Tamarack alumni at Kings Canyon in Yosemite National Park: Robert Blacher,
Joel Smith, Noah Siegel, Joe Lash, Jeff Michaelson and Daniel Findling.
Tamarack Camps believes camp tripping
instills many virtues in young campers.
Sept. 20th ® 11am
Laura Adler
Special to the Jewish News
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he sound of water rushing
over rocks, twigs crackling
underneath your boots, the
scent of pine trees. All take you back
to the basics of nature and the beauty
of camping. There is something so
pure and invigorating about being on a
camping trip and bonding with friends
that makes you look back and realize
how fortunate you are for having that
experience.
It sometimes is a challenge in the
midst of a difficult hike or in the
middle of canoeing on an endless lake,
but you always look back on the experi-
ence with awe. To be able to say "we did
that" and to become united as a group
is one of the most rewarding accom-
plishments to achieve as a camper and
as a staff person at Tamarack Camps.
"The opportunity to form lifelong
friendships in an outdoor Jewish com-
munal setting is a priceless experi-
ence' said Andrew Landau, past chair
of Tamarack Camps' Teen Programs
Committee. "Tamarack Camps creates
the leaders of tomorrow by encouraging
and facilitating valuable life skills —
leadership, communication and team-
work — that will enhance the campers'
lives for years to come.
"Anyone who has experienced
Tamarack's Outpost Camps and Teen
Travel Programs can attest to how lucky
they are to have had the opportunity to
participate:'
In Tamarack Camps' 113-year his-
tory, thousands of campers have
experienced tripping in places includ-
ing the upper and lower peninsulas of
Michigan, Alaska and national parks
in the western United States, Canadian
Rockies and northern Ontario. For
many, it is the first of many trips and
a springboard for a future of camping
throughout their lives.
"My lifelong love of wilderness camp-
ing began on a four-day hiking trip
for DeRoy Village campers the sum-
mer I was 10:' said Tamarack Camps
alum Joel Smith. "It was cemented by
the weeklong canoe trip I took as a
Robinson Pioneer camper two sum-
mers later. After experiencing Agree
Outpost Camp for two years, I came
back as tripping staff to share and teach
my love of camping to young campers:'
Of course, the destination of the trip
is not nearly as important as the jour-
ney and the people you are with.
"All my summers at Tamarack
Camps created lifelong friendships that
continue today:' Smith said. "Every
two years, a group of 8-10 friends
(most of us are Tamarack alumni) gets
together for a four-day hiking trip in
the mountains. We all agree that our
adult daily lives are influenced by the
self-reliance we learned while camping
and by an understanding of teamwork
gained from communal living:'
While many camps over the years
have become more specialized offer-
ing skill-building opportunities and,
in turn, have eliminated their camping
programs, Tamarack Camps has prided
itself on its progressive camping and
tripping programs.
Tripping remains a central component
of the Tamarack summer experience.
In fact, more than 1,000 Camp Maas
campers, 50 Camp Kennedy campers, 23
Agree Outpost campers, 75 Western Trip
campers and 48 Alaska campers go on
camping trips each summer.
Tamarack Camps' incorporation of
camp craft skills in wilderness experi-
ences not only teaches essential life
skills and fosters self-confidence but
also creates an appreciation of the out-
doors by being "unplugged" from the
ever-expanding technological world
we live in. Being immersed in nature
and away from everyday life fosters a
love and respect for the fragile, natural
environment and the role we play as
stewards.
This allows campers to reflect on
what is truly important and relevant
and to take a step back to truly discover
themselves. That is why having the
opportunity to go to overnight camp and
experience camping has been and always
will be a "Tamarack" tradition.
❑
Registration for camp begins soon; for
details, go to www.tamarackcamps.com .