September 2026 Newsletter

Another summer's in the books, and it was a good one!

The highlights I keep coming back to all have a face attached. A young camper who showed up scared of open water a few years ago and this year treaded water for over an hour to set a camp record. Older campers who stretched themselves on long backpacking trips. Kids who worked through homesickness and came out the other side thriving, several of them this year. One 14-year-old stood up at campfire and sang and played a song they'd composed about feeling more alive than ever, out on their ascent trip the summer before.

CIT’s were introduced to the psychology and teaching skills staff use every day – their first look behind the curtain. LITs powered through lifeguarding and psychology, pulled off another LIT Quest, staying positive while they built shelter, caught fish, and rolled with every surprise we threw at them.

In Session 3 a team of campers set their sights on Dick's Peak, the tallest summit within reach of camp and a real stretch. Plenty of ascent teams have aimed for it over the years. This team nailed the navigation, the logistics, and the teamwork so well they made the summit, stood high above all of Desolation, looked clear across the Tahoe basin, then made it back in time for Friday night BBQ.

In Session 4 we brought back an old tradition: dinner on the lake. We paddled the canoes out, rafted them together, and drifted toward Pleasant Lake while the sun went down. One of those evenings you don't forget.

We had one of the strongest staffs in years. Only two staff members were new to camp, and both were relatives of staff or alumni. Everyone else knew the lake, the program, and each other, and it showed. Campers learned orienteering on the hike to Brown Mountain and rafted the American River. For the first time in years we ran a whitewater kayak trip, after a camper qualified for the final whitewater prep classes with 50 straight rolls. Two others came within a hair. Next summer, I think.

Mother Nature cooperated all summer too. Snow melted off before opening, the lakes ran full, temperatures stayed mild. About as good as it gets.

The parent letters have been rolling in, and they still get me every time. I believe the work we do here matters. One 8 year-old camper whose parents noticed big growth this summer took intro first aid class, like all new campers. After practicing artificial respiration multiple times, he locked in and nailed every single step, ignoring all the distractions, getting the job done. That's a real accomplishment he carries with him. It's one move in the long game: going from a participant who gets taken care of to a leader who can take care of others.

Alumni profile

Zach Quintana came to camp right after Covid in that first shell-shocked cohort. He made friends, loved the program, and after three summers was hand-rolling his kayak without a paddle. A couple of summers ago he worked through the LIT program, earning his lifeguard and first aid certificates along the way. That Christmas at dinner, when his grandmother started choking in a restaurant, Zach knew exactly how to give effective back blows and abdominal thrusts, and helped get her breathing again. 'I remember thinking at the time how accurate the statistics are about lifeguards actually using the skills they learn.' Well done! Zach was one of several CIT/LIT/WGIT alumni who visited camp this summer. He is now studying engineering at The University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Planning for 2027

We're already deep into it. Enrollment is open now so returning families can lock in their first-choice session, and we expect waiting lists on some by October. If you know a family who'd be a good fit, send them our way. Your name works as a discount code for them. It really helps us expand camp’s positive impact.

One more small ask: we could use more reviews on Google, Yelp, Berkeley Parents Network, other local sites. If camp meant something to your family, a few honest sentences go a long way.

Staff applications are open too, and we start interviews soon. If you know an outdoor-minded young adult who might be a fit, put us in touch. A lot of our best hires come as referrals, and I'd happily talk with anyone you point our way. And if you’re interested in joining us on staff for some or all of 2027, let’s talk. (Working at Deer Crossing)

It's a privilege to do this work, and an even greater one to share it with a community like this one. See you at the lake!