BEEF – O – BOB
We are at the half way point of the off season. It is hard to believe summer 2013 was over 4 months ago, and it is only 4 months until we head north to open up the camp.
It is rare for anyone who attends Chikopi during the 10 weeks of summer to ever see what is involved in the set up and break down of the camp. When campers arrive in June, everything is ready to go, camp looks like camp. But when Tollgate High School students, who have been volunteering at Chikopi for 30 years, arrive in early June, camp looks like an over grown prairie. They cut and rake the grass, paint the buildings, get the cabins ready, they ensure that everything looks good for your arrival.
Even more goes on at camp to close and secure it for the winter. Scott and I worked many days, until the dark and cold forced us in doors, to put Chikopi away for the winter.
We did jobs such as: installing metal shutters on the garage and boat houses; securing the cabins, pump houses, the Paul Jackson Library & Game Room; the Matt Mann Swim Shack, including bagging the fins, pull buoys and kick boards; secure the boat house with chains; storing the rentals for the winter, and cleaning up the fire pit at the point. Waxing the HOP floors, every tap, toilet and pipe on camp need to be drained after the water is turned off, otherwise they would freeze and break in the bitter Winter temperatures. This year, to complete the MainHouse re-vamp, all new major appliances, the electric was updated to meet the current codes.
Just now as Chikopi is blanketed in 4 feet of snow, Ahmic Lake is frozen, the ice fishermen are drilling holes to reach into the sub-zero water below, know that it is only 5 short months until the doors will open for our 95th summer on Ahmic Lake. We look forward to sharing another summer with you.
