about who is enrolled for next summer, so here is the list!

Casey Astiz Aly Bailey Charles Bamford Holden Bamford James Bamford Lauren Barnes Brooke Bates Lindsey Bath Marek Bochnik Savannah Bochnik Teddy Bochnik Melissa Bond Travis Breier Jonathan Briggs Trevor Briggs Lily Cabot Jenny Cadish Matt Cadish Stephanie Carriere Hannah Carroll David Chechelnitsky Olivia Chodos Briana Dashefsky Kylee Dashefsky Yannick de Louraille Ella Dobson Emily Dobson Megan Elcombe David Gass Timothy Gass Coupe Goodman Emma Goodman Tim Gorelov Elizabeth Goulder Todd Grimm Mickenzie Grubb Fiona Heal Eve Hill Jake Hirsohn Brittany King Raphael Lenain Kirsten Lindelsee Tyler Lob Cole Lory Zachary Lusby Molly Madden Ilana Magill Isabel McGoldrick Sophia McGoldrick Madi McKinstry Jaclyn Merica Ally Milligan Ford Milligan Maddie Milligan Casey Neill Nathaniel Novak James O'Shaughnessy Adam Osterdock effrey Persons Aaron Reeves Calena Reeves Zach Rudolph Megan Walsh Lauren Wong Julia Wreden Tim Yednock
JCS
Monika Henderson Taylor Astiz Taehli Solomon Noelle Burger

We hope this letter finds you happy, healthy and enjoying this beautiful autumn.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Lornie, Sutter, Craig, Becky, Ryleigh, and all of us here at Coppercreek!

Rain and other Autumn fun!

2008-10-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been a month since we posted. Where does the time go? We have been busy around camp getting everything put to bed and hosting groups. September is a busy month for us. We hosted our local Junior High School for a 2 day retreat. The kids focused on team building and learning effective study and organization skills as they approach their high school years. We followed the Junior High with a group of Hang Gliders who spend the weekend flying and talking about flying. Next comes Pixie and Hannah Baber's group of friends who camp with their Leonbergers (a large breed dog), then the Patriot's Day Ride. The Patriot's Day Ride is a 2 day event. 25 and 50 mile rides are offered each day. The horses and riders start here at camp and follow trails that take them all over the surrounding mountains and countryside. We had a fantastic turn out this year, 100 riders each day. These photos are of the meadow and lower cabin area full of campers and trailers!

It was another busy fall. Now, we are on to putting camp to sleep for the winter. The rain storm this weekend was wonderful. It made everything smell fresh and clean and knocked down the dust. Craig got the skate ramp covered and most of the other weather sensitive stuff put away. Now it's on to turning off water, and covering things with plastic. I know you are all jealous.

Next post, I will update on Greenville High Volleyball and the rest of the fun things we do in the fall.

Becky

Coppercreek Camp 2008 Survey

2008-09-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Campers!
With the arrival of Fall, it is time to get our blog going again! I am so sorry for the long hiatus. I don't know where all of my extra time went this summer.... (we'll just have to blame it on Makenna's arrival :))!

I hope you are all enjoying the end of summer and beginning of the school year. It is still very hot here at camp, but our days are getting shorter, so we know fall is just around the corner.

The planning has already begun for next summer and we would love to hear from you about this summer! Please click on the links below to share your thoughts with us.

Thank you in advance.
Becky

Parent Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vflN_2b6Q6jh2zdsoDnALxtg_3d_3d

Camper Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ePYA3qOUpVlYrw4Y4PbXPA_3d_3d

Rainy Weekend

2008-05-26T10:58:00.001-07:00

Well, it was a typical Memorial Day weekend (cold and rainy). It seems like every other year we have bad weather for the holiday. We were all happy to see the rain even though it meant we weren't going to be enjoying the outdoors. Camp is already drying out and we worry about fire danger, so seeing puddles around camp was really nice! We had a group in this weekend to participate in the Indian Valley Century Ride. It is a 100 mile bike ride from Greenville High School up to Gennesee and Antelope Lake and then back around the Valley. Most of our group actually completed the ride in spite of the rain showers and they were so complimentary of our area and facilities. It is always a pleasure to have them stay with us and enjoy what our little town has to offer!

Today, we are remembering the men and women of our Armed Services, and the sacrifices they have made for our freedoms. We are grateful today for the life we lead and the choices we have.

We hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day!
Only 2 more weeks until the staff arrive to start training. Summer is truly right around the corner!

Becky

Welcome Coppercreek's Newest Camper

2008-05-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

It is with great joy we announce the arrival of Makenna Rae Hogland! She arrived on her due date @ 4:35 am. She weighed 8 pounds, 6 oz and is 20.5 inches long. So far, she is a great baby! Sleeping and eating are her favorite activities. We are all completely in love and feel so blessed to have such a happy healthy addition to our family!

With love,

The Hogland Family

Craig, Becky, Ryleigh and Makenna

Prepping Camp for the Endurance Ride

2008-05-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

It has already been a busy week around camp! Craig and Lornie spent the morning cruising the property and making lists for this weekend's Endurance Ride. It is always a big push to get camp ready this early, but it makes for much less work in June. I am here in Truckee...still waiting on this baby! Nothing yet, but tomorrow is the official due date, so maybe this little bugger will be on time. Kalli, our former Equestrian Center Director, is checking out a new horse for our lesson program today, and we are also looking at a new Vaulting horse. We will keep you posted on the Equestrian Center developments as the month proceeds.
We hope you are enjoying the lovely weather.
Becky

5 days to go!

2008-05-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well, only 5 days until the due date... I am still hoping this baby will come early, but nothing yet! Here is an update of what is happening at camp right now! Craig has been driving the tractor around for the last couple of days building a new road out in the Ranch meadow. We will be hosting a 100 mile horseback endurance ride on May 17 and 18, so Craig is trying to get things gorgeous and ready, hopefully before the baby comes. Lauren has been splitting her time between the camp office and the barn. She has been finishing the staff hiring and getting the horses ready for the summer. Tami is getting the family packets stuffed into envelopes and out to our enrolled campers for this summer. The family packet includes not only the Parent's Guide, but also all of the important forms you will need. I am answering the camp phones, my e-mail and waiting...waiting....waiting....for this new bundle of joy to arrive.

Take care, and have a great day!

Becky

The Waiting Game

2008-05-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Coppercreek Friends and Families,
Spring has sprung at Coppercreek, and we are all starting to get excited about summer. Only 5 1/2 weeks until the first camper's arrive. Along with all of the work to get camp up and going for the summer, we are also waiting for our newest arrival. Our (Craig & Becky's) second child is due to arrive on May 13th, but as we all know, nobody tells the baby the date it is supposed to come. There is nothing quite like waiting for a baby to come! Everyone at camp is so anxious to meet this new little person, but no one is as anxious as me!!!! So, I am playing the waiting game, answering the camp phones and hoping that today will be the day.... :)!
For those campers who have already enrolled for this summer, the Parent's Guide and all of the forms are going in the mail this week, so watch your mail box.
I will post again soon. Hopefully with photos of our newest camper!!
Becky

2008-02-14T13:29:00.001-08:00

One of the things I do in the winter other than staring at the snow melting is coach volleyball. I am currently coaching a U14's club team as well as our junior high volleyball team at the high school. Many of the girls are the same, just in a different configuration. Well, my u14's team had their first club tournament last weekend and what a blast we had. After the girls stared fear in the face, letting many balls drop left or right and looking at me in sheer terror with expressions of; "Where do I go?" "Am I here?" "Am I an outside hitter?" "Isn't Sammy supposed to be on my left?"; we started to play and ended up the day with 5 wins and 4 losses to take 5th place. I was very proud of the girls and had a good chuckle knowing at the next practice, I will have 10 girls paying VERY close attention to their offensive positions! It is amazing how much you think you know until you have to take the test. Lauren

Christy's winter vacation

2008-01-31T22:52:00.001-08:00

Christy was smart this winter and headed down the hill with Mel to live at Kalli's in Elk Grove. She has the fun job of teaching Kalli's students how to ride. Here she is with Bailey during a lesson.

The new Tahoe!

2008-01-31T22:24:00.001-08:00

WOW! Enough is enough! We haven't had snow like this in years. Craig spent the entire day plowing, plowing and plowing again. My poor little Chihuahua, Lola, and Pomeranian, Jasmin, have to burrow out the back door whenever they want to go out. I keep an eye on them because I am afraid they will disappear in a snow bank and never return. The deer all wait on the outskirts of the Equestrian Center until we are done feeding and then graze on the hay we drop. They are very happy there are 40 horses that need feeding everyday. We actually have a young Bobcat living in the rafters of the goat pen hoping to catch an errant pigeon. Well, the kids are happy though because our schools are closed tomorrow for a "snow day". The power of the computer generation. I think our principal told one student and by text messaging, MySpace and Iming, the entire student body heard the word in about 15 minutes. At least there are 230 happy students in our town...and a herd of deer. Ahh, life in the mountains! (The photo on the left is our middle arena. You can just make out the fence line on the right. Craig has been plowing it in the hopes I might be able to ride before June!)

Feeding in the snow!

2008-01-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Sutter and I had so much fun last night feeding in the snow. We haven't seen this much snow in a couple of years but it didn't slow us down too much. We only got stuck once, had to retry the hill coming up to the mini's three times (the key is speed!)and definitely were distracted by the mandatory snowball fights. Here is what the Equestrian Center looks like during chores in the winter! All the horses are managing the snow very well but are itching to get out of their paddocks and run a bit. That is on the schedule for today. We will take a camera to capture the ponies out in the Ranch pasture.

Lornie

Winter Wonderland

2008-01-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

Lornie and I are sitting in the office today watching it snow and snow and snow and snow. We have gotten between 6 and 7 inches already this morning and it is showing no signs of letting up. Craig decided to take the day off and head down to Truckee to catch a day at Northstar. He sounded very happy a few minutes ago when I talked to him. After spending the last few days trying to clean up all of the snow around camp, I think he is excited to be skiing instead of shoveling. Camp fared very well in the early stages of the storm. We had lots of rain and snow, but we never even lost power (knock on wood, of course!)! Lauren is pretty grouchy about the whole business though as lots of rain and snow means no riding today and possibly for several days to come. We are thinking about shipping her and Valor to Southern California until April!
We hope you all came through this series of storms safely! We will post some photos of our winter wonderland once we see the sun again!

What's a girl to do???

2007-12-31T19:38:00.000-08:00

I think all of my equestrian friends will understand today the most. After 21 days of rain, snow, and mostly just ice, lots of ice...morning, noon, afternoon and evenings full of ice...so icy, one can only hold their breath as their beautiful, (but very stupid) dressage horse tries to run and buck around his pen as all four legs go in different directions; today finally grew warm enough to bust at least one horse free from her paddock. Chassis (because she is actually smart enough to watch her footing in the slick conditions, unlike Valor, and doesn't need shoes and snowpads) and I took to the cross country course and had some fun. I thought everyone would enjoy some photos of today and how beautiful camp looks (I grudgingly admit it even as I am wishing for 60 degree days to return...).

Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Lornie

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

We hope everyone had a lovely holiday spent enjoying good food and the warmth of family and friends.

It has been a pretty exciting few weeks for the gang here at camp. Lauren competed in a Dressage Show the weekend before Thanksgiving and she and Valor placed in the top 3 in all of her classes. It was a large, competitive show held at Starr Vaughn in Sacramento. Kalli, our former Equestrian Center Director competed on her pony Tam as well!

For Thanksgiving, Craig, Ryleigh and I flew to Southern California to spend the holiday with my Mom, Dad, Sisters, Brothers in law, nieces and nephews in Palm Desert. On Thanksgiving morning, the whole family (2, 4, & 6 year old included) ran the 5K Turkey Trot. We all finished (some of us faster than others :))! I raced back from Turkey day to my "other" job as the Ticket and Season Pass Manager at Northstar. We opened the resort on Friday on just a little man-made snow, but hopefully more is on the way.

Lornie and Sutter held down the fort celebrating Thanksgiving here at camp with friends and the whole menagerie of animals that call this place home.

We hope your holiday was filled with joy and love.
Becky

Lornie and Valor at the Pumpkin Roll

2007-11-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
We thought you might enjoy this photo of Lauren and Valor at the Pumpkin Roll Dressage show in Reno last weekend. They showed First Level and received a 1st and 2nd place! Congratulations! Lornie is planning on attending another dressage show in the middle of November. Now, we are just hoping the weather will hold off long enough that they can attend. It has been a pretty quiet week here at camp, as we are all finishing up our fall projects and getting ready for the cold, dark days of winter.
Next week, we head to Tucson for the annual WAIC conference. We are excited to connect with our fellow camp directors and find out how their summers were. I am also excited about the spa services I have booked between educational sessions :).
Hope all is well with each and every one of you.

Happy Halloween!
Becky

Fall Color

2007-10-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous fall day! It is absolutely incredible here today. I'm a little sad I had a full day of office work planned :(! I did sneak outside for a few moments to "take this photo" and drink in the sights of Autumn! I'm not sure if the campers even notice in the summertime, but camp is covered with apple trees that date back to "Johnny Appleseed" times. The apples are delicious! The deer and horses agree wholeheartedly.

We have also been thinking so much about our friends and the members of our camp family who are being so devastated by the wildland fires in Southern California. After experiencing a major fire this fall ourselves, we know the stress people are under and wish we were closer and could offer our help and support in person. Instead, we're just sending our thoughts and prayers.

Our fall newsletter just went out in the mail. Please let us know if you don't receive one, we would be happy to re-send it.

Have a wonderful day!

Becky

Volunteer Season

2007-10-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I posted. Time flies. Most everything is back to normal here at camp since the fire was contained. The girls went back to school and Lornie, Craig and I jumped right into Volunteer Season. Ryleigh is in the first grade this year and Sutter is a Sophomore. They both attend school here in Greenville. Our school is very small, and as with most public schools in California is facing a funding crisis. The need for parent volunteers and help with fund raising is almost overwhelming, especially because our school is so small there just isn't enough help to go around all the time. Lauren coaches Junior High Volleyball, helps with the driving for Sutter's high school Volleyball team, is a member of the Booster club, is on the board of the Western Association of Independent Camps and just recently got involved with the Save Our Schools ballot initiative. I volunteer in Ryleigh's class, and am the Secretary of Parent's Club (our PTA). Craig is conscripted by all of us for all sorts of "man tasks" and coaches Ryleigh's 1st/2nd grade soccer team. PHEW! Just typing it exhausts me. Plus, we are still working here at camp, putting everything to bed, updating the website and brochure, and keeping the horses going. After running camp all summer, I think we are all so anxious to re-connect with our own children, we jump into the school schedule with guns blazing.

It is also so difficult when you see a need and know you have the skills and resources to fill it not to jump in and help. Especially, when you know the need might go un-met if you don't volunteer. The flip side is we are all running around like crazy people :)! I'm sure many of you understand the challenges of volunteering! We really just want positive, enriching experiences for our children at the end of the day. Isn't that what every parent wants?

If you are interested in learning about the Save our Schools initiative here in Plumas County, please visit their website at www.plumassos.net. The group will be working over the next several months to raise enough money to get a measure on the ballot. The hope is to pass a parcel tax which will directly fund our school district, and give us some independence from the rise and fall of State and Federal Funding.

Off to pick up Ryleigh!
Becky

Friday Morning Update

2007-09-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

I think today is the last day I will need to do a daily update! Here is the fire report updated as of 10:30 a.m.

Great news all the way around. The Moonlight Wildfire containment lines held firm last night through the Red Flag event with 64,997 total acres burned and 90% containment. Though InciWeb is showing a rounded up 65,000 acres, we are keeping ours at 64,997 as the official "209" report shows. Winds were actually beneficial in reducing the risk to lines and aided the heavy burning of interior fuels. Mop-up efforts are continuing at 100-500' in from the fireline. With five miles of fireline left to build, full containment is expected by Monday, Sept. 17, 2007!!! HIP, HIP HOORAY!

The Greenville, Taylorsville, and Indian Valley areas will be smokey in the morning for the next few days due to smoke funneling down drainages and an inversion layer predicted by weather forecasters. With less wind, these areas will get smokey, but should clear by afternoon as light winds help to blow the smoke away. Those in the Susanville and Janesville areas may see smoke for the next few days due to the southwest winds.
Humidity levels will rise through tonight and temperatures will be colder, aiding the firefighters efforts.

During the day 19 helicopters, 35 dozers, 41 water tenders, and 135 engines are assisted by 95 fire crews.

According to SIFC Aircraft Dispatcher Bob Bare, Tanker 09 is standing by at the Chester Airport in case they need it.

Some crews will begin to demobilize as they reach their 14-day limit. 21 crews, 34 engines, six helicoptors and all OES engines will be released from the fire as of 6 p.m. Friday night.

The spike camp at Murdock Crossing is being closed.

Air operations logged over 1000 hours of flight time and 1/2 million gallons of retardant was pumped out of the Chester Air Base alone.

$22.2 million has been spent to date to fight this fire. Only 28 minor injuries occurred while personnel logged in 430,000 person hours. 3,216 personnel are still in mop up operations and support.

The mandatory evacuation for Franks Valley has been lifted, but the order still continues for Antelope Lake, Wilcox Valley and Taylor Lake areas as they are still within the fires lines.

There is minimal potential for fire spread, if any, it is predicted to be to the Northeast. Minimal night operations are expected Friday night.

The official report this morning had this comment, "Four burned structures were found yesterday. The type of structures and historic value is being evaluated." As more details about these structures becomes available, we will pass it on to our readers, but at this time, Fire Information officers have no further knowledge than what is written in the report.

I think we will spend the next several weeks counting our many blessings. Here are just a few: we are grateful for the firefighters and public safety officers who worked so hard to contain this fire and protect us at great personal sacrifice, we are grateful to live in such a wonderful community with such giving and caring neighbors who were so willing to help in our time of need, we are grateful no one was killed or seriously injured by this fire, we are grateful Coppercreek came through this unscathed, we are grateful to the Coppercreek community for their prayers and good thoughts (we are sure they helped!), and we are grateful to Plumas News and their blog site for keeping all of the information about this fire at our fingertips!

Stay Safe! Big Coppercreek hugs to all!
Becky

Thursday's Update! 77% Contained!

2007-09-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

The horses are all home and the fire is 77% contained. They have also lifted the mandatory evacuations for our neighbors out on North Arm. Fire officials are a little bit worried about the expected winds today. The forecast is for a low pressure system to move into the area and bring with it 20 to 30 mile per hour winds. However if the fire lines hold through this wind event. They will start sending some of these crews home for a well deserved rest! We are starting to feel the relief of the major threat being past us. I think we all feel like we could sleep for a week! It has definitely been a long and stressful 10 days.

This is a photo of pieces of burnt bark that Ryleigh and I picked up walking through the meadow yesterday. There is burnt bark, leaves, manzanita and ash everywhere! You can just walk through the open areas of camp and pick up as much as you like.
We were so lucky!! We feel very blessed and grateful.
Thank you all again for checking in, and your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate having you as part of our camp community.

Becky

Wednesday Morning! 58% Contained!

2007-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Firefighters had another great night and we are up to 58% contained this morning. We also woke up to fairly clear skies. It feels like we have finally turned a corner, and this fire might be contained soon. It has burned 64,271 (100 square miles) acres so far. Fire officials are still concerned about the active areas you see on this morning's map. The wind is supposed to come up again this afternoon and tomorrow, but we are hopeful the cool temperatures will help them keep making progress toward containment. We brought 13 horses home yesterday and hope to bring another few loads today.

Thank you all for your good thoughts! I think they definitely helped!
Becky

Tuesday Update

2007-09-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

The firefighters had another good day & night. The fire is at 63,418 acres. They were able to keep it's growth to just 600 acres yesterday and it is now 33% contained!! This is the Modis picture from 7 am. It hasn't changed much in the last few days. The winds didn't materialize again yesterday. We hope all this news means we are turning the corner and the firefighters are getting a handle on this fire. They used the big DC-10 yesterday to drop retardant on Wildcat Ridge. I guess it was a sight to see. The kids are out of school again. There are still too many people displaced and Taylorsville is still in the fire's path. We are discussing bringing a few horses home today. We will watch through the rest of today and make some decisions this afternoon.

Thank you again for all of the nice notes, e-mails and offers of help. It is so nice to know we have such a large community willing to help in our time of need.
Becky

Monday Update

2007-09-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we have good news. The wind that was expected to blow yesterday didn't! The fire didn't grow much last night and firefighters were able to strengthen the fire lines nearest us. The fire is at 62,000 acres, or almost 98 square miles, and is still only 16% contained. I didn't get any photos yesterday because the smoke was so thick. The mountains behind camp are hardly visible again this morning. School was cancelled again due to the smoke and fire danger. They are expecting some extreme fire behavior today due to the low humidity. We really need some rain and clouds!! It would help the fire personnel so much. Unfortunately there are no storms on the horizon at the moment. Lornie and Sutter are back in Quincy this morning, feeding, watering and caring for the horses. Craig found Lynne's scanner yesterday, so we have been able to listen to some of the official radio traffic. It will be very nice to have the scanner if anything changes in the next day or so, but we are crossing our fingers that things are looking better and progress is being made towards getting this fire out.

Take care! We hope all is well with you and your families!

Becky

Sunday Afternoon

2007-09-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

Here is a new MODIS map updated at about 12. We were glad to see the red dot near us become an orange dot. We are totally socked in with smoke today and can't see much of anything happening. It also means the helicopters and air tankers aren't flying. No new updates from the front lines.

Becky

Sunday Morning

2007-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Things were fairly quiet here at camp most of the day yesterday, but the fire grew from 31,000 acres on Friday night to 52,000 acres this morning! Yesterday afternoon, this cloud bloomed over the Equestrian Center and I started to worry. Craig again ran up the mountain on the dirt bike to get a better look. It's a good thing he actually LIKES riding his dirt bike, because we have been sending him all over the last few days. He took this photo of a helicopter making a water drop.

Again, we are humbled by the men and women who are risking their lives fighting this very nasty fire. We went out to breakfast in town yesterday and saw firetrucks from Santa Barbara, Ventura and the Office of Emergency Services. There are people from all over California here protecting us and our neighbors. Thank you doesn't seem adequate.

The bloom over the Equestrian Center bothered me enough that we decided to drive around the Valley and get a little closer look. As we drove, it became more clear that the main part of the fire is still a good distance from us. This photo was taken outside of Taylorsville about a 10 mile drive from camp and shows how big and aggressive this fire has become.
Unfortunately, there is a change expected today in the wind and therefore, the fire's movements. We were hoping to possibly start bringing our horses home, but with the weather forecast, we are going to again, "wait and see", which is of course, very frustrating!!
Here is the weather forecast from the Incident Command:
Projected movement of fire:
12 hour: Predicted low humidity and NE wind event is expected to push fire to SW.
24 hr: NE wind forecasted with anticipated spread to SW
48 hr: Stronger NE influence and lower humidity expected; could case significant spread to SW
72 hr: SE influence and lower humidity expected to continue, which could cause significant spread to SW.
I will update if anything changes today.
Take care,
Becky

Saturday Update

2007-09-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Good Morning. Craig headed back up to the saddle yesterday evening and took this photo looking East. The fire is still raging, but heading toward Antelope Lake which burned earlier this summer. That is good news for us. We were even considering bringing the horses back if things continued to improve. However, the forecast for the wind has changed for Monday. They are now calling for an East wind which could blow the fire toward us.

Here is the Modis photo from this morning. The red dot just above the word Greenville is the one that concerns us. It is just over the ridge from camp and a shift in the winds could send it our way.
I think we are going to be nervous for a while here, but for now, all is well.
Lornie visited each of our horses yesterday and everyone is healthy and happy. They all look a little confused about their situation, but are settled into their temporary homes. She is going to go visit them today as well. Other than that, we are just staying close to home and each other and watching all the news we can find.
I will continue to post updates as I get them.

Love to all!
Becky

Friday Update

2007-09-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello All!
Thank you again for the calls and e-mails! This picture was taken from the Plumas News website. It shows the fire activity as of 8 am. The red & orange are actively burning areas and the yellow is areas that have been burned in the last 6 months. As you can see, there is still a ridge between the fire and Greenville!! It is a quiet morning here at camp. It is VERY EERIE to not hear the horses walking around in their pens and calling to each other! They are all safe and happy in their temporary homes. Lornie and Sutter have headed to Susanville to check on everyone. Craig and I are holding down the fort here at camp. From the latest reports, firefighters are holding the edge of the fire near us. It sounds like they are not having as much luck with the edge of the fire near Taylorsville. While we are so grateful to be safe, our hearts are breaking for the families who are displaced and don't know about their homes or livestock.

I think my very favorite moment from the Community meeting last night was when our local sheriff was answering a question about people getting into the evacuated area to feed and water livestock. In the middle of his answer, he looked at one of the ladies sitting nearby and said, "By the way, Mrs. Wittingham, your chickens are all fine, we checked on them today!"

We are so grateful for the amazing efforts and sacrifices of the personnel on the fire lines, our local sheriff, search and rescue, Red Cross and all of the others who are out there helping to protect our families and property!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Moonlight Fire News

2007-09-07T08:38:00.001-07:00

Hello Coppercreek Families and Friends!
The photo to the right was taken from our camp meadow on Tuesday afternoon. For those of you who haven't heard, we have a major forest fire (approximately 30,000 acres) burning near Coppercreek. First, I should say, everyone (people, horses, dogs, and cats) and everything (buildings, land, arenas and cabins) here at camp is absolutely fine for the time being. But, it has been a wild ride the last few days! We have received many calls and e-mails from our campers, staff, former campers and staff, family and friends. Thank you all for your kind words. We have so appreciated knowing you are all out there and thinking of us.
The very best site for current information on the fire and what is happening here is our local plumas news site http://www.plumasnews.com/news_story.edi?sid=5411. We have been keeping it open on our computers and hitting refresh every few moments!

Here is a timeline of what has happened so far.

Monday afternoon: Fire begins. We noticed a small plume of smoke rising on the other side of the ridge line you can see from the camp meadow. We called the fire department and were told the fire had started in Moonlight Valley about 6 to 8 air miles from camp. Craig jumped on his dirt bike and rode up the mountain to get a closer view. From the "Saddle" (the low spot of the mountain behind camp, just beneath Keddie Peak), he could clearly see the fire. From this vantage point, he could see a canyon behind the Keddie ridge line(Cook's Creek) and then another small ridge line. The fire was burning on the other side of that small ridge line. We had a quick meeting (Lornie, Craig and I) and decided that for the time being, we would watch it closely, but sit tight. We were all VERY grateful camp was empty and our campers were all home with their families!

Monday night and Tuesday day: Very little smoke was visible and the fire seemed to be quieting from our side of the mountain. According to the fire department and news reports from Monday & Tuesday, the fire was growing and very active, but the good news for us was that is was moving away from us all day. We went to Ryleigh's soccer practice on the other side of the Indian Valley late in the afternoon and this photo was taken from there. Although we were thrilled that camp was safe, we were starting to worry about our friends and neighbors who were closer to the fire!

Tuesday evening: A fierce wind begins to blow, thunderstorms roll in and the fire boils up into the cloud you see in the top photo. We start to make phone calls and develop contingency plans, but overnight, things quiet down. Some precautionary evacuations begin on the other side of the Valley, but still authorities are telling us the fire is moving away from us.

Wednesday: This is what the sky looked like at 8 am. Lauren, Craig and I sit down and line out a plan to evacuate the horses, goats, dogs and people. We put together lists of phone numbers and start calling friends and neighbors who will loan us horse trailers and can help with transporting our 42 head of horses. Officials still feel like the fire has no chance of reaching us, but we know it will take several hours to evacuate our horses and we really want to be prepared! We also call Kassandra (Brady the JC's Mom and a local CHP officer) in the evening. She was monitoring her CHP radio closely and she promised to call us if she heard anything about the fire moving toward us.

Wednesday night: The wind howled all night long and created spot fires which started to move the fire into Cook's Creek (the canyon just behind Keddie Ridge) and the Greenville Rancheria just a few miles away. We spent a sleepless night as precautionary evacuations were posted for our friends and neighbors nearby.

Thursday morning 6:30 am: We meet again and decide to evacuate our horses. Although fire officials tell us the fire is a long way from us, we decide the risk of spot fires is too big to keep the horses here. We know it will take up to 8 hours to move them all and we don't want to be moving animals at 2 am under an evacuation notice!

OH, School is cancelled, too!!

9 am: Friends and neighbors begin calling and showing up at camp to help. Most of them call or arrive before we even have a chance to call them! We feel so blessed to live in this community where neighbors are so willing to drop everything and help their neighbors in need. Within 20 minutes of deciding to move the horses, we had offers of places for all of them to go and more than enough trucks and trailers to move them. Trucks pulling horse trailers filed into our meadow and we moved all 42 horses to 3 ranches in Quincy and 1 outside Susanville. The whole operation was complete by about 1:30. We were blown away! We even were able to turn down some offers for help because we had enough. Everything was so smooth and the horses were amazingly calm and cooperated like we knew they would :)! After we moved our horses, we headed down the road and helped some of our neighbors move their horses. Big thank you's to the folks who helped us and our neighbors: Dennis and Dorothy Miller, Ken Radar, Kassandra Dimaggio and her friend Dave, Marsha Ravenaugh, Emily Jones and Erin, Jared Tappero, Bonnie Fox for giving up her horse trailer and our wonderful employees, Bobbie, Dean, Linda and Regina. We need to send another Thank You the people who are housing our horses: Patty Hughes, Tracy Sims, Katrina and Steve Tolen and Emily Jones!

Thursday evening: We attended the community meeting in the Greenville Cafeteria about the fire. There was even news crews there from Sacramento!! The fire officials confirmed that at this time, there is little chance of the fire reaching Coppercreek, UNLESS the North wind picks up like it did Wednesday night. We are all so glad we decided to move the horses rather than wait! Although we do not feel we or camp is in immediate danger, we know we can leave in just a few minutes at this point rather than several hours.

Zippy Named Horse of the Year!

2007-08-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Extra....Extra....READ ALL ABOUT IT!
As part of our 4th Session Awards Ceremony, Zip was named Horse of the Year. He received this honor by being an excellent mount for beginner, intermediate and advanced horse back riders as well as his stupendous ground manners!

Please send all congratulations via e-mail to becky@coppercreek.com!

Tan Van, Tan Van

2007-08-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

The memories of tan van I am sure bring tears to many eyes and spark
memories of your carefree years at Coppercreek. It is for this reason
that this post appear here first on our alumni group, and and was added to our blog
and website. Old Tanny has had a long and distinguished place here at
Coppercreek. From the sound of the gorillas on the roof while towing
the boat to the lake to "tan van, tan van" and countless early morning
trips to the Quincy pool for lifeguard training. As much as it
saddens us to do so, the time has come let tanny move on and bless
someone else's life for the rest of his years. Ebay seemed far to
cold a venue so I will hold the auction here and on our alumni group. I
would like to start the bidding at $500 and ask that you only bid if
you are serious about owning a piece of Coppercreek history. The
auction will close on Sept. 15th at lets say 10 PM. Please post all
bids as comments to this post (and include how I can reach you). I will update to this page with
any bids I recieve via email.
For anyone who can't remember:

1982 Dodge 15 passenger van
318 ci V-8
AM/FM stereo cassette (you just have to get the tape out thats been in
it since '93)
Power steering

At the time of this post, Tanny is in good running condition. There
is a small brake issue, no leakage, probably vacuum related. I will
not attempt to describe the interior condition as I could not possibly
do it justice. As you might expect we have many years of maintenance
records available to the high bidder. Any questions can be posted
here, sent to my gmail address, or to craig@coppercreek.com.

Happy bidding. Tell your friends

Craig

Fourth Session Continues

2007-08-07T17:11:00.001-07:00

Friday August 3, 2007

Today is another fun-filled, exciting day in the world of Coppercreek camp. The day began with a variety of activities, including skateboarding on the new skate ramp for the first time ever!!! In the meantime, adventurous campers challenged themselves by hiding and seeking, kicking balls, slinging shots, to name just a few. The night life of Coppercreek will light up tonight, however, when the jungle-safari themed dance party will be held on the deck!!! Campers will boogie the night away, dressed in exotic jungle attire. This day concludes the first week of the final two-week session of the summer.

Saturday August 4, 2007

No rest for the weary! After partying our brains out last night, we find little time to rest, as the day is filled with the usual exertions and excitement of the camp’s many activities. In the air is a palpable hue of anticipation as campers and staff alike gear up and plan devious stratagems for the session’s biggest event; a massive camp-wide game of CAPTURE THE FLAG. Brother is pit against brother, and sister against sister, as campers choose sides and wage war for honor, love, wealth, and most of all; bragging rights! Even those few staff given the night off cannot resist the sheer grandiosity of this epic contest and often find themselves joining the festivities. Tonight will be a night to remember, as one team will emerge triumphant, and the other already scheming revenge for next time.

The Last Days of 3rd Session...

2007-07-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 22, 2007
After two nights of excitement, many campers were eager to relax and dig into their new Harry Potter books. Friday night’s Mardi Gras dance was a smashing success! Everybody had a wonderful time dancing and eating Popsicles. The hardworking winners of the cabin-cleanup contest enjoyed creamy and nutty ice cream sundaes! Saturday was particularly exciting because of our camp-wide CAPTURE THE FLAG! Here at Coppercreek we take our Capture the Flag very seriously and everyone enjoys getting dressed up in camouflage and painting their faces. But we don’t get too competitive, it’s not about winning it’s about having fun! However the red team won this session with Jorge, the Mexican National Champ in the 100-yard dash, making a valiant run with the flag towards victory. Afterwards everyone settled in for a good nights rest, with Harry as their companion, after such a thrilling day.

Monday, July 23, 2007
Apart from a few well-handled scheduling snafus, everything is ship-shape here at Coppercreek, with a few special occurrences that merit a mention here. We always love it when a camper has a birthday here at camp, and Kate D. was one such camper. In honor of the occasion, an exclusive lake group was dispatched for Kate, her sister, and few choice friends. A small baby bird was found abandoned in the baking hot sun today, and was recovered by a troupe of concerned campers, christened “Rockstar”, the infant finch is now being cared for by Cindy, our residing nature expert, he is now on his way to a speedy recovery and release back into the wild. The staff got a break from their usual routine of campfire shenanigans and let our Counselors-In-Training direct the proceedings for a night of rampant laughter.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Today was a fairly typical day here at camp, we sent an overnight TAPS (Thin Air Patrol Squad) trip out today, to go sleep by a beautiful lake and climb high mountain rocks. Instead of our evening campfire festivities, we sent the troops out on a fishing trip, and organized a grand soccer tournament where international rivalries spiked, and the air was a palpable hue of excitement.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tonight is picnic night, a very special night when we give our kitchen staff a break, and our campers pack their own dinner and march out with their cabin to watch the sunset at one of Coppercreek’s many fantastic and mesmerizing locales. The TAPS trip returns tonight, and many of us are forced to wave off hugs and direct our returned comrades straight to the nearest shower house. As a few dedicated readers near the end of the final book of the Harry Potter series, we find ourselves faced with the insurmountable challenge of resisting the urge to spill the beans and spoil the ending for our slower-reading friends.

Thursday July 26, 2007
Everyone got to enjoy an extra hour of sleep this morning! Then woke up to busy day preparing for the carnival and talent show. At 3:30pm the carnival began. Every cabin had a booth with a fun game to win tickets. JCs held a snack bar and prize shop for kids to turn in their tickets for. Some of the games that the campers played were making friendship bracelets, getting their faces painted, cakewalk, and water balloon toss. Everyone had an abundance amount of fun! At 5:30pm an Art and Fashion Show was held! Campers and Staff modeled their tye die masterpieces down a red run way. Campers magnificent oil paintings, dream catchers, Mardi Gras masks, and many other crafts were on display as well. Claire the CIT and Alex the Counselor passed out cheese and crackers; while Adelaide the JC with help from counselors poured sparkling cider and cranberry-grape juice for the campers. After enjoying dinner everyone headed to campfire where we watched the Talent Show. The talent show was cleverly MC-ed by Cindy, Eric Barger, and Patrick.

Friday July 27, 2007
Sadly today is the last day of activities for 3rd Session 2007! Today campers with partake in activities such as riding lessons, high ropes, making decorations for the dance and finishing their crafts, running, sports, .22 riflery range, and even learning how to dance to the “Achey Breaky Heart Song.” This evening everyone will enjoy the Drama production and Award Presentation before dinner and than the Tropical Vacation Dance later this evening!

Here comes the sun...

2007-07-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

Wednesday Afternoon
Wednesday afternoon’s schedule was improvised on account of the rainy weather. Everything was slightly more exciting with the huge down pour. When the rain stopped, we filled the evening with fun activities such as canoeing with Gipper, Brendan, and Uli, Fishing with Emma and Dave, a huge soccer game in the mud with Cindy and Kyle, BMX with Rob and Melissa and even the climbing wall with Alex and Lindsay. Even though our outpost night was postponed, every camper got to participate in a fun evening activity.

Thursday July 19th, 2007
This morning had beautiful weather so our outpost will be tonight! Outpost is where everyone in camp gets to spend a special night in 6 campfire sites slightly out of camp. Everyone will sing campfire songs and eat s’mores and settle for the night under the stars. Our backpackers finally got to leave today because of the weather. This mornings activities went on as normal such as a run on one of the mountain bike trails, dream catchers were made at crafts, kids that had riding lessons this morning were Marek, James R, Andrew, Olivia, Madi M, Ella, Colleen, Bailey, Laura H., Kiera, Emily Dodge, Hannah, Emily E., Sarah M. and Kate D. Our Lake group today included Milo and Austin R. Lunch today was a delicious! We had nachos, a camp favorite. After rest hour some afternoon activities included fishing, recon, mafia, volleyball, name that tune, and open vaulting for anyone who wanted to learn to vault. At Family hour everyone packed out in cabin groups and headed to their outpost site to have a fun night filled with cooking hotdogs over the fire, roasting marshmallows, and stargazing.

Friday July 20, 2007
Last night at outpost each cabin was sent outside to sleep under the stars. Campers cooked their own meals over an open fire and enjoyed smores before snuggling into their sleeping bags for a bit of stargazing. This morning upon our return to camp, campers took time to relax and write letters home. At eleven a group left for an extra long day at the lake, while others hung around camp to take their pick from a selection of morning activities. After enjoying hamburgers for lunch, campers kicked it at rest hour and then dispersed for afternoon activities. Also this afternoon we eagerly began preparations for our weekly party night. Tonight’s dance theme is Mardi Gras and everybody is very excited.