Lynn Canal is built on stories. We asked five members of our camp community for a camp memory. Here’s what they shared:
Tristan: Co-Founder of Lynn Canal Running Camp
One of the things I love about our camps is watching returning campers grow as athletes and develop lasting friendships. Two campers, who recently graduated high school, joined us as freshmen and so desperately wanted to do the entire 14 mile Juneau Ridge loop on our “big day”. Unfortunately, we had to turn them both around before even reaching the summit. They were heart-broken and vowed to return to camp and finish the entire loop. Not only did they do that, the time they spent together that day on the side of Mount Juneau was the beginning of a deep friendship lasting all through high school.
Della: camper, high school student-athlete at Juneau Douglas High School
One memory I have of camp is glissading down the backside of the Juneau Ridge into Granite Basin and nervous about doing something new in a place I’d never been, but being so thrilled and covered in snow and excited to be sliding down a mountain.
I come back to camp year after year because every time I’m surrounded by the Lynn Canal community I remember how amazing fellow runners are, and I feel supported to step out of my comfort zone and experience life the way I think it’s meant to be.
Edgar: 3 year camper turned counselor. College xc/track student athlete at UAA.
A memory that I have from camp is probably from my first year as a high school camper. I remember it was the Big Day on our way to summit Mt. Juneau, and I remember I had two blisters on each of my heels. And I remember thinking to myself, “I am getting through this hike.” I’ve never summited Juneau in my life, and today’s the day. So I decided to finish the hike without shoes on, and thinking back, that is probably one of the most challenging things in that point in my life that I had ever done as a runner and as a person.
And I remember carrying that experience with me throughout the remainder of the year, and whenever I would experience a challenging moment in my life, I would tell myself, “if you were able to get through the Big Day, you can get through this.” And that is a big reason why I went back to camp.
Another reason is because I believe that in order to be a good person and a good runner, you need to learn about yourself. You need to learn about your body. You need to learn about your weaknesses and your strengths, and you need guidance. And Lynn Canal was a space for me where I could grow, not only because of the experiences that I went through at Lynn Canal, because of the people that I met. And a lot of people that I look up to, I met at Lynn Canal. And as a counselor, I want to serve a similar purpose to the campers. I want to help the campers find their strengths and guide them through challenging moments in life or at camp, and I want to leave them with experiences that are going to help them get through tough moments in their lives, like I was able to.
Annika: camper-turned-counselor. College xc/track student athlete at Whitman.
Last year during camp we were on one of our “big day” adventures. We worked together to follow the flagging of the trail and connect the alpine meadows. We ran through many mud puddles, picked blueberries and told stories as we worked our way down the mountain. This was one of my favorite camp adventures because the campers had such a small trail to follow that we found together, and the blueberries were delicious.
Going on adventures with the campers makes me want to come back as a counselor. I love hearing kids from Juneau say, “wow, I can’t believe I haven’t been here before!” when we get on top of a mountain, or the joy of glissading after a long climb. The spirit each camper brings to adventures is so special. Lynn Canal is a community that I am proud to be a part of.
Beck: Camper turned former counselor from Anchorage, Alaska
What blew me away when attending the camp in high school was how much freedom we were given. From the free feeling of being outdoors on a mountain to the creative freedom given to us at every olympic challenge. Lynn Canal really invites you to open up to new experiences in an inclusive way.