Summer Camp 2001 Archive Camp Jacobsen III

SUMMER CAMP

Just a Few “Gentle” Reminders: 

We visited the campsite in May.  It is so beautiful.  Of course, at this time of the year there was lots of water in the river and everything is green.  The 4-1/2 mile stretch of gravel road has been improved, which was surprising.

 Just a few last minute reminders.  I will repeat this again in July, but you may not see it before you leave for camp. 

1. There may be some restrictions on where we can set up tents because of the two endangered fish in the river (Spring Chinook and Steelhead), so please check in at the kitchen area before setting up your “home away from home”. 
2. Dot Leland and Sig Otto are looking for a ride to camp.  If you have the space and would like a passenger, please contact them.
3. “Camp Buddies” have been assigned to all first time summer campers.  If you forget who your buddy is, please call me (342-8435) or e-mail (trehugr@ix.netcom.com).  As you know, the camp buddy will answer all your questions both before and during camp. 
4. What to bring (in addition to tent, clothes, etc.):
1. Folding chair for campfires.
2. If you want ground coffee, bring a cone (mark your name on it), and filters.
3. A 2 to 5 gallon water container for potable water at your campsite.  There is no running water at camp.
4. Solar shower bag.  Put your name on it.  They all look alike!
5. Ditty bag.  Cloth or woven bag which contains coffee cup or plastic glass, knife, fork and spoon.  This bag will be hung on a line near the dining area, so that if you forget, you don’t have to walk back to your tent!
6. Payment is now way overdue.  As it was due on or before June 1, we will assume that you are all paid in full…or not going.

See you at camp!

Trail Park Passes

The Forest Service in the state of Washington requires trail park passes at all trailheads.  The pass that we use locally is also good throughout the state of Washington.  This year’s prices are:  $30 for an annual pass, $5 for a daily pass.  If you are 62 or older, the pass is one-half off or $15 and $2.50.  They can be purchased at any Forest Service office, ranger station, and some local businesses.  If you arrive in Washington without one, it can be purchased at the Forest Service headquarters in Winthrop on the west side of town.

Sharon Ritchie

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North Cascades For Summer Camp 2001

The Summer Camp Committee met the middle of September, 2000 to discuss possible camp sites for 2001. Five were reviewed and several decisions were reached. The first decision was that next year's camp would be held a little closer to home, with the following year (2002) being pushed back out in driving distance. The first choice of the committee was for a site in the Olympics in Washington if we could locate a camp site in the Sequim "sun belt". The second choice was a return to the Sheep Camp site north of Winthrop, Washington in the North Cascades. After many phone calls to many, many people on the Olympic Peninsula, it became apparent that Sequim was out of the question. My sincere thanks to Margee Wright for her dogged pursuit of everyone with a phone in that area. She did find sites for us, unfortunately, they were all in the "rain belts".   The decision was made to go with the North Cascades in Washington as our 2001 Summer Camp.

On October 17, 2000 we received approval of our application for the site for Camp Jacobsen III. It has not been that long since you were there, but many of you expressed a interest in returning to that site both the last day of our last camp there and often since that time. To those of you have never been there -- it is perfect! The site is 5 acres in size, is located exactly 12 miles north of the town of Winthrop, Washington on the Chewuck River (pronounced by the locals as "Chewack"). The ground is level, there are many trees and the river has a semi-deep swimming hole - at least the Jeffcotts had their inflatable kayaks in it.  The town of Winthrop is small and the storefronts have a old west theme.

The hiking is incredible. You will be surrounded by the North Cascades Wilderness to the west, the Pasayten Wilderness to the north, the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness to the south and the Tiffany Mountains to the east. The trailheads are 3 to 50 miles away. The camp booklet has 40 hikes. That should really keep you busy! In addition to hiking, there is swimming at nearby Pearrygin Lake State Park., paved bike trails at nearby Sun Mountain Resort. You can purchase a booklet that suggests 10 car tours. How about a drive down to Lake Chelan for a boat ride to Stehekin? As you can see, we will be surrounded by any kind of adventure.

We hope that the new members who attended Summer Camp for the first time last year will join us again this year. The details regarding the camp will be published in the December Bulletin (cost, where to send deposit, etc.).

As you know, camp is only as successful as its volunteers. If you would like to participate by being on the camp committee or helping in any manner, please call Sharon Ritchie at 342-8435 or e-mail her at trehugr@ix.netcom.com.

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Adventure Options at Camp Jacobsen Ill

WINTHROP (population 300) has captured the spirit of the Old West with a colorful Main Street. Rows of false fronted buildings, wooden sidewalks and old-fashioned street lights are reminiscent of the 1890s when a mining boom brought many settlers to the area. Poet and author Owen Wister lived in Winthrop in the early 1900s and described some of Winthrop's sites and citizens in his novel "The Virginian".

RAFTING: Black Canyon (Class 3-4). Whitewater rafting at its. very best! Big waves, consistent whitewater, and beautiful Methow scenery make this a classic. Gold Creek (Class 2). You'll find all of the ingredients for a perfect day on this intermediate whitewater trip: lots of rapids, swimming holes, beaches, and typically sunny weather. Fun the whole family can enjoy. Skagit River (Class 2-3). Rafting on North Cascades Park; glacier capped peaks, waterfalls, giant cedars and nesting Osprey highlight this dramatic whitewater trip.

BALLOONING: We fly in the early morning hours when the winds are calmest. Your adventure begins from the town of Winthrop. Each journey is unique, combining low level views over the treetops with spectacular panoramas from higher elevations. There is little feeling of movement as we gently drift with the light winds.

HIKING: Maple Pass. (7 miles, 1960-ft. elevation gain). Lakes, little flower fields, small meadows and big views sum up this delightful hike. The main trail ascends across a large rockslide well above Lake Ann. At 2 miles is 6200' Heather Pass. From a switchback, look west to Black Peak, Lewis Peak and the cirque of Wing Lake. The trail then contours over the top of cliffs 1,000 ft. above Lake Ann to Maple Pass at 6600 ft. For the loop and more views, a safe but primitive trail follows the ridge crest eastward to a 6850-ft. shoulder of Frisco Mtn. And then descends, steeply at times, the ridge between the spectacular cirques that surround both Lake Ann and Rainy Lake. The trail joins the Rainy Lake Trail half-a-mile from its starting point.  See an interesting geology site on Maple Pass: http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/noca/nocaste.html 

BIKING: The area offers a variety of mountain bike trips ranging in length arid terrain, as well as hundreds of miles of paved and unpaved roads. Popular forest routes include: Twisp River Trail. The 8.3-mile route offers wonderful views of the surrounding Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. Goat Wall is a 28-mile route with nearly 3500-ft. of climb, Cascade views and a wild downhill run back to the Methow Valley floor. Other popular rides include Sun Mountain, Lightning Creek and rural roads in the area. Check with the Forest Service or local bike and sporting goods stores for routes.

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Here is another possible summer camp hike (one of dozens) that might whet your appetite:
Grasshopper Pass

Round Trip: 11 miles
Hiking Time: 6 hours
Elevation gain: 1000’ in, 1000’ out

Wide-open, big-sky meadow ridges, grand views of giant peaks and forested valleys.  The entire hike is above timberline, contouring hillsides, traversing gardens, and sometimes following the exact PCT.

The PCT immediately leaves the trees, going along an open slope below diggings of the Brown Bear Mine and above a pretty meadow.  The first mile is a gentle ascent to the 6600-foot east shoulder of a 7400-foot peak.  The way swings around the south slopes of this peak to a saddle, 7000 feet, overlooking Ninety-nine Basin at the head of Slate Creek, and then contours 7386-foot Tatie Peak to another saddle, 6900 feet, and a magnificent picture of Mt. Ballard.

A moderate descent, with a stretch of switchbacks, leads around a 7500-foot peak.  In a boulder basin at 4 miles, 6600 feet, is the only dependable water on the trip, a cold little creek flowing from mossy rocks through a flower-and-heather meadow ringed by groves of larch.

The trail climbs gradually a final mile to the broad swale of 6700-foot Grasshopper Pass.  But don’t stop here—go ¼ mile more and a few feet higher on the ridge to a knob just before the trail starts down and down to Glacier Pass.  The views are dramatic across Slate Creek forests to 8440-foot Azurite Peak and 8301-foot Mt. Ballard.  Eastward are meadows and trees of Trout Creek, flowing to the Methow.

Each of the peaks contoured by the trail invites a side trip of easy but steep scrambling to the summit, and the wanderings are endless amid larches, pines and spruces, flowers blossoming from scree and buttress, and the rocks—colorful shale, slates, conglomerates and sandstones, and an occasional igneous intrusion.  

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A little more  “Appetite Whetting”
Copper Glance Lake

Round trip: 6 miles                Here is a picture: http://home1.gte.net/bp100/copper.htm
Hiking time: 6 hours
High point: 6400 feet
Elevation Gain: 2600’ in, 300 out

Beneath the cliffs of Isabella Ridge and 8204’ Sherman Peak, ringed by fields of boulders and clumps of larch trees, sits Copper Glance Lake, a drop of snowmelt that by itself might scarcely be considered worth the walk.  But, the walk is short.  This is not to say its quick.  The trail gains 2500’ in 3 miles.  Some stretches are quite flat.  All the worse; as any student of mountain mathematics understands, when a route that climbs this high is not very steep, a bit farther on it’s going to have to be extremely steep to make up the difference.  The spectacular scenery is worth the sweat.  So are the meadows.

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Summer Camp Prospectus and Registration

If you are interested in joining us at Camp Jacobsen III, you can do so by filling out a registration form and sending it along with a deposit to us.  Complete instructions as well as the registration form are contained in the Prospectus . You can download the Prospectus below. 

Summer Camp Prospectus and Registration Form
PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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