Camp Daggett on Walloon Lake - Northern Michigan Camp

After another outstanding summer of wilderness tripping and excitement with a great group of young people, there is one thing that stands out more than any other.  Adventure and challenges can come in so many shapes, sizes and unexpected happenings.  In our case, the latter could not be a better explanation for our experiences on the trail this summer.  As always, our days were filled with camping, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking and plenty of smiles and memories for everyone.  However, it was the unexpected events that truly made our trips this summer an adventure.  While in our first two hours of hiking along Lake Superior and the Pictured Rocks, our group was caught in a sudden downpour and subsequent flash flood as the trail was turned into a small river.  It was an inauspicious start to our trip to say the least, but fortunately, it was met with good attitudes and in our case some laughter, when one of the campers, soaked to the bone, asked if we might want to get our rain gear out now.  In this case, “better late than never” didn’t quite fit the situation, but instead a good laugh was shared by all.  On our second trip of the summer, we headed to South Manitou Island for yet another hiking adventure.  The trail proved more challenging for the campers and their feet than expected as we worked through some tired days and our fair share of sore blisters.  However, the kids found great camaraderie while swimming and relaxing in the clear blue waters and enjoying the sunsets at the conclusion of our days.  Finally, we ventured to Wawa, Ontario Canada for our final trip.  We started this adventure with eight campers but only concluded with six.  One camper unfortunately forgot their passport and was unable to travel across the border with us, and the second slipped and broke his arm on our first day in Canada.  This camper’s attitude and spirit for adventure was tremendous as they wanted to stay with the group and complete the trip, but you might guess it is quite difficult to paddle with only one good arm.  As you can imagine, losing a group member is tough and can bring quite a blow to the group moral.  Nonetheless, the group persevered through the set backs and challenges, and the trip was one to remember as we floated in and out of the Canadian Shield and the pristine Lake Superior waves.  As we think back on the trips, it is amazing to see how challenges can create learning moments but perhaps even more exciting is to see how the young people who join our wilderness trips meet those challenges head on and keep moving forward; smiling, laughing and working together.

Our wilderness trips were not the only excitement occurring for the Adventure Center this summer, as we were blessed to once again enjoy some great days of paddling around Walloon Lake in our 2^nd Annual Kayak for a Cause event.  Even more exciting was our opportunity to have new friends join and support the trip this season, as we ballooned from one to nine participants.  Much like our trips with campers, the paddlers shared stories, food and a lot of laughter while navigating the waters of Walloon.  As always, it is a humbling experience to know that none of this would be possible without the continued support and encouragement that we receive from you and so many in our community and Camp Daggett family.  As we look ahead, we anticipate a wonderful fall and winter season and hope to welcome many old and new friends out to the Adventure Center.

See you on the trail,