It's hard to believe we've landed in our penultimate week of camp! With just two weeks left on the calendar, our campers are squeezing every last drop out of their summer. 

Morning and afternoon activities are as busy as ever, with campers continuing to try new things and dig deeper into the skills they have been building all summer. Whether it’s finally sticking a new maneuver on the water, moving up a level on the archery range, or just getting more confident to try something outside of their comfort zone, we’re seeing real growth across every activity area at camp. One of the exciting additions to our morning activity program at Lincoln this summer has been Nature, led by counselor Peter, who is putting his forestry degree to wonderful use. Peter leads campers on walks around camp identifying the trees and wildflowers that make up our little corner of the Adirondacks, and along the way he introduces them to ecological concepts like succession and shade tolerance. Campers are coming away not just able to name what's growing around them, but understanding why it's growing there in the first place, a whole new way of seeing the woods they walk through every day.

Big news at Lincoln: the gaga ball pit is officially finished, and the campers wasted absolutely no time putting it to use. Since it opened, it has been packed during every free moment and afternoon activity slot available. It has quickly become one of the most popular spots on camp, and the enthusiasm shows no sign of slowing down.

On the water, we had two great sailing events this week. Lincoln and Whippoorwill squared off in a sailing contest, two teams from each camp racing while spectators paddleboarded out to Whip Island and sat on the docks and cheer their sailors on. Lincoln took the win this time around! Later at Whippoorwill, campers held their annual Farrington Cup, a sailing race just for Whip sailors. This year's cup was won by one of our sailing Workgroupers, a lovely way to close out her final summer as a camper who loves her time on the water.

Around camp, our Workgroup continued their work on the new Whippoorwill bike shed, getting the roof up this week and moving on to siding. It's exciting to watch the building take shape week by week, and to know that this group will leave camp having built something that future campers will use for years to come.

Our trip program stayed as busy as ever. We sent out another JBL trip and another Dix trip, and Lincoln campers headed out on a beautiful two night, three day trip through the Saranac Lakes, complete with loon sightings and gorgeous scenery. On Tuesday alone, our trip groups were spread across thirteen different High Peaks: Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, Dial, Nippletop, Whiteface, Cliff, Redfield, Dix, Grace, Carson, Hough, and Macomb. That's a lot of summits in a single day, and a lot of tired, proud campers coming back down the mountains! And we are very proud of one of our older seniors, who in addition to winning that mixed camp sailing race, achieved his 46er on the summit of Whiteface mountain.  It’s an incredible achievement and one he will not soon forget.

We closed out the week with two of our favorite kinds of camp (controlled) chaos. At Lincoln, campers and staff took part in a mad counselor hunt, the first one at Lincoln in many years, if not ever! Counselors decked out in their wildest outfits ran around camp while campers chased them down for signatures, and the energy across camp was contagious for staff and campers alike. Meanwhile, at Whippoorwill, campers celebrated their annual Floatchella, where the whole camp takes to the water in sailboats, kayaks, windsurfers, canoes, and even the Peace Canoe, all dressed up in fun outfits, playing music and singing their way down the lake. It was the perfect activity for a hot day, and one more reminder of just how much fun this community can have together. 

Our two camps also came together for the second to last concert of the summer, where we saw such a fun variety of skits and performances from all ages. The Whippoorwill seniors and workgroup also took part in a favorite activity (we say that a lot, but each time it really is true!) - camper/counselor switch day.  The oldest groups of campers each dress up as a counselor, and in her shoes (sometimes literally) they make announcements in the dining hall in the style of that counselor as well as join them at morning activities, getting the chance to help teach the younger campers.  It never fails to bring giggles from the other campers and staff alike! 

As we head into our final full week, campers are busy making the most of every remaining day. They're carving their initials into the initial boards, a lasting mark on camp history, and at Lincoln our campers are working diligently in the woodshop to finish their cars for the upcoming Pine-wood Derby race. At Whippoorwill campers are hard at work on their Peanut Presents, a secret-santa style tradition where campers spend these final two weeks secretly crafting a gift for the camper whose name they drew, presents that will be revealed and exchanged on the final night of camp. Both camps are also beginning work on their banquet decorations, getting ready to transform their lodges for the final feast of the summer. There's a lot of summer left to pack into this final week ahead, and we can't wait to share it with you!