talltimber-summer

Senior High: Thursday

2009-08-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a pretty regular day here at Tall Timber. The morning was spent in A-frame worship, solo and cabin Bible studies. This afternoon was spent in afternoon options that included the swimming hole, the rock wall, ropes course, and the camp store, as well as just free time around camp.

Tonight we had the annual Senior High Banquet, where the staff dresses up in crazy costumes and serves a nice meal to campers. At each table there was paper and crayons, and campers could send notes to each other that staff would deliver, or they could request a staff member or members to serenade another camper or table with a song. It was a lot of fun, and the food was great! Ask your camper about it when they return home.

Tonight we had what we call the Worship Experience. We had it last week for Junior High campers, and we decided to do it again this week but with a little different format. The Worship Experience is a time when cabins can go to different stations to experience different styles of worship. One station had foot washing, another had letter writing where campers could write letters to someone who hurt them or maybe needs some encouragement, another station was the prayer labyrinth. There were several other stations all providing a new type or way to worship.

Tomorrow is the last full day, and we'll have more fun and exciting things to sure. Check back!

Senior High: Wednesday

2009-08-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

For once, our internet wasn't the problem last night. As I came to update the blog late last night, I found Blogger was down, so I apologize for the lateness of this post. Wednesday was full of fun and relaxing activities. After spending the morning in worship, solo, and cabin Bible studies, we had lunch and headed to Lake Wenatchee for Beach Day. We spent the afternoon relazing on the beach, swimming in the water, floating around on tubes, and enjoying ice cream from the store!

As the afternoon ended, we headed back to camp for a BBQ, and then an awesome square dance! We brought in a caller from Wenatchee to lead us in different types of square and line dances. It was a great time, and some pictures can be found on the website, www.talltimber.org, in the Picture Gallery section located under the tab labeled, "fun." After the square dance, we enjoyed hoe down hymn worship, and a talk from Clifford before heading to bed. Today (Thursday) will be a little bit more normal of a day, with regular morning and afternoon activities. Check back tonight for more from today!

Senior High: Tuesday

2009-08-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tuesday = long options day! Unlike Junior High camp, where we substituted beach day for long options, at Senior High we do both! Available today for long options were hikes (Mt. Poe, Napeequa Falls, Twin Lakes, Eagle's Crest), rock climbing in the Icicle, and tubing on the Wenatchee River. Campers made sack lunches, and headed out for the afternoon. When they came back, the slip 'n' slide was waiting for them to cool off.

Tonight we had another auction, like last week. Some items auctioned off included cookies from Penny our Program Director, getting to be the first to sign up for afternoon options, having to do an extra kitchen clean-up, having to sweep out the A-frame, and many others. As you can see, some prizes are better than others, and cabins didn't know what they were bidding on until they won the prize. Now campers are finishing up campfire and heading to their cabins for cabin time and bed.

Tomorrow is beach day, and tomorrow night is the square dance and hymn worship, so be sure to check back for more info and pictures from the day.

Senior High: Sunday/Monday

2009-08-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Senior High camp...the last full week of camp for the summer. Bittersweet, because these are absolutely fantastic kids and this week is full of fun, but it's the last week for 2009. This week has so many things packed into it, that I don't even know where to begin. At the beginning, I guess!

Sunday: Campers arrived, met each other through mixers, had dinner, A-frame worship, campfire, talk from our speaker Cliff, and a night game to close out the evening.

Monday: Breakfast, A-frame worship, solo and cabin Bible studies and also low ropes initiatives in cabin groups, lunch, afternoon options (including zipline, rock wall, mountain boards, swimming hole, and the store), dinner, a concert by the band Noonday Sun (awesome!),

campfire with s'mores, talk from Cliff, and finally bed. Tomorrow we'll do kind of the same thing, but the afternoon will be spent in long options. Options are rock climbing, tubing on the river, and hikes (Mt. Poe, Napeequa Falls, Twin Lakes, Eagle's Crest). Keep checking back for more on what we're doing this week, and check out the Picture Gallery section of the website (www.talltimber.org) under the tab labeled "fun" for more pictures from the week.

Junior High: Thursday

2009-07-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today was back to a regular day here at Tall Timber. The morning started out with A-frame worship, solo and cabin Bible studies, another set of classes, and then lunch, afternoon options uncluding zipline and ropes course, and seminars. There were four different seminars offered today, ranging in topics from the Media and how it affects us, to different ways to worship. This is a part of camp where campers can choose something that they might be interested in, and then can spend some time listening and discussing with our staff who are experienced in these different topics.

Tonight we are providing a new way to worship. Our staff have set up different stations around camp, and each one gives the campers a different way that they can worship God. There's a station where kids can write letters to someone who needs it, maybe that's an apology or maybe a note of encouragement. In another station, worship music is playing and kids can just sit and reflect. This is a very new thing to many of these campers, and we pray it will expose them to more ways that they can glorify God. This is the last event of the night, then it is off to cabin time and then bed.

We've been experiencing some problems on and off with our technology here at camp, so I apologize for not having more pictures up on the website, but hopefully within the next few days we can get plenty more of those up there for you to see. Thanks for understanding!

Junior High: Wednesday

2009-07-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is normally what we call long options day, where campers can sign up for various hikes leading away from camp, but since the weather has been so terribly hot, we decided to switch things up a bit. So instead of sticking around camp, we piled everyone into cars and camp vans and took off for Lake Wenatchee, to spend the afternoon at the beach! Campers were able to float on the river, canoe around the lake, and just hang out in the water playing frisbee or the camp favorite game, "Ninja Destruction."

After heading back to camp, we enjoyed an awesome dinner, a fun evening game of "Who stole Uncle Zeke's cow?" A-frame worship, and another talk from Justin to close out the night. We're still praying for some relief from these super hot temperatures and high humidity, so you can help us out by also praying for that, and for praying that we all stay healthy in the middle of this hot summer heat wave.

Junior High: Tuesday

2009-07-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tuesday: Just like Monday, but a different day! The classes that we had yesterday were the same today, and the hot weather from yesterday also carried over into today. The temperatures these last two days have definitely been the highest of the summer, but that doesn't keep us from having a good time. The morning was spent in worship, solo and cabin Bible studies, and classes. This afternoon's options included the high ropes course, BMX bikes, the swimming hole, arts and crafts, and the camp store. The afternoon ended with the camper favorite...mudpit. And it's Tuesday, so that means dinner tonight was hobo stew! Campers are currently hearing another talk from our speaker, Justin, and then its off to cabin time and bed.

A big prayer request for this week would just be for the overall health of campers and staff. The temperatures and the humidity have been quite high, and that can often lead to sickness and dehydration. Pray that these campers can stay hydrated so we can continue having a great week!

As always, more pictures from the week are available on the Tall Timber website (www.talltimber.org) located under the tab labeled, "Fun."

Junior High: Sunday/Monday

2009-07-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tall Timber is very much an adventure camp. There are many great things about being away from civilization for a while, but at the same time there are some not so great things. One of those not so great things this week happens to be our internet access. For some reason, we're having problems with it again, so I apologize for any inconveniences because of this. I don't have any pictures today, but if you check back here and the Picture Gallery section of the website (www.talltimber.org, under the tab labeled "Fun") in the next couple of days, we hope to be able to put up pictures from this week as well as from last week's Primary camp.

We've entered our week of Junior High camp, and already it is looking like it is going to be an awesome week! We have about 100 campers joining us, so all hands are on deck to make this week great for these kids. Mornings are spent in A-frame worship, solo Bible study times, cabin Bible study time, and in different classes. Some of the classes offered this week include soccer, frisbee, cooking, arts and crafts, low ropes, and BMX biking, which is a new activity at camp this year. Campers sign up in the mornings for these classes, and then spend two days learning new things about these activities.

Afternoons are spent with unscheduled free time. Unlike the last couple weeks, free-time isn't really planned out ahead of time. Campers are free to go to the camp store, arts and crafts shed, swimming hole, or just hang out around the lodge. They are also given the chance to sign up for different adventure activities like rock wall, zipline, and the high ropes course. After dinner, campers head back to the A-frame for worship and a talk from our speaker, Justin, and campfire. Some nights we play a night game, then it's cabin time and bed! These campers are so great to have around, they are full of life and energy, and they really help to energize the staff! Thanks for sending your kids!

Primary: Monday

2009-07-20T18:46:00.001-07:00

Today was our first full day of Primary Camp for 2009, and it's also one of our last days. Primary is a short week, with parents already coming on Wednesday, because these kids are so young, and it can be hard to be away from home for that long.

We do the same rotation schedule that we do for each of our Junior camps, with N-B-C time in the morning and scheduled activities in the afternoon. This morning's Nature activity was a scavenger hunt and then games in the meadow. Bible study took place in the BBQ shelter, and Craft time was spent painting flower pots. This afternoon the majority of the campers participated in horse rides, with other activities like the swimming hole, the camp store, archery, and rock wall also available.

The night is winding down now, campers will soon be heading to campfire for s'mores, singing, and a story, then off to bed. Camp is going by quickly!

Primary: Sunday

2009-07-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today was a short day - campers started arriving this afternoon with registration starting at 3, games and a camp tour at 4, dinner at 5:30, followed by more games, counselor skits, worship, and campfire. Today is just the beginning of a quick week with our 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade campers, so we'll keep updating every day on how things are going. In the mean time, you can check out more pictures from this week and past weeks of camp in the Picture Gallery section of the TTR website (www.talltimber.org) located under the tab labeled "fun."

Junior 2: Wednesday

2009-07-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Wednesday - long options day, skit night, dance parties, ice cream sundaes! Every day is fun at camp, but Wednesdays are often the favorite for campers. We started out the morning as usual, with N-B-C rotations. Nature was spent working in the camp garden, weeding and cleaning up the area so the fruits and vegetables that are planted have room to grow. Bible Study was spent indoors, with some time for small group discussions. Craft time was used for skit preparation.

This afternoon, campers spent time on hikes around camp whic included Eagle's Crest, White River Falls, Napeequa Falls, and Twin Lakes. When they returned from their hikes, the mudpit was all ready for them! The afternoon ended with this favorite camp event. Then we had a delicious dinner, followed by skit night where each cabin prepares a skit and performs it for the whole camp. Skit night is always followed up by a dance party, ice cream sundaes, and campfire.

Tomorrow is the last full day of Junior 2 camp. Pray for these campers, that they will grow closer to God, and come away from camp with a new fire for Him.

Junior 2: Tuesday

2009-07-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's Tuesday, and once again, it's Hobo Stew Day! Parts of the day were planned around the fact that tonight was Hobo Stew night, the nature rotation for the day was a time for cabins to go to the beaches and build a fire pit and gather wood in preparation for tonight's meal.

The B and C parts of N-B-C time were much like last week, with campers starting Bible Study with a short game and then moving indoors for a quieter time, and in Crafts campers made cheese. The process is interesting - ask your camper about it when he or she comes home later this week!

The afternoon was also spent in rotations, with options like the camp store, the leap of faith, rock wall, and arts and crafts. The afternoon ended with a giant slip'n'slide. Tonight the campers are at campfire, where they will sing some worship songs and hear a story. Then we'll go to bed, and get up and do it again tomorrow!

Junior 2: Monday

2009-07-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today was the first full day of Junior 2 Camp 2009. This camp is identical to last week's, but with a new energetic group of 4th 5th and 6th graders! There are about 12 or so more campers than last week. These kids will go through the same N-B-C times as last week, with the afternoons being structured the same as well.

An interesting thing about last week and this week so far has been the weather! It's been pretty unusually chilly up here at TTR, but that doesn't mean camp slows down. The only thing that has been affected by the weather is the day we do mudpit. Normally, mudpit is on Monday, but last week and this week's Mondays were too cold, so we had to postpone. Don't worry though, we still were able to enjoy mudpit last week, and we'll get to enjoy it again this week!

For more pictures check the continually updated Picture Gallery section of the Tall Timber website (www.talltimber.org) under the tab labeled "fun."

Junior 1: Wednesday

2009-07-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

The temperatures at camp have been really low this week, but that hasn't stopped us from having a great time! The nature activity today was an especially interesting one. We have a garden at camp that we are using to grow some of our own fruits and vegetables to use in the kitchen, so for nature today cabins went and helped weed the garden, pick up sticks, etc... As you can see in the picture, the kids were quick learners and very good at this project!

Today was also what we call long options day, where instead of a sit down lunch, campers pack sack lunches and then are able to go on hikes. We have multiple trails leading out of camp, with trails for every age and skill level. The hikes were a great off-site activity, leading up to tonight which was skit night! The campers did a great job coming up with skits, and we celebrated by having a dance party afterward. The campers are currently at campfire, and will soon be off to bed after another great day at TTR!

Junior 1: Tuesday

2009-07-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday, which means Hobo Stew Day! Tonight we prepared our hobo stews and took them down to the beach for a fun time playing by the water, eating our dinner, and of course s'mores!

Today was much like yesterday, with the addition of Horse Rides and the swimming hole this afternoon. N-B-C time was another great success this morning.

The Craft for today was a little different, with campers getting to be in the kitchen and make their own cheese by cabin. It was a new experience for most of the campers, and it was obvious they really enjoyed getting to make it, and eat it!

As always, more pictures can be found in the Picture Gallery section of the Tall Timber website (http://www.talltimber.org/) under the tab labeled "Fun."

Junior 1: Monday

2009-07-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

A new camp, a new set of campers. Our first week of Junior camp is here and going strong, and we couldn't be happier. Junior campers are going into 4th, 5th, or 6th grades, and we have two weeks for this age group every summer, so next week will be very similar to this week with a different group of kids.

This group has a much more structured schedule than our two previous camps, with the mornings consisting of N-B-C tie. N-B-C stands for Nature, Bible study, and crafts, and each group goes to each of those every day. During Nature, cabins can go out and make forts, make fire pits for their hobo stews, and do some other nature activities. In Bible study they have the chance to study some stories from the Bible like the story of the good samaritan. And crafts is just that - a time to make different crafts.

The afternoon is also structured beginning with the staff favorite - FOB, or Flat On Bunk. This is a time for campers to nap or just lay quietly so they can have all the energy they need for the rest of the day. After FOB, cabins go through different free time rotations, like rock wall, more crafts, the leap of faith, time at the store, and more. This is a great age group to have at camp, and it will be fun to see them learn more throughout this week!

Adventure Camp: Thursday, Expedition 2

2009-07-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Expedition 1 is over, on to Expedition number 2! The second group of campers left on their expeditions today. Groups left for rock climbing in the Icycle in Leavenworth, canoeing on Lake Wenatchee and the Wenatchee river, and rafting on the Wenatchee River. Their dinner tonight consists of hobo stew, which is a favorite dinner among campers. It consists of tator tots, meat, veggies, beans, and cheese, and is cooked in aluminum foil over a fire. These groups will camp out overnight and return to camp in the morning.

We pray for safety for these campers tonight, for both the groups off-site and those still here, and we pray they can draw together as cabins and to God in these last couple days of Adventure Camp 2009! Pictures are located in the Pciture Gallery section under the tab labeled "fun" on the camp website, www.talltimber.org.

Adventure Camp: Wednesday

2009-07-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

It is Wednesday evening, and we have some tired out campers! The first group returned from their expeditions today tired, dirty, and hungry, but without injury or any problems! All of the expeditions went well, we hope that the next group is as successful as the first. The second group will head out on their expeditions tomorrow and return to camp on Friday.

This was a relatively uneventful day at camp...until tonight! Tonight was skit night, where the campers have a chance to come up with their own skits or talents and show them off to the rest of camp. It was great fun, look for pictures on the website in the next couple days. After skit night, we had an awesome dance party in the A-frame, followed by ice cream sundaes and worship at the campfire.

We praise God that our first expeditions went well, pray that the second expeditions go just as well and that the campers can have a lot of fun!

Adventure Camp: Tuesday, Expedition 1

2009-06-30T20:55:00.001-07:00

As you can tell from the title, today was the day that half of camp went on their expeditions. We sent out groups to rock climb, river raft, ride horses, canoe, and mountain bike. We'll find out tomorrow how the trips went for these groups.

The rest of camp stayed here and will leave for their expeditions on Thursday. During the day here they did the usual worship, solo time and Bible study, and the groups also rotated through the high ropes course. This afternoon was much like yesterday, with different options available for campers. Pray for our campers this week, that their expeditions may go safely, and that the groups and cabins can grow closer to each other and closer to God.

Adventure Camp: Monday

2009-06-29T22:12:00.001-07:00

Today was the first full day of Junior High Adventure Camp 2009. Campers arrived yesterday afternoon and participated in some mixers where they could get to know each other, then ate dinner, had a time of worship in the A-frame, and ended the night with campfire.

This morning, after breakfast and worship in the A-frame, campers were able to spend some time alone with God. They were provided with some questions to think about that tie in with the Bible study, and after solo time they got back with their cabins for a group Bible study. Campers also did some low ropes initiatives in their adventure groups to build trust and teamwork for their expeditions later on this week.

The afternoon was spent in free time. The store and swimming hole were open, the rock wall was available, and a game of ultimate frisbee was played in the meadow. Mondays at Tall Timber also mean mudpit, and it was a great day for it.

Junior High Adventure is a little different than our other camps, because campers are able to pick an adventure (such as rock climbing or river rafting) and then they go out for an afternoon on that expedition and stay in a campground overnight, and return to camp the next day. As always, pictures will be available for viewing in the Photo Gallery section under the tab labeled "fun" at www.talltimber.org.

More from Family Camp!

2009-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Family Camp is winding down for 2009, and what a great week it has been! We've been able to hear some great talks from our speakers, Chris Ward and Steve Klein, and experience a time of rest and renewal here at Tall Timber.

When asked what their favorite part of camp was, Kate responded quickly with "the ropes course!" and Emma just shrugged, she liked everything so much she couldn't decide which was her favorite! I asked several children and adults what their favorite part of the week was, and not being able to pick one thing was the most common answer I received. We aren't lying when we say there really is something for everyone at Family Camp, and campers will be the first to agree!

Family Camp is different than the other camps, because families often come and go throughout the week. Many families with smaller children will only come for part of the week, and sometimes parents can only get a few days off of work so they'll come for the beginning or end of the week. It makes for an interesting week, because you never know who may join you that day.

For more pictures of Family Camp 2009, check out the Photo Gallery section located under the tab labeled, "Fun" on the Tall Timber website (http://www.talltimber.org), and maybe we will see you and your family at Family Camp 2010!

Family Camp, Days 1-3

2009-06-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, our internet here at Tall Timber isn't always the most reliable. We try to update this blog as often as possible, but we've been experiencing problems the last couple of days. Bear with us as we try to work through these problems.

We are currently in our third day of Family Camp, and it is proving to be a great time so far! We have campers of all ages, from babies to grandparents and everything in between. Families enjoy coming to family camp because it allows them to get away from home for a couple days or a week and experience the beautiful environment of Tall Timber.

In the mornings, kids and adults have the opportunity to attend Bible studies, and the afternoon is free-time, where adventure activities such as the high ropes course, the zipline, the rock wall, and canoeing are always popular options. We also offer a variety of field games and crafts for the younger children. There is something for everyone at Family Camp!

Staff Training under way!

2009-06-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

We are almost halfway done with staff training for the 2009 camp season! This is a week where we can get to know each other and build staff unity, as well as prepare for the next seven weeks of camp. This year's theme is Down On The Farm, and we already have games, skits, and more in the works. Check out the Picture Gallery located under the "Fun" tab on the Tall Timber website (www.talltimber.org) later this week for pictures of our 2009 summer staff!

Special Deals for Youth Groups!

2009-06-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

We don’t want this economy to keep any kid from coming to camp this summer, so …. Tall Timber is extending a group discount to youth leaders and groups! Any group bringing 7 or more campers and a counselor to a Tall Timber camp or Caravan can qualify: returning campers get last year’s price for this year’s camp; first time campers to Tall Timber can come for half price! Your returning camper can also opt to invite a new camper and split the half price deal with them so each gets 25% off! Counselors come for free. Our goal is to encourage kids to invite friends and spread the word about Tall Timber’s amazing camps to new campers. It is also our goal to encourage youth leaders or volunteers from your churches to participate with their kids in the camp experience. Statistics show that 60-80% of committed Christians say a camp or retreat experience was the turning point event of their faith! There is no better investment of a youth leader’s time than participating in a camp with their kids. There are two great Junior High events coming up right away that still have room: Junior High Rock and Roll Caravan June 21-26 includes rock climbing and a white water raft trip in Leavenworth! Junior high Adventure Camp (June 28-July 4) includes an overnight adventure: rock climb, raft, canoe, horse or mountain bike! Also Rock and Ice Caravan (July 5-13) for Sr High through adults will include rock climbing at Smith Rocks in Oregon, and an ascent of Mount Adams. Check out all the great camps and Caravans at http://www.talltimber.org/ or call the office (509) 763-3127.