Dear Campers, Parents, Staff, Alumni, and Friends,
2022 marked the 93rd year of Camp Trinity on the Bar 717 Ranch. Between four sessions of kids’ camp, a week of Family Camp, alumni weekend, volunteer work weekends, and four weddings, it was a very busy year.
We had some exciting projects here at the ranch this year. With the help of campers and staff, we finished construction on our new small animals barn, which now houses our chickens and goats. In February, we adopted two new horses from the BLM’s saddle-trained wild horse adoption at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center and introduced them to the trails and the arena this summer. During our fall work weekend, our amazing crew cleared the rest of the Gap Trail, opening up the overgrown path to an amazing camping spot on Corral Creek.
As always, Camp was the true highlight of our year. Campers built boats and benches in woodshop, made countless friendship bracelets in arts and crafts, sang their hearts out around the campfire, rode horses and bucked hay, danced the Amos Moses, and summited mountains from Gates and Pattison Peak all the way to the Trinity Alps. We celebrated an Alice in Wonderland-themed Harvest Festival, learned about different countries and cultures at our International Festival, over-filled our bellies at the Community BBQ, and put on our third annual Apple Jubilee.
Now that winter has descended on the ranch, it’s quiet here and we’re spending more time by the wood stove. With lots of cold, rainy weather and early sunsets, we’ve had time to reflect on the year and thought we’d share some highlights with you.
Although it may be hard to believe if you’ve only ever spent a summer at Camp, we have four beautiful seasons on the Ranch. Here’s a glimpse of how things looked at Camp this year:
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Camp by the Numbers
415 – The number of campers who attended Camp in 2022
94.6 – The percentage of campers who said their experience was excellent or very good
6 – The number of international countries represented by our staff
27 – The number of Camperships awarded to deserving families
15 – The number of states represented by our campers
8 – The number of backpacking trips to the Trinity Alps
93 – The number of years Camp has been in business
36 – The age of Jules, the oldest horse on the ranch
13 – The number of former campers who returned to the ranch to as staff this year
Reflections on Camp: Why It Matters
Hearing from campers and parents directly about the impact of camp is one of the best parts of our year. Here are a few comments that really stuck with us from this summer’s feedback from families.
From Campers
“I’m always happier and more appreciative of nature, people, and life after camp. Camp definitely boosts my confidence because I learn new things and get to grow independently while I’m there.”
“I feel that because of camp, I am a completely different person: more confident, and more myself.”
“I’m currently studying abroad, and I think that camp helped me gain the ‘confidence, independence, and responsibility’ to be here. I know how to deal with homesickness, ask for what I need, and make a new place a home. Camp has also taught me the significance and importance of everlasting friendships and what to look for in good friends. Another thing camp has taught me is gratitude and reflection.”
“I just feel better about myself and I don’t feel judged at all when I’m there.”
From Parents
“Our camper came home with a whole new refreshed, relaxed, softened perspective. She had ‘lightness of being’ for the first time in a year or two…Her time at camp was magical in the way it lifted her confidence, sense of self, openness to seeing that there is goodness in other peers and so much more. The experience, setting and community at Camp Trinity was exactly what she needed in ways we could not have predicted!”
“He absolutely flourished at camp – he came home a more centered, more grounded, more confident version of himself.”
“Camp has been the single most transformative, positive part of her childhood so far!”
Looking Forward
We have a lot to look forward to in 2023. We are excited to welcome a crew to the ranch for our spring work weekend—date TBD, but keep an eye out for more information! We’ve also moved our Alumni Weekend to early June and will look forward to connecting with generations of camp folks at the beginning of our summer season. Sessions of kids’ camp and Family Camp are filling up, and we are busy hiring an exceptional crew of counselors and support staff. If you or someone you know is interested in working on the ranch, please learn more about our job opportunities. After a few years hiatus, we’re also offering a week-long backpacking trip for Junior/Senior campers. Enrollment for all programs is open through our website.
Our advisory board has been working diligently to ensure that we meet our annual fundraising goal for the Campership Fund. We are proud to offer this support to families who want to send their children to Camp but need a little help. We believe that the benefits of Camp—of the time spent outdoors, unplugged, and with friends—should be available to all children. If you want to help give the gift of Camp to a child, you can make a tax-deductible donation here: https://bar717.com/give-the-gift-of-camp/.
We are also taking time to work on improvements to our program. You shared feedback with us on changes you’d like to see in program areas, communication, travel, and more. Although we may not be able to address the common request to straighten out the Hyampom Road, we will be working on all of these other things as we approach next summer and our 94th(!) year of Camp.
After missing out on opportunities to visit with you all during the pandemic, we are hopeful that this year will bring many chances to gather together in good health. Whether you join us for a work weekend, a session of Camp, or for Alumni Weekend June 1-4, we hope to see you here in the mountains of Trinity County. If you can’t connect with us in person, we would also love to hear from you any time. If you have a story or a memory of Camp you’d like to share, please get in touch or stay up to date with Camp news through Campservations and our social media on Instagram and Facebook. You can also hang a reminder of Camp on the wall by ordering a 2023 wall calendar featuring pictures from Bob Small.
As always, we are grateful for the incredible community that surrounds and supports Camp Trinity on the Bar 717 Ranch. We wish you a very happy New Year!
2022 In Photos
A small sampling of the many, many highlights of this year.
