My grandparents met at summer camp in the 1930’s.

That’s how I wound up, ten years old, standing on a boat dock in turquoise high-top Chuck Taylor All Stars, waiting for a well-used motor boat to take me across the lake for seven weeks of wilderness camp. I was born into it - my grandparents, mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and older sister had all paved the way.

Years later, the love of nature, friendships, and life experience I gained those summers in the Adirondack mountains remains a big part of my identity. And I suspect it is that way for many others. We have all heard those “one time at summer camp…” stories: grueling hikes, homesick bunk mates, legendary counselors, first loves. These experiences are universal. You could swap out the name of the camp, but the core story remains the same.

I hope this website can help prepare future generations of campers for these seminal moments. To excite them for the skills and lessons they’ll learn as they’re packing up their duffel bag and departing home for what might be the very first time. I also hope it can serve as a place for former campers to relive their favorite memories and share the things they carry with them years later.

My grandmother, Shirley Garratt Savage, lived to be 92. She never stopped telling us stories about her summers away, and I’m forever grateful that she gave us the gift of wilderness camp.