Camp Baldwin, July 2013

Post date: Aug 01, 2013 4:41:4 AM

This year's summer camp was in at Camp Baldwin, on the eastern slopes of Mt. Hood. Camp Baldwin is one of the few BSA horse camps in the country, with 48 horses in residence during the summer. The Troop took advantage of this and Baldwin's other amenities, including an awesome lake, mountain biking, climbing on real rock at Vulture rocks, and traditional merit badges. We had 36 youth in attendance, as well as up to 10 adults (7 of whom stayed the whole week!), which made for an active camp site -- especially during meal times, where we had to cook our own food 3 times a day. 

The boys really stepped it up and had a great time. A vast pile of merit badges were earned, as well as quite an array of special awards. Everyone had fun -- even the Scoutmaster, who cooked up a layered pound cake with peaches, craisins, and a marshmallow-chow mein crust, for the Scoutmaster's dessert cook off (and WON!)  Jason, Dan, and Alex did the CL Bar program and Alex was recognized by the staff as "elite wrangler" and invited to come back and staff at the corral! Blair and Brayton both earned the Chaplains award, and Julian braved the cold waters of Lake Hanel for the Mile Swim (and Polar Bear, too)! Nathan and Will were the winners of the Belly Flop Contest. 

Finally, we have to recognize the staff at Camp Baldwin as THE friendliest staff of any camp that we have visited in recent memory. The staff really made our stay a special one. Nick, one of the directors in the high adventure area, took some of the adults on a mountain bike ride up 5-mile butte. He was very patient with us while we huffed up the mountain. McKinsey, one of our camp guides, RAN back to the commissary to get us bread on Tuesday when the truck didn't bring bread for French Toast. The waterfront staff was fantastic, as was the climbing staff (who have to do the 2-mile hike to/from Vulture rocks 3 times a day, carrying 60lbs of gear!). 

A great set of memories!