Hike-a-thon!

A wonderful day on Saturday with our 12th Annual Hike-a-thon on the go. This year’s event took us to Powderface Ridge in Kananaskis and 32 intrepid hikers braved a questionable forecast to join us for a day in the mountains. So with a beautiful mountain view always over your shoulder and the sun on our faces we gathered for another event to celebrate and raise funds for Camp Valaqua.

This hike was steep but the views were great. The rain held off and the sun kept us company for bits and pieces of the day and the 32 gathered walked through cool pine forest, flowery alpine meadows, and on to the eventual bald rocky summit to share lunch and lean our backs into the cool and persistent wind that found us there.

I love Hike-a-thon. For me, any day in the mountains is a good one and one spent with friends is better yet. The group we shared the mountains with on Saturday was a wonderful group to spend a day with. The common denominator was Camp Valaqua and the connections to it were many and varied. From our core group of Hike-a-thoners who have been with us for all of our 12 hikes to young staff members and their families to past staff, the group shared one common thread; a passion for camp.

That passion was very much on display when we counted up the funds raised at the end of the day… over $16,000! This SMASHES our existing Hike-a-thon record by more than $4,000! What a wonderful end to a wonderful day. THANK YOU to all who came to hike, to all who raised money, to all who sponsored a hiker and contributed to our total. These funds allow us to continue to offer extraordinary programming and facilities at ordinary prices. Thank you for helping us to help another generation to Discover God in Creation.

The Out-Trip Lifestyle; One worth sharing

When I landed in Calgary two weeks ago I was picked up from the airport by the other half of the Out-Trip Team here at Camp Valaqua; Carol McNaughton. After a few minutes of catching up we set to figure out the important question, how soon could we get to the mountains? As soon as I landed in Calgary I felt the pull of the mountains to the west of me and knew that was where I wanted to go. Thankfully I am teamed up with someone equally as adventurous and after a brief stop to pack a lunch we were headed west in search of a mountain to hike and some rock to climb.

Since that first day in the Canadian Rockies two weeks ago I have enjoyed five other similar days rock climbing, scrambling, canoeing, and mountain biking, all great adventure-filled days spent with good friends in beautiful country, but also so much more than that. Because of my position as the Out-Trip Director at Camp Valaqua each one of those days becomes a scouting trip, it becomes time to practice my technical rope skills or paddling skills and to practice making risk management decisions. I am constantly making mental notes about what makes the day more enjoyable for those around me even when the rain has turned the limestone into slimestone and becomes un-climbable. Looking for alternate activities when the weather turns sour and keeping spirits high nonetheless is a skill appreciated by my friends and campers alike. These outdoor hobbies that I have been so blessed to participate in and have grown to love and in turn introduce to others have become a lifestyle for me.

A huge part of this lifestyle is the planning. Currently, I am excitedly putting together trip plans for the three adventure-filled Out-Trips that Camp Valaqua is offering this summer in July. This does involve a serious amount of 

time in the office researching, looking at maps and booking campsites. While it may not sound like the most exciting part of this position, I have grown to love it. It is the time when anticipation grows. I learn of all the campers I will get to share this lifestyle with for a week and decide on what mountains, rivers, trails and rock faces I will get to spend this time with them. Because without the campers there is no lifestyle. The awesome campers, the Hana’s and Magda’s, the Sam’s, Mason’s and Tessa’s are what give my lifestyle purpose.

So in return I really want to give them a worthwhile experience, one that extends beyond just an opportunity to get outside, and becomes an opportunity to grow and explore who they are as God’s children in his natural playground he has made for us to explore.

Anyone who has ever asked me what I do in the summer and why I have chosen this lifestyle have probably heard me explain the reasons I believe this lifestyle is worth sharing. I have told others about it more than a hundred times but this is the first time I will put it into writing.

The first reason has to do with my experience when I was first introduced to backcountry camping, rock climbing, and canoeing which was only three years ago, it was all so new for me and in some ways still is and always will be. It was outside of what I knew, it was uncomfortable at times and downright terrifying at others. And the result was that it forced me to be real about who I was. I have found that when young people are placed into new situations they cannot help but being their genuine self because they have no prior experience to fall back on. It is raw, it is real and it creates a space for honest questions and conversations about life and God. Something I like to call the campfire effect.

The second reason I believe this lifestyle is worth sharing is because I love experiential learning. There are a few lessons in my life that I learned at very specific instances, the lessons are linked to specific trips and specific experiences. These types of lessons that I can link to a particular memory, are the ones I will never forget, and so many of these lessons have occurred while hiking, climbing, and just enjoying this world with the right people. Learning through experience.

So I would like to personally invite anyone and everyone (between the ages of 12-17) to come and share this Out-Trip lifestyle with me this summer, it begins at Camp Valaqua and who knows (well I do) where we might be swept off to. Yes it will probably rain at some point and it will definitely be physically challenging; you may get scared at times and you will probably find some dirt (trail spice) in your lunch at some point. But it will be real, it will be an adventure and you will share the whole experience with others who it is all new to as well.

Work Day

Written and photographed by our fun loving and wonderful Assistant Director Jesse Thiessen

This past weekend here at Valaqua we invited anyone who was willing to come out and help us clean up the camp. We had around 25 camp supporters come out and chop wood, clear bush, clean gutters, and generally made camp ready for the upcoming summer! A group went out to the overnighter spots and set up three tipis, a newer part of camp that adds another level of excitement for campers. Five new cabins were all set up with all the fixings and ready to be used. The teamwork that was experienced over the course of the day was truly inspiring to watch. Loyal supporters who never miss a Valaqua event joined us as well as a young families who are excited to come back in the next few months for summer camp. A fair number of past and future staff members drove out with much energy and enthusiasm wanting to help wherever they were able. As a community we sat around tables at lunch enjoying each-others company with good conversation over a steaming bowl of chili.

This coming summer will be my seventh year at Valaqua, in the new and exciting role of the Assistant Director. It’s really encouraging to see so many supporters of camp come out and dedicate their time. To hear stories of Valaqua from past staff members is something I really look forward too. In the seven years I have worked here, I have grown so much personally and spiritually, seeing camp do the same for others is a real exciting part of my job for the summer. Without so many supporters of Valaqua, camp would not be the same. We thank everyone for putting their time and energy into a truly amazing place.