Fall work day.

53 people came out to work on some projects to make the Camp better for all. Work days are aways held on the last Saturday of April and the last Saturday of September. We start taking bookings for the next year on the fall work day. Bookings are confirmed upon receipt of paperwork & deposit. You can call anytime to see what is available, but no bookings are confirmed without receipt of your paperwork and deposit.

On the work day, we levelled the picnic shelter and got 3/4 of the paver stones laid. (1100 sq ft)

We extended the sidewalk from the outhouses, also put in a walkway from the front porch to the dock logs, cleaned & washed out the outhouses and installed corner bead around the front and back walls of the Chapel. We emptied all the construction materials out of the Chapel, dug a trench and buried wire to install a light in the wash station (lights the path to the outhouses).

We washed the walls of the Lodge, filled corner cracks and cleaned light fixtures.

We fed, all the workers, raked the beach, filled the woodshed and cleaned up inside the lodge! We started building an extention to the roof of the men's outhouse and brushed out camping areas!

Thanks to all those that participated and if anyone feels left out, they're invited to next spring work day..... There - don't say I didn't let you know!!

Fall Work Day and Booking Time

September is here already. There have been groups booked in steady all summer keeping things very busy! Once more and hopefully for the last time, there was one week vacant in the summer. This happens all too often when a cancellation comes in at the last minute. 95% of those last minute cancellations are when I have been too soft in insisting on deposits, listening to one excuse after another why the deposit has not been sent in. From this point forward, I will not pencil / crayon / ink or dream about any group holding any time without deposits and paperwork. Last minute cancellations deny another group time that they would have gladly booked, deny income for the Camp and leaves the Camp empty without any security. Not very many individuals or groups can put together a Camp with 3 days notice. If you think you have time booked, please check well ahead of time to ensure that all necessary paperwork is complete and that keys have been arranged for access.

That being said, work day is scheduled for September 27th and I am waiting for groups to submit their plans for what they would like to do to improve Camp for all. (There is the usual cleaning, painting, woodshed, and brushing out to be done) Please contact me ahead of time to reserve your place at the Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner table. (( kris.sanders@telus.net ))

Another couple of small rocks dropped on the road.

Another couple of small rocks dropped on the road! Thankfully they landed before I got there!!

Please remember to pray for safety for all travelling to and from the Camp as well as safety while at the Camp.

Please leave the Camp CLEAN

Comment returned to me about the toilet paper rolls.
"The ones who already do a good cleanup will understand this. The ones who leave a mess will say ‘huh?’ and ignore it."

Bottom line is: All the rules are written for good reason. The group leader will review Camp rules with ALL campers before leaving for Camp or immediately upon arrival and ensure that all rules are followed while on the Camp property. The Group leader is responsible to leave the Camp CLEAN.

May 29 Rock Slide

Remember to thank those that spent time this spring clearing the road for access. May 29th, another rock slide completely blocked the road and was cleared by the group heading in the next day! If we want to continue road access to Camp, we will have to put some pressure on the politicians to pressure Forestry budget priorities or direct funding to Forestry to improve the road and ensure safety.

Best to write or at least talk to your local MLA and the Minister of Forests - Honourable Rich Coleman, 250 387-6240. Call 604 660-2421 or (800) 663-7867 to ask for your MLA's info or to be transferred toll free to their office.

Best tip for lighting campfires.

Tip of the month for the best way to light your campfire!

This revolutionary idea came to me when I recalled all those times when the Camp is so nice and quiet after groups have cleaned up and gone home. So many times I have noticed this little known, precious resource that they quite often leave behind.

This involves a simple, four step process. (Not hard to do, but apparently hard to remember if your Mother isn't there.)

Step 1: Upon arrival, head straight to the outhouse. (Not hard to remember after that bumpy road!)
Step 2: Pick up all the empty rolls and put the new rolls on the rollers.
Step 3: Put the empty rolls in your pocket.
Step 4: Use the empty rolls to light your campfire.
If there is no garbage there, remember to thank the previous group.

I get discouraged when I think that I might have to add another rule to the list..... Bring your mother to Camp if you never learned to replace the T.P. rolls! Please remember that there is no caretaker there and each group is required to leave the Camp clean. This includes the outhouses.

Another note..... Mice and squirrels like their TP off the roll. They can chew them, knock them on the floor and push them out the door into the rain. (It's really hard to pick up rolls of wet and soggy TP.)

Up til this time, 12 empty rolls had been the record for 3 outhouses. This last trip took the record with 17 fire starters! (We will all be happy to know that the empty rolls don't go down the hole to fill things up prematurely)

May warm weather brings high water!

Anyone interested in watching the water levels at Camp? There is a web site where they post the water levels on the Chilliwack River at Vedder or Slessee and it closely reflects the lake level.

http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/disclaimerB.asp Here's some pics I took on May 17th and then again on the 21st. The lake water was starting to recede on the 21st as reflected by the graph.

If you break or burn something

If you put a combustible material too close to the stove, it will not only wreck it, it may catch fire. The fire department will not come!

If your group burns or breaks something, please repair or replace it.

Mini work day projects.

Instead of making a special trip up for work day this spring, take on a small project that your group can do as a team building exercise while you are up there using the Camp. Plan ahead to be able to complete a job that will make the Camp better, cleaner, safer, or more enjoyable for your group as well as others. Present it as a learning opportunity, community service and something that your group can all be proud of.

Here's a couple of pictures of one example of teamwork, community service and an opportunity to make the road in safer for all. This estimated 3,000 pound rock started out in the middle of the road. One group rolled it over to allow just enough room to drive through the ditch to go around it. This group rolled it over another couple of times to roll it over the bank.

Spring work day postponed.

Continuing snow conditions makes April 26th Spring Work Day impractical. Spring melt is going to have a lot of water running down the hillsides so as you drive in for your weekend, bring a shovel with you and pay attention to the culverts. With no road maintenance being done, trees are growing in the ditches and debris blocks the water courses. Anyone wanting to donate a grader / cat / backhoe for a day, please let us know.

Here's a picture of the first Km of road in past the provincial park. (Taken April 19th) Note the belly pan dragging!

March / 08

Here's a pic from Feb 22 / 23rd weekend.

This year is listed as the most snow I've seen up there in 25 years!

I'm still waiting for submissions from groups to see what they would like to do on the work day to improve Camp for all.

We have an offer to install wiring and lights in the hand wash station, but we need volunteers with pics and shovels to dig a narrow trench from the nearest outhouse to facilitate the underground wiring. We have the cement bags for a job to form and mix concrete for a 4X8 slab and frame a couple of walls. We have 2,000 sq ft of paver stones that have been donated (but not yet transported) for a floor for the picnic shelter and continuing sidewalks. .... Anyone with a flat deck or 10 yd bin? Always painting needed - weather permitting. Always firewood, brushing out trails and culvert / ditch clearing. Spring work day is always the last Saturday of April. Talk to me b4 then so we can plan! - Thanks

Here's another pic from Mar 15 with a little more fresh snow at Paleface Creek and the beach is almost clear!