The trip scheduling was not always perfect since there was lack of transportation and conflicts with canoe areas, according to notes left by the program director Toni Young in 1966 (for canoe overnight trips), but those trips remained the epitome of fun and adventure for girls of every decade.
A sample sheet was attached in the report with Gayla and “Squirt” from cabin seven leaving at 5:15 for Rollways, followed by dinner there, a clean up and explore time at 7:30, snacks at 8:45, taps at 9:30 and pick up and returned to Maqua at 8:15 the following morning.
There were near drought conditions that summer with a fire ban in place. Combined with “not too enthusiastic or inexperienced staff, very few cookouts were taken and just as few sleepouts,” wrote Toni. “Most of the cookouts were taken in conjunction with overnights, thus killing two birds with one stone.”
Four firebowls were available in camp in Senior Village, waterfront, and primitive. The one in primitive was only used when they were gone on a trip and the one between the lodge and the archery field wasn’t used at all that year.
Anne Obey was the campcraft packer, so the counselors were only responsible for the cooking utensils, tarps and hatchets from the campcraft hut and first aid kit from the nurse. Ann had impressed her director very much with her mature manner and how well she handled her responsibilities. “I could not have asked for anyone who gave willingly and actually showed loyalty and love for Maqua and its campers as Anne” she wrote in her report in 1966.
Toni had some suggestions for the cookouts. She wanted the form changed to indicate what equipment the counselor was responsible for and for menu and quantities for the packer.Anne also felt there should be a more diversified menu, instead of the usual hamburgers and hot dogs.
Suggestions included pigs in a blanket (hot dogs wrapped with cheese and bacon), doughboys with meat or jelly in them or campfire stew over an open fire. The last suggestion was cookies with the reflector oven or Dutch oven.
Toni also thought each girl should have her own jackknife for overnights and cookouts, even though it was not a requirement at that time. She felt it would prevent fear of using them and also they would be able to learn the correct usage.
The following areas were used for the overnights, which always left at 5:15-5:30 at the latest; Rollways, which was considered the least primitive, which had two fireplaces and solid walls, a cement floor and a store and phone nearby. Silver Valley was more primitive with an open shelter, a dirt floor, no fireplace, and no store or phone within walking distance. (Although there were other campers nearby, a counselor with a staff car had to be there in case of emergency, according to ACA regulations.) Jewetts or Rifle River Recreation Area was considered the most primitive, with no shelter, store, or phone within walking distance, but a ranger came by in the evening. A car and counselor had to be there for emergencies. All overnighters were picked up by 8:15 or 8:30 so they could be back for classes at 9:30.
A sample cookout sheet for July 2, 1966 for Hut C was included. Eight campers and two guests and Frenchie were on this trip. They had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, “bug juice”, celery and carrots, oranges and potato chips. (Supplies included eleven paper cups, napkins, paper bags, pieces of waxed paper and some salt.)
Dorthe Balaskas was the director during this era and she felt the trips were very organized. Qualified staff, which always included a senior lifesaver or waterfront safety instructor, plus a staff member to handle cooking and fire-building were always in attendance. The nurse would pack a first aid kit in a waterproof can and the menus were made and packed by the director and canoe staff member.
This particular trip was to Jolly Redskin Canoe Livery in Grayling and a truck was borrowed from Camp Mahn-go-tah-see to transport the first group and the camp station wagon and truck for the rest.
Ann Pennington, who camped in the sixties and seventies, also helped with the organization of the canoe trips for each session. In charge of menu planning, equipment gathering, meeting with the trippers ahead of time and “generally just running the show” in regards to decisions to be made.
‘The amount of responsibility that we had at such a young age was incredible. I was 17, soon to be 18 in the summer of 1971, just going into college,” said Ann, who was the canoe director the year before. Jennifer McLogan also shared the responsibilites with Ann. Both were lauded for their delightful personalities and their abilities, by Barbara Haggart-who served as the director following Dorthe Balaskas.
“The canoe trips, which were always two or three days, were some of my favorite times. They were big adventures,” said Chris Lambert (1958), “but a huge responsibility. We never really thought about how big a responsibility we had with all those girls on the river. One time on the AuSable, where waters opened up and there were huge stumps, the current was quite swift. If you caught it the right way, the canoe could capsize, but we managed to stay upright.”
If you were one of the canoe trip organizers, did you understand the huge responsibility of your trips? Did you ever have any incidents?
