This year we celebrated our 89th summer of celebrating God’s creation as we continued to play, live, and grow in Christian community. Kintail is a special place in this world where campers, staff, and guests can really get a sense of wonder and be inspired by the intricacies of nature; from the gentle waves lapping on the shore, to the spectacular sunsets over Lake Huron, and the sounds of the many different birds and critters that also call Camp Kintail ‘home’.
It was another record year for registrations as we welcomed over 1600 campers to our overnight and day camps in July and August. Campers came to experience fun afternoons of playing in the lake, the thrill of whizzing down the zip line, the triumph of conquering the rock wall and high ropes, and the wholesome community found in each and every cabin group.
What Was New?
The Nest
The most obvious new addition to camp this year was a pretty big one. In July we officially opened the new retreat and accommodation space which we named “The Nest”. The Leaders in Training and Pre-Leaders in Training were the first camper groups to get to enjoy this new facility. Since it opened both campers and staff have spent comfortable nights sleeping in these accommodations and spending afternoons and evenings sharing laughter on the impressive porches of the building.
Try-Out Camps
Another addition we made this year was to our program schedule. We added a second “Junior Try Out” session and for the first time ever we introduced “Intermediate Try Out” camp during K7. We opened these camps to allow more campers to experience camp at their level. These sessions gave campers the opportunity to come to camp for a few days when perhaps otherwise their schedule would not have allowed for a full week or that they weren’t quite ready for a full week away. We crammed as much of the Kintail experience into these couple of days so that campers left feeling fulfilled and perhaps ready to commit to a full week at camp next year.
Bi-folding Doors
This one was a biggie. If you have ever shared a meal time with us in the MacDonald Lodge Dining Hall you would know that on a busy day things could get loud, and on warm days you would be thankful for a nice breeze to come through the Lodge. In June we decided to take out the sliding bay windows and replace them with a large pair of bi-folding doors on a track that allow us to completely open onto a patio going out to the Field of Dreams. The difference this upgrade made this summer was monumental, as cabins enjoyed cool summer lunches indoors, and noise levels were a lot lower, allowing cabin groups to share conversations across the table with ease.
Summer 2018 Quick Facts:
- Average daily temperature in July and August was 24˚C, perfect for spending time in Lake Huron.
- K8 Discovery was our most popular full week session; a whopping 109 campers aged 7-14 attended.
- Over 15,000 liters of water was filled from our water bottle filling station in MacDonald Lodge.
- Campers spent at least 13 hours a day outdoors on days when breakfast and dinner were served at the picnic tables around the Lodge.
- 28 young people took part in the Leader in Training (LIT) program.
– Matt “Turkey” Hill
For more information on the upcoming 90th season of camping on Lake Huron, check out the 2019 Camp Kintail program schedule found here