Volume LVI, No. 6, February, 2016

by

Dear Campers, Parents, Staff, Alums & Friends,

As you may have heard already, Harold “H” Hiken, camp’s founding director, passed away last month at the age of 88.  As a young man, H fell in love with camping, and in 1960, with his wife, Sharon, he fulfilled his dream by buying a small fishing resort on the shores of Lake Towanda, and opening Camp Timberlane in the summer of 1961.  All of us who have shared our summers together at camp are indebted to Harold and Sharon’s vision of a place for boys to live and grow with great friends and great adventures, in a beautiful part of the Northwoods.  Harold’s funeral was attended by dozens of old campers and counselors, including some who are now camp dads.  And while we were there for a solemn purpose, as happens anytime camp guys get together, there was joy and laughing, and story after story.  We know the Hiken family appreciates the outpouring of love and warmth they have received from the camp community.  “H” was a unique and charismatic camp director, and he will certainly be missed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember my very first backpacking trip.  I was 14, had done several river canoeing trips, but had never been backpacking before.  I was a camper, and we were headed to the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The same trip that we do several times each summer at Timberlane.  I’d love to say that I had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed backpacking.  That wasn’t the case at all.  In fact, although I totally loved going on camping trips, after that Porkies trip, I decided that I hated backpacking!  What went wrong?  It was pretty simple, really.   Back in those days, most people used external frame backpacks.  So there was an aluminum frame that you wore on our back (wood in the old-old days), and a canvas or nylon bag was strapped to the frame.  Just like our cool and modern backpacks that we have at camp, the brunt of the weight is supposed to be carried on your hips via the hip belt, and the shoulder straps keep the pack close to your back and keep it balanced.  However, unbeknownst to me or the leaders on my trip, the hip belt on my pack wasn’t even connected to the frame!  It was just dangling from the nylon bag so it didn’t fall off, but it also didn’t take any of the weight.  So each day I was trudging along with all the weight pressing down on my shoulders, and it didn’t feel good and it wasn’t much fun.  Such a bummer!

Ultimately, I tried it again, and it didn’t take long before I discovered that I actually LOVE backpacking!!  That’s fortunate, and as a result I’ve been to amazing backcountry places like Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, the Superior Hiking Trail, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park, The Great Sand Dunes,the Desolation Wilderness, and more.  It’s one of my favorite things to do!  I’m so glad I didn’t give up on it. 

I mention this because we have acquired most of our permits for our wilderness trips for the upcoming summer, and we have posted our 2016 Trips Calendar online!  And it looks awesome!!!  I am so excited (and jealous) about all of these incredible trips our campers get to do.  Hit the white water on the Peshtigo, Brule or Sand Rivers!  Dip your paddle in remote lakes in the serene beauty of the Boundary Waters or Quetico.  Scale the cliffs at Devil’s Lake or Tettegouche.  Or, take to the trail and backpack at Pictured Rocks, LSPP, or the awesome Isle Royale!  It’s all out there for you.  We know so many of you guys are pumped to get out there, and we think that’s awesome.

But wait!  Are you feeling unsure about going on trips?  Does it seem like it’ll be hard, or is it something you’ve just never done before and you’re concerned you’re not up for it?  Remember, we will never let anyone go on a trip for which they are not prepared either physically or emotionally.  We always encourage campers to get out on trips, but we never will push too hard.  Part of the power of this program is the fact that it is free choice.  You get to choose which trips you do!  And part of that choice is maybe taking steps a bit outside of your comfort zone and developing so much inner strength from that process.  And even if you tried a trip in a previous summer and didn’t love it, think about how much you have grown in a year or more.  As you get bigger and stronger, your ability to adapt to outdoor living increases, and you can better tolerate (and even enjoy!) the “roughing it” aspect of getting into the wilderness.  If you give it up…there’s so much you will definitely miss out on!!

Ask yourself, “Why would so many people think this is important?”  Remember before when I mentioned the “power” of the Trips program?  It’s very real.  Even if you go on shorter trips, you are helping yourself in ways you may not recognize right away, but they are substantial.  You are learning important skills, you’re supporting yourself and the others on the trip with you, and you are learning just how much you are capable of accomplishing.  You are growing stronger each day, and all of that while having fun with great people, amazing leaders, and in truly spectacular and beautiful places!  You know how I feel about it.  Wanna hear from other guys who have also been there?  Check out our newest camp-related blog, TimberTrips.  Our very first author is Scott Breen, who was a camper and counselor at camp for a long time.  Lots of you remember Scott, and he even visited camp last summer.  Scott writes about how it took him a little while to get into trips, and now as he looks back, he sees it as a key part of becoming the adult he is.  Parents, if your camper doesn’t always read these newsletters (what?!), please encourage him to read Scott’s article.  Thanks.

Just a little reminder that space is still availabe in our 2nd session this summer.  If you know of some friendJs or relatives who may be interested, please help us get in touch with them.  Thanks!
Welcome back to the following “old-timers” who re-enrolled last month: CHARLIE CARROL and ETHAN GOMBERG of Chicago, IL; AARON HOFFMAN and DANIEL ROTHSTEIN of Dallas, TX; and ALEX GORDON of Glencoe, IL;

And welcome aboard to the following first-year campers who will join us this summer: ZACHARY SEGALL of Atlanta, GA; ETIENE LAFLAMME of Chicago, IL; JACK BECKER of St. Louis, MO; and DREW CUSHING of Dallas, TX.  Are you guys ready for the most amazing summer ever?!  We can’t wait!!

YO PARENTS: February is a pretty busy month, as we round the corner and start heading towards spring.  First of all, most of you have submitted your Winter Deposits, which we appreciate.  Not that you love hearing this, but as a little advanced notice, the Spring Deposit is due next month, on March 15th.  Yay!  If you have questions about billing or anything on your statement, you can access most of that info on your Keylog Page.  Your statement is uploaded and current, and the Billing Info document is also updated.  As always, feel free to call us or email us if you are unclear about anything.

FLYING CAMPERS: A little reminder that airfares change as the travel date approaches…and they don’t go down!  If you have not already done so, please be sure to register right away with our travel agent, Sojourn Travel.  If you have any special travel arrangements to discuss, you can describe those in the Comments Box on the registration form, and Mary or Barney from Sojourn will contact you. 

CIT TRAVEL: CITs start on June 12th, so their travel-to-camp date is June 11th. CITs from Chicago will have a van available to transport them and their baggage to camp on June 11th. CITs from all other cities will fly into the Central Wisconsin Airport in Wausau, and we’ll have our staff there to greet them and drive them to camp. In the event your CIT’s school calendar gets extended for crazy snow and cold and foul weather days, don’t stress.  Let us know and we’ll work out a coordinated travel arrangement for those who need it.

BIG TRIP PRE-REGISTRATION: Obviously, we’re pretty darn excited about the trips we have for the boys this summer.  Most of our trips do not have pre-registration available, but some of our “bigger” trips, geared towards our older campers, are available.  For the past several years, some of these trips have filled up with guys who pre-register, so please talk with your son (returning campers only) and see if any of our pre-register eligible trips are of interest to him.  These include:

1st Session:

  • Sand River
  • Isle Royale 10 Day
  • Apostle Islands Sea Kayak

2nd Session:

  • Isle Royale 6 Day
  • Quetico Canoe Trip (The Canadian)
  • Apostle Islands Sea Kayak

If you are ready to pre-register, logon to our website, click the “Trips Info” link, and then the “advanced registration” link.  Please call or email us if you have any questions.  Thanks!

YO OLD GUYS: If you are a returning camper in 8th or 9th grade this year, then we want you to be a Big Brother for a new camper this summer.  This is a great opportunity for you to connect with someone new, share your knowledge and experience of camp, help your little bro feel welcome and at home, and gain some leadership experience.  We will connect as many of our returning guys with little brothers as possible.  We ask big brothers to call (not text or Facebook message) their little brothers, spend a few minutes on the phone, and if it works out, maybe even get together with them before camp.  There is definitely no obligation for you to be a big brother if you’re not crazy about the idea.  If you prefer NOT to be a big brother, please email or call us as soon as possible.  We will send out Big/Little Brother assignments in April. 

The news keeps getting better and better!  Last month we had a long, long list of returning staff members to share with you, and this month we have lots more.  In fact, we are happy to tell you that our entire administrative team is back for the upcoming summer!  All of our assistant directors, village directors, and our PA director will all be with us again.  Camp is all about great leadership, and we couldn’t ask for a stronger, more committed, more fun group of folks. 

Here’s a crazy number for you.  Right now we have nearly 550 years of camp experience represented on our staff.  That’s just amazing!  We know that we’re incredibly lucky to have such a loyal and talented group of people to work with, and that certainly means the summer is going to be incredible!!

AsarchARI ASARCH After a summer’s absence, we are happy to welcome Ari back for his 6th summer.  Ari is a senior at the Jewish Day School of Denver, and is also taking classes at the University of Denver.  Ari has completed 2 NOLS trips in the past few years, and as a camper went on just about every trip we have.   Ari will be 18 this summer, and he will join our Trip Leading staff.
GlickmanMAX GLICKMAN Summer number 9 coming up for Max.  He is a 19 year old freshman at the University of Wisconsin, studying Marketing and Computer Science.  He will be a cabin counselor this summer, and will help out with Ropes Course, Floor Hockey, Tennis, and more.
GorehamEVAN GOREHAM Evan is back for his 2nd great summer at camp.  He is a 21 year old Junior at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.  He is studying Exercise Science and plans to be an athletic trainer.  Evan will again be a cabin counselor, and will head up our Basketball program and help out with Baseball, Weight Training, and Golf.
JacobsMATTHEW JACOBS Matthew is back, after a summer’s absence, for his 10th summer at camp.  He is a freshman at the University of Arizona all sorts of stuff (undeclared).  Mathew will be a cabin counselor and will help out with Waterskiing, Athletics, and Soccer. Matthew is 19 years old.
KahnSAM KAHN This will be Sam’s 8th summer at camp.  He is a 19 year old freshman at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.  Sam will be a cabin counselor and will head up the Disc Sports program he began at camp last summer.  He’ll also help out with
Watersking and Golf.
McGeeJOVAN MCGEE From the mountains of Colorado, Jovan is back for his 13th summer at camp.  For the past several months, Jovan has relocated from southern Florida to the Rockies where he is a dispatcher and driver for a shuttle service.  It’s been a chance to do something totally different, and our sources tell us he’s having a blast.  Jovan returns to camp as our PA Director, a cabin counselor, and head of our Tennis and Gymnastics programs.  He is 33 years old.
andresANDRÉS PEREZ

Andrés joins us again from Puebla, Mexico for his 2nd summer at camp.  He is 23 years old and is studying to become an actuary at Beneremerita Universidad in Puebla.  He will graduate this year!  Andrés returns to camp as part of our fantastic Kitchen Staff. 

PiellZACH PIELL After a summer away, Zach is back for his 3rd summer at camp.  Zach will be 17 this summer, and he is currently a junior at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, IL.  Zach has worked with kids at a religious school and at a park district day camp.  This summer Zach will be a junior counselor and will help with Guitar, Mountain Biking, Pottery and Tennis.
RobertsBEN ROBERTS Ben is back for his 9th summer at camp.  He will be 19 this summer, and he is a freshman at the University of Texas in Austin where he is studying Economics.  Ben will be a cabin counselor, and will help out with Soccer, Waterskiing, Athletics, and other areas.
Rosenblum, EEDDIE ROSENBLUM Summer number 9 coming up for Eddie.  He will be 20 years old, and after a gap year between high school and college during which he lived in China, Eddie is a freshman at Grinnell College in Iowa, studying Anthropology and Chinese.  Eddie will be a cabin counselor helping out with Rock Climbing, Sailing and Ropes Course.
StrainBRIAN STRAIN Brian is back for his 15th summer at camp!  He is from Denver, Colorado where he works as a school librarian, computer tech and assessment coordinator.  He also drives a Zamboni at a local ice rink (so cool!).  Brian will be our Intermediate Village Director, a cabin counselor, and will head up our Fishing program.  Brian will be 35 this summer.
TompkinsCHRIS TOMPKINS Chris is back, after a summer’s absence, for his 6th summer at camp.  Chris is 17 years old and is a junior at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, IL.  At school, Chris is an adviser for incoming freshmen, and hopes to become a teacher in the future.  At camp Chris was known as an expert bowman at archery.  He will be a junior counselor, and will help out with Archery and other areas.

We have been busy people lately, with several interviews taking place each week.  And they have paid off already!  Welcome aboard to the following new staff who will join us this summer:

EnriquezIAN ENRIQUEZ Ian is 24 years old and has a degree in Social Work from Indiana University East.  He has been working as a care coordinator at a not-for-profit HIV/AIDS service organization.  Ian has worked with school kids and kids at Boys and Girls Clubs teaching life skills and basketball.  He played basketball in high school and college, and also raced BMX bikes.  This summer Ian will be a cabin counselor, and will help with Basketball, Mountain Biking, Yoga, and Baseball.
McDonaldKELLI MCDONALD Welcome aboard to Kelli who joins our health care staff.  Kelli is a 31 year old registered nurse who works as a school nurse at an elementary school and middle school in Racine, WI.  She has worked with children in other capacities too, including on mission trips to Bermuda and Costa Rica.  Kelli was Army ROTC in college, and also spent a summer as a camp nurse at a YMCA camp.  She’s an outdoors person who loves camping and rock climbing, and she even plays guitar!  We’re happy to have Kelli with us as one of our nurses this summer.
NikkiNIKKI MOSCINSKI Nikki comes to us from the University of Pittsburgh where she is a sophomore pre-med student, also studying Chemistry, English Writing, Spanish, and German.  She hopes to become a pediatrician.  She is originally from Glenview, IL., and she has lots of family living in the Minocqua area.  She has been a tutor and a TA in college, and summer reading coordinator for students in high school.  And she has done research and volunteer work at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.  Through family trips and Girl Scouts, Nikki has hiked and canoed around the north country, and she joins our staff as a Trip Leader.  She will be 20 years old this summer. 
ShaniaSHANIA WILLIAMS Shania will be 20 years old this summer, and she is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, studying Nursing.  She currently works as a Certified Nursing Assistant helping seniors in a nursing home where she serves them their meals  among other responsibilities.  This summer, Shania will be a part of our awesome Kitchen Staff, a position her mom actually had a few decades ago.  That makes Shania a 2nd Generation Kitchen Staff!  Pretty great!!””

 

In Los Angeles, EMERSON CORONEL went on a nice cruise to Jamaica and Haiti over winter break.  He has been busy playing lacrosse.  JAMES LOVETT has been playing some Trampball in his yard!  He’s also been taking lessons on the drums, and he did some skiing in Jackson Hole over the break.  ETHAN PRAGER was selected for a 7-man surfing team.  He’s been skiing most weekends and got a new board over the holidays.  CHARLIE LOVETT hit the slopes in Utah over the holidays.  ILAN REISS spent his holiday in Scottsdale.  He’s been playing soccer and doing some snowboading.  JOSH KATZ has been playing some basketball and lacrosse, and is also into coding.  ELI KATZ has been playing waterpolo and starts baseball soon.  He also plays trombone.  ELI OKUM has been taking guitar lessons and also plays alto sax.  GABRIEL ADLER has been playing basketball and boxing.  BRYAN BERKOWITZ has been playing tennis and was recently in a play at the Geffen Theater..  In Chicago, SPENCER FARBER climbed Multnomah Falls in Oregon not long ago.  Wow!  NOAH FOSTER recently went to London and then to Israel to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah!  Congrats, Noah!! Bar Mitzvah congrats also to JUSTIN GOLDENBERG in St. Louis, who celebrated with lots of camp guys, and to DANIEL SOLOT who also had lots of camp friends at his celebration, including AIDAN FELDMAN who traveled in from Houston.  SAM & BEN SIWAK were on a cruiser over the winter holidays, and in the Bahamas, while floating along on a lazy river, they bumped into DANIEL SOLOT.  How crazy is that?  We’re sure you all heard about the huge snow storm that hit the Washington, DC area.  That was supposed to be our reunion weekend, but with the airports closed, we couldn’t get together.  But as you can seem from the photos, WILL & NOAH SEXTER sure had a great time, as did HENRY ANDERSON and NOAH LIGHT.  That’s a lot of snow!!  Down in San Diego, LEO HANDELSMAN and his family survived the flooding back in December, and Leo is looking forward to playing some baseball. 

 

BRIAN STRAIN made the trip from Denver to hang out with our LA guys for the reunion there.  He has been busy working as a school librarian and computer tech, and – of course – as the best darn Zamboni driver east of the Rockies.  SCOTT WOLF has been working in some theater productions, and teaching theater, and he has decided that his heart is truly in teaching.  So, Scott has applied to grad schools for a teaching degree.  ARI LACKNER took a day out of his winter break to drive from Chicago to Milwaukee and spend some time with AARON GLAZER.  EVAN GOREHAM has shaved his beard!  He sent us a photo, but….we just can’t….Congratulations to EMILY JONES who has landed a job as an outdoor educator with a program up in beautiful Prescott, AZ. 

 

BRAVO TO OUR FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY BOYS & GIRLS: Max Pugh – 2/1/2001, Zavion Steele – 2/1/2005, Brady Adelman – 2/2/2006, Gus Mervis – 2/3/2003, Massimo D’Agaro – 2/6/2003, Jackson Pawlan – 2/6/2001, Harry Smith – 2/7/2007, Max Glickman – 2/8/1997, Ethan Deutsch – 2/10/2003, Tyler Deutsch – 2/10/2003, Caleb Gerstein – 2/10/2006, Gabriel Adler – 2/14/2001, Jack Lynch – 2/15/1999, David Ringel – 2/15/1997, Morgan Decker – 2/16/2005, Connor Fehrenbach – 2/16/1999, Tommy Holland – 2/16/2003, Aiden Holstein – 2/16/2005, Daniel Feldman – 2/17/2000, Dillon Gross – 2/17/1998, Zach Walden – 2/17/2000, Keshav Krishnan – 2/18/1999, Erik Hotaling – 2/21/1994, Sam M. Kahn – 2/23/1989, Casey Mutchnik – 2/25/2001, David Friedland – 2/26/2003, Carlos Dorantes Banuelos – 2/27/1994.

We’re heading towards spring!  Have a great February, and we’ll write you again soon.

Benches up,