30 | DECEMBER 2 • 2021 

CAMP GUIDE

F

ounded in 2008, the 
Aggressive Deer 
Adventure 
Club is a group of 
proud Tamarack 
Alumni from the 
’70s, ’80s and ’90s, 
who lead normal 
lives as doctors, lawyers 
and business owners. Every few 
years, using the camping skills 
they learned at Tamarack, they 
take backcountry hiking trips to 
beautiful destinations in North 
America: Yosemite (Half Dome), 
Kings Canyon (Rae Lakes), Mt. 
Assiniboine Provincial Park (The 
Nub), Mt. Robson Provincial Park 
(Berg Lake) and Maroon Bells-
Snowmass Wilderness (4 Pass 
Loop).
Aggressive Deer is led by two 
former board presidents, Joe Lash 
and Darren Findling, who “bicker 
for months before each trip about 
the destination, and then blame 
each other when something goes 
wrong,
” they joke. 
Members are former Tamarack 
campers, counselors, supervisors, 
Western and Alaskan trip staff, 
Fresh Air Society Board Members, 
and parents of Tamarack campers. 
They include Mitch Rosenwasser, 
Robert Blacher, Joel Smith, Dr. 
Joel Topf, Dr. Noah Siegel, Dr. 
Jefferey Michaelson, Daniel 
Findling, Dr. Jeffrey Zonder, Marc 
Nakisher, Dan Tucker, Matt Egrin, 
Darren Findling and Joe Lash. 
Lash explains: “It’s not real-
ly a club. Although we have a 
logo, we’re really just a bunch of 
Type-A Jewish guys, who have 
been camping together since our 
Tamarack years. We now use valu-
able vacation time to sleep on the 

ground, often at high eleva-
tions, in frigid tempera-
tures, and at ages and 
in declining physical 
conditions that are 
probably better suited 
for the golf course. 
And we wouldn’t have it 
any other way!”
So why do they call themselves 
the Aggressive Deer? “We are 
named after a harrowing encoun-
ter with a precocious deer (think 
Bambi, but smaller), who menac-
ingly walked through our camp-
site and wouldn’t leave, until a few 
brave souls stepped up to defend 
our group,
” said Daniel Findling.
This September, the group 
completed a four-day, 26.5-mile 
backcountry hiking trek near 
Aspen, Colorado (the iconic Four 
Pass Loop), where they traversed 
four 12,500-foot passes with full 
packs. “It was one of the most 
challenging trips that many of 
us have ever taken,
” said Robert 
Blacher. 
“Tamarack Camps and the 
outdoor experiences we enjoyed 
as campers and staff fostered our 
love for nature and adventure,
” 
said Darren Findling. “We learned 
valuable leadership and prob-
lem-solving skills as young adults 
that we still use today in our jobs 
and as parents. Like many oth-
ers in the community, we made 
some of our closest friends in the 
world during our summers, while 
proudly celebrating being Jewish 
in a fun and joyful way. Quite 
simply, Tamarack made us who 
we are today.
” 

This story was originally posted in the 

Camp Tamarack newsletter.

Tamarack alumni get together 
for back-country hikes.

Fun is Not 
Just for Kids

This fall, the 
group hiked the 
iconic Four Pass 
Loop near Aspen 
Colorado.

The 
Aggressive 
Dear Club in 
Colorado.

Beautiful 
scenery was 
was enjoyed 
during the 
challenging 
hike.

The 
Aggrressive 
Deer Club is 
made up of 
Tamarack 
alumni.

