With the help of blazing fires in the lodge, plenty of hot chocolate, fleece jackets and warm gloves, an intrepid group of volunteers helped open up camp on the first weekend in May. With the trees not in full leaf and the lake still freezing cold, summer camp seemed to be far on the horizon. But as the lilacs blooming around the lodge reminded us, spring was here and summer camp would open in eight weeks and there was lots of work to be done.
Whole families and CLC alumni came and helped remove storm windows and replace them with screens in the Lodge and Dining room. Windows were cleaned, flower beds were weeded, firewood stacked and leaves raked. The dock was repaired and floated out into the lake. While no actual icebergs were sited, no one was willing to get in the water!
Weape cabin was gutted to prepare it for extensive renovations this spring. A staff bunk space extension will be added, doors and windows will be replaced. A back deck overlooking the lake is planned to take advantage of the view and a front porch will be added to shelter campers and the entrance from the elements.
Half way through work weekend, camp finally entered the 21st century, when a group of camp mothers, at the end of a long day of strenuous housework, took matters into their own hands and headed off the mountain. They returned brandishing swiffers and soft brooms for all the cabins. Kapers will be revolutionized this summer! The heavy brooms with their curving bristles are now officially retired.
After Sunday School for 10 pupils and Sunday service for all the adults, final projects were completed. As everyone headed home a few errant flakes of snow fell trying to remind everyone that winter was only reluctantly loosening its grip in the mountains.
But thanks to all our volunteers’ hard work and perseverance by the end of the weekend camp was ready to welcome guests and campers for the season. The next weekend over 100 runners pounded over the camp trails for a 15 mile cross country race in aid of a local community charity. They all then revived themselves with a post race lunch in the newly spring cleaned dining hall.
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