Northwoods Adventures: Second Round Trips

By Peter Grunawalt
June 27, 2016 (comments)

The past week has really flown by. It seems only days ago that we were all returning from our first round of trips... wait, that's because we were. Since then, we've had the Gong Show, Klondike Day, Casino Night, and plan to have the Camper-Counselor Hunt later tonight. To a camper, all of these evening programs are familiar, but they are likely not for our blog readers. Fortunately, I'm here to explain and interpret all these crazy programs for parents, camp families, and alums. Let's start with the Gong Show. Essentially a talent show, what makes the Gong Show unique...

History in the Making: All-Girls Grand Portage Trip

By Peter Grunawalt
June 23, 2016 (comments)

Just under 100 miles, the first ever all-girls Grand Portage trip set off bright and early on Wednesday (June 22nd, 2016). The trip will end with the infamous 8.5 mile portage into Lake Superior. And that's not the only difficult part of the trip, as there are several 1 to 2 mile portages along the way. Part of what makes a Grand Portage trip so epic are the iconic overlooks and lakes of the eastern Boundary Waters. Many of our old prints hanging in the Mess Hall come from overlooks on Rose Lake and at various sites along the trip....

Voyageurs Return: First Round of Trips!

By Peter Grunawalt
June 22, 2016 (comments)

Tuesday afternoon, the camp peninsula was brought back to life as all of our wilderness trips trickled back into camp without incidence. Given the storms and wind we've seen in the past few days, the fact that everyone was in on-time was quite a feat. We have a tough, hardworking group of campers and an experienced staff, and they met the daily challenges of the elements with high spirits. As campers and counselors cleaned up, their stories were coming out of the woodwork. As you can imagine, preteens and teens are excellent story tellers, particularly when it comes to embellishing...

Day 1, Session 1: It's only the beginning...

By Peter Grunawalt
June 13, 2016 (comments)

While one would expect the first day of camp to seem like the first day of school, it was anything but that. Friendships picked up right where they left off last summer, and in some cases, summers from 2-3 years ago. New campers hopped right into the program after settling into their cabin bunks. Within hours of arriving, camp’s 25’ War Canoe was put to the test. We loaded it up with some of our strongest paddlers and took it for a spin. After a long restoration process, it’s good to know that it doesn’t leak. You hear that Elliott?!...

The Staff Trip: Camping Like It's Your Job

By Peter Grunawalt
June 08, 2016 (comments)

Once per summer, some of the most qualified wilderness leaders of the century gather in one location to test and hone their skills. That place happens to be Camp Voyageur. And these wilderness leaders I speak of? Why, they’re our camp counselors of course! Over the past two weeks, our counselors have been put through the ringer. They’ve been trained and tested in risk management, wilderness first aid, life-guarding, CPR, aquatics and water safety, behavior management, counseling techniques, transportation safety, healthcare, and a number of specialized activities we do here at camp. That’s not including the other certifications they need...

Camp's Garden of Eatin'

By Peter Grunawalt
May 29, 2016 (comments)

The following post was written by veteran counselor Ned Yonkers, who has spear-headed the gardening movement at Camp Voyageur this summer. He writes... Phase one of the project involved setting the posts for a fence and planting the garden. "Being at camp invokes the feeling that we are living in a community independent from the outside world. It is a place where no matter what is happening everywhere else, we’ll all be fine here. To enhance this feeling of independence, this year’s staff have worked on expanding camp’s garden, bringing in more herbs and vegetables than ever before. Nothing says...

"Make Camp Great Again"

By Peter Grunawalt
May 26, 2016 (comments)

Camp is what you put into it. This has been true since its founding in 1951. In fact, most of the structures and facilities around camp have been built up not only under the direction of the Erdmann family, but with the combined foresight and initiative from our counselors. Without them, few of our favorite in-camp facilities would be around, and even fewer traditions that generations of campers have enjoyed would exist. In recent years however, we’ve had to focus more on maintenance than lofty projects. Many an alumni can testify after a quick tour of the facilities that camp...

Introducing Wandering Elk Radio: The Podcast

By Peter Grunawalt
May 08, 2016 (comments)

Veteran counselor, educator, and author John Burgman writes from South Korea... "A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to write a book about camp. Over the years, camp has produced so many memorable moments, characters, and captivating trip stories—and I thought those aspects of history deserved preservation. I wanted the book to provide a chronological narrative of camp’s past, but also contain adventurous tales told from the alums (and current campers) themselves. Very early in the planning stages for the book, I realized that the project would entail hefty research. I would need to interview and record dozens—if...

Top 10 Mistakes Made at the Campsite

By John Erdmann
May 02, 2016 (comments)

I believe wholeheartedly that Camp Voyageur groups move through the woods in the most responsible and efficient ways possible. Camp works hard to train its staff and inform its campers of the best environmental and safety practices. Still, it’s an ongoing process of learning and evolving, and even the most efficient group has its sluggish days. Here’s what I see as 10 of the most common mistakes made by folks at a campsite—not necessarily Voyageurs, mind you. Do you have any to add to this list? Let us know! 10. Not setting up the tent right away This is an...

Summer Camp: An American Tradition

By John Burgman
April 16, 2016 (comments)

Author, traveler, and veteran counselor John Burgman writes from South Korea… Over the weekend, a low-pressure system that had lingered for days and dropped nonstop rain on my town finally dissolved. When it did, the landscape emerged in a seemingly new state: grasses appeared with deeper greens than before; flower buds spiraled open to reveal the beginnings of their colorful blooms. Even the soil somehow looked healthier—it was no longer that dull, moon-like gunk of winter. As I stepped onto my deck and took in the scene, I took a deep breath of fresh air and something clicked inside of...