Summer officially kicked off today, as all our campers arrived at Tripp Lake Camp! Every year, our entire staff wakes up on arrival day with an indescribable amount of anticipation, excitement, and disbelief that this day is finally here. After two weeks of pre-camp training, activity planning, and team building, all their hard work has prepared them for this exciting moment when our campers arrive for the summer to make memories that last a lifetime.
After our west coast campers arrived on Friday, today brought buses, cars, and vans arriving one by one, with our second wave of amazing campers. Campers were greeted with giant (masked!) hugs, high-fives, smiling faces, and welcome signs waving in the air. It was a beautiful sight to see returning campers’ faces light up as they hugged friends from last summer – and just as beautiful to see new campers’ nerves wash away as they started meeting friends in their bunk.
One of my favorite things is to see girls roam into the Campus area- the center of Tripp Lake Camp where bunks of all ages circle, to create the community-building heart of Tripp Lake. Campers went with their Head Counselor and Bunk Counselor to explore their bunk, meet their bunkmates, and see all that camp has to offer. With the ringing of the chimes for Cookie Line, girls quickly started heading towards the Dining Hall for their favorite – chocolate chip cookies! Girls grabbed hands with their friends, waved new campers along to follow their le
ad, and formed a line to get their oranges and the amazing chocolate chip cookie!
Throughout the day, campers continued to greet their old friends as they stepped off the bus and cheered for new campers coming to Tripp for the first time. Before we knew it, the dinner chimes rang, and campers traveled to the outdoor and indoor dining halls with their bunk. You could hear returning campers whispering the secret, first-night dinner tradition with their new friends! After all, a night full of chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, and s’mores bars is hard to keep secret. The dining halls were filled with laughter, singing, and cheers – instantly making Tripp Lake Camp come to life! After dinner, girls were welcomed with one final surprise – an ice cream truck that made its way through campus, stopping bunk by bunk with sweet treats!
The day was full of so much excitement, and we can’t wait to bring you along on the journey this summer! Stay tuned for more updates here on our blog and through our social media channels!
Kind Regards,
Leslie
